[DeTomaso] Shifter fix

[Dan Courtney]

Thank you Mike.
At the track Sunday we removed the snap ring, the cover plate and an extremely rusty and crusty spring. I thought that was the whole assembly but now I see there's a cylinder at the bottom of the shaft. I'll try and pry this up and out.
Between removing the spring and spraying WD 40 on the trunnion bearing The Beast shifter much better, for about ten laps, then went back to the stage where I'm having to force it into gear (mainly 2nd and 3rd).
I was wondering if the gear oil was breaking down due to heat. My next planned post was to ask for advice on gear oil.
I suppose it's also possible the WD-40 wore out.
By the way, the "roval" at California Speedway is perfect for Panteras. It consists of an infield course with all kinds of turns and 1/2 the banked oval the NASCAR boys use. What a blast it was running up that bank at 160+!

Dan

Dan Courtney
24 Years of Excellent Representation
Excalibur Commercial Real Estate Services
La Jolla, CA
(858) 551-5455 P
(858) 551-5456 F


From: MikeLDrew at aol.com 
Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 8:42 AM
To: dan at excaliburre.com ; detomaso at poca.com 
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Shifter fix



In a message dated 11/27/13 8 31 36, dan at excaliburre.com writes:



  I've been off the Foruum for quite a while as Other Stuff has taken me away from the Panteras.
  However, "The Beast" is running at California Speedway this weekend on "The Roval" (1/2 infield course with lots of sharp turns and 1/2 of the oval).
  About my only concern after running hard yesterday is the car shifts like crap.
  Since "The Beast" sat out the last couple of decades of the Twentieth Century in a radiator shop in San Pedro (pre Beast era), it must have missed that popular '90's shifter fix.
  I've kinda forgotten about it to. Isn't it something like removing a bushing in the shifter linkage?
  Is this a quick enough fix to perform between run groups ( I'm pitted in one of the garages)?




>>>Take a look at this drawing of the shifter assembly:

http://www.panterasbywilkinson.com/webpages/catalog/ill10a.html

Parts 23-26 are a shift lever centering mechanism, that works by pressing a pointed plunger into a groove in the shifter shaft (#16).  The thing is, the ZF gearbox has its own internal centering mechanisms, so the two are redundant.  Remove #23 with a pair of snap-ring pliers, and the cover, spring, and plunger can then be withdrawn.

This will not make a huge, profound difference in the quality of your shifting.  It makes a noticeable, incremental difference.  It's worth doing, but it's not the main source of your problem.  Almost assuredly, your trunnion bearing (the support for the shift rod which bolts to the top of the chassis on the left side, part #13 in this drawing):

http://www.panterasbywilkinson.com/webpages/catalog/ill10b.html

needs serious lubrication.

Good luck!  Let us know how it turns out!

Mike
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