this thread needs pix.
this thread needs pix.
Right i have made a bit of progress, i have removed the Nova gear lever and surround. Sorry for the current state of my Nova
just needs tidying up with the grinder. Im waiting for a new spot weld drill bit so just had to cut away at the metal above the tunnel for now for a bit more access.
Fitted the gearbox in so i could see the position of the turret in relation to the bulkhead and steering rack etc. Decided to go above the rack due for easier clearance. This meant having the shifter rod higher up than planned but not to worry....
Drilled it 20mm for the time being until i know what size it needs to be as i can open it up at a later time. You can just see my socket extension popping through the hole
Just did a quick edit on the picture of my shifter box to show you my plans. The box is angled along the top and i am going to trim the bits off the top to leave it flat (ie remove all material in the red box). Not going into too much detail but this will suit my design for the actual gear lever (more on that later)
The bush in the end will be replaced with a spherical bearing allowing the shifter rod to be run at an angle but also parallel to the top of the shifter box which ties in with my gear lever designs. There will be another speherical bearing mounted at the bulkhead hole which will keep a positive feel in the linkage.
The white pin through the middle has been removed as the pivot needs moving from the bottom of the gear lever to the centre.
I am not plating over the hole left by removal of the Nova gear lever as my gear lever will protrude below the profile of the shifter box so clearance is needed underneath. This will be solved by welding the original Nova box underneath (if that makes sense)
This is what i have come up with for a linkage so far. I was hoping that just one UJ would be enough but i dont think it will give the movement required so i have chosen to use two. My only worry with using two is that they will try and buckle over each rather than move the selector rod in and out properly. This is another reason for using spherical bearings at the bulkhead and shifter box as they should prevent any sideways play in the shifter rod and hopefully operating the selector rod as it should. As you can see i have retained the original GM universal joint (albeit with the plastic bit flipped round) the cut the bar before the linkage and tapped a socket set universal joint on. This was a nice fit and a tack of weld will be more than good enough to hold it in place. Th extension bar wont be part of the finished linkage, it was just to make it long enough to pass through the bulkhead hole so i could get an idea of how things will line up. This is probably where the adjustment clamp will go.
Thats it for now, any feedback comments or advice are welcome
Last edited by mk1nova_rich; 29-08-10 at 05:37 PM.
looking back at the other pictures, i may see if i can run the linkage i have made under the steering rack to reduce the shifter rod angle between the lever and bulkhead
Thats to high needs to be below the rack for the direct route to the turret!
1.6 16v's are the way forward!
Difficult takes a day - impossible takes a week!
meh reading about these linkages gives me headaches now
good pics tho.. hope u find your way
i got sent this as ref. to a mk1 astra gear linkage.. :-s
"let me drive.. i won't make a fool out of you"
yeh i am going to have a tinker about tomorrow and see about routing it under the rack. Thanks for the comments lads
Good effort so far Rich, i think i'm going to have to try do this if i keep the Nova. The standard linkage is terrible with the F28 so far.
im only on an F10
Been out to car this morning for a bit of a tinker to see how things lines up. Firstly i had a look to see if my linkage would go underneath the steering rack to keep the shifter rod lower down inside the car. Sorry picture is not that clear
Not really happy with that method to be honest, space is very tight and the linkage i made will probably rub or catch on the gearbox casing, so i am almost definitely going to run over the top of the steering rack.
I then sat my strong bar in between the shifter box and the hole i drilled in the bulkhead yesterday to see how it lines up inside by going over the rack. Not as high as i thought it would be actually so i can see this idea staying. I may make a spacer plate to go under the shifter box to decrease the angle though, still a bit undecided on whether im happy with with this yet.
I then went back to the engine bay to take a picture with the linkage and strong bar both in place to see how they line up. They look ok for now, sorry again for too much flash on the picture but hopefully its clear enough to make it out.
Any more comments are welcome, thanks
I think i would have to go above the rack as the F28 casing is very bulky. Any idea of much you would raise the shifter box by to reduce angle? I think i'd then have a problem with it catching my bucket seats as i have my seat quite far forward.
Might have to call in and have a look at your progress when you come to fitting the spherical bearing, not too sure how to approach that.
GC
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