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zerotofifty
Samba Member
Joined: December 27, 2003
Posts: 1559
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 Posted: Sat Apr 01, 2023 10:27 pm Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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| scottyrocks wrote: |
| zerotofifty wrote: |
I am a 5'6" skinny runt and find no issue using the stock Bug set up. But could be I have gotten used to it over the last 45 years. Maybe my body acclimated to it? or maybe the Bug is designed for skinny runts? Was Dr. Porsche a big huge bruiser of a guy or a skinny runt? My guess is skinny runt given he design this car.  |
Skinny or not, runt or not, an issue or not, do you have to lean forward to hit 3rd? Maybe you don't because you're closer to the shift knob than most of us.
As Sgt Joe Friday said, 'Just the facts, ma'am.'  |
No leaning The shifter is very close .
Could it be wear or damage has caused the shifter to be further out of reach for you?
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scottyrocks
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Joined: August 19, 2016
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Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 7:43 am Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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Thanks for the link.
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scottyrocks
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Joined: August 19, 2016
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Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 7:50 am Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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| zerotofifty wrote: |
Could it be wear or damage has caused the shifter to be further out of reach for you? |
I guess anything is possible.
However, within the last year I have replaced the shift rod bracket, bushing, rear coupler, and shifter. Did I miss anything?
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runamoc 
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Joined: June 19, 2006
Posts: 5600
Location: 37.5N 77.1W
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| Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 7:56 am Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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| Quote: |
| Did I miss anything? |
The transaxle part the coupling connects to?
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Daily driver: '69 Baja owned 44 yrs - Plan B: '81 Rabbit Diesel LS Deluxe - Plan C: '72 Ghia
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Bryan67
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Joined: January 01, 2003
Posts: 2940
Location: Fresno, Ca.
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| Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 9:56 am Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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| scottyrocks wrote: |
| I just did a google search on 'gene berg GB6310EB' and all I got was the last three pictures in this thread. haha |
It should have been a GB6710EB
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scottyrocks
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Joined: August 19, 2016
Posts: 2661
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 9:29 pm Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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| runamoc wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Did I miss anything? |
The transaxle part the coupling connects to? |
Well, yeah, but there is no reason to go that far, as all the gears work, and there is no abnormal (or really any) noise.
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
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scottyrocks
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Joined: August 19, 2016
Posts: 2661
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Sun Apr 02, 2023 9:32 pm Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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| zerotofifty wrote: |
No leaning The shifter is very close .
Could it be wear or damage has caused the shifter to be further out of reach for you? |
Well, it sticks up out of the tunnel right where it's supposed to and shifts just fine.
Do you have a picture of yours you could post here?
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
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scottyrocks
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Joined: August 19, 2016
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Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 7:41 am Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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Completely by coincidence, I stumbled across this video a short while ago which illustrates the (minor) issue of this thread.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BXCklH95BI
At about 5:35 in, and then a couple of times after that, the driver/narrator is in the car talking to us (in Russian - I wish it was subtitled). A couple of times he shifts into or out of 3rd gear. His body movement is exactly what I am talking about. Instead of moving just his arm, his body must move as well. That's what I mean by a long reach to the shifter. Every other car I have owned or driven with a stick shift has not required me to move anything other than my arm. My extended shifter in my Beetle has alleviated this.
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch' |
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zerotofifty
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Joined: December 27, 2003
Posts: 1559
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| Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:15 am Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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I got a 66 and a 61 Bug.
The 61 shifter in third gear has the shifter forward to near even with the ashtray, the 66 on the other hand the shifter is an inch and a half roughly back from that position.
Some variables that may make a difference..
1. the stop plate under the shift lever has slotted holes from which it bolts to the top of tunnel. you may find you can adjust the shifter position by moving that plate. access by lifting floor mat and loosening the two bolts, then slide the assembly forward or back. tighten then check that all five gears can still be selected.
2. the shift rod coupling located in tunnel under the back seat comes in different styles, and there might be a slight difference in their length. a small change in length may cause a large displacement at the shift knob back and forth.
some couplers are a multi piece assembly of stamped steel and rubber inserts, others are a rubber bonded to steel. some maybe OEM, others aftermarket.
3. exact location of the tranny is another factor, worn, soft, or different manufacture engine and tranny mounts, plus play in the mounting holes will influence the shifter location. Again small changes in shift rod apparent length will have large changes in shifter fore and aft position. If you ever had a torn tranny mount, you may notice how much the shifter moves about, it moves a lot more than the tranny moves.
This is just a guess on the diminsions, but say the shift lever is 14 inches tall above the ball socket center pivot point, and below the ball pivot by 2 inches is the centerline of the shift rod. 14 divided by 2 is 7. thus a change in shift rod length say by 1/4 inch will give a 7/4 (1 3/4 ) inch change in displacement of top of the shift lever.
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EVfun
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Joined: April 01, 2012
Posts: 5475
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 12:35 pm Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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| scottyrocks wrote: |
Completely by coincidence, I stumbled across this video a short while ago which illustrates the (minor) issue of this thread.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BXCklH95BI
At about 5:35 in, and then a couple of times after that, the driver/narrator is in the car talking to us (in Russian - I wish it was subtitled). A couple of times he shifts into or out of 3rd gear. His body movement is exactly what I am talking about. Instead of moving just his arm, his body must move as well. That's what I mean by a long reach to the shifter. Every other car I have owned or driven with a stick shift has not required me to move anything other than my arm. My extended shifter in my Beetle has alleviated this. |
That is the main thing my wife didn't like about her '79 Super Bug 'vert. Even switching to the factory accessory FV shifter with its curved handle didn't make the problem go away for her as she is kinda short. I fixed it by buying her a Miata with a 6-speed and power hard top.
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scottyrocks
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Joined: August 19, 2016
Posts: 2661
Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 8:28 pm Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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| zerotofifty wrote: |
I got a 66 and a 61 Bug.
The 61 shifter in third gear has the shifter forward to near even with the ashtray, the 66 on the other hand the shifter is an inch and a half roughly back from that position.
Some variables that may make a difference..
1. the stop plate under the shift lever has slotted holes from which it bolts to the top of tunnel. you may find you can adjust the shifter position by moving that plate. access by lifting floor mat and loosening the two bolts, then slide the assembly forward or back. tighten then check that all five gears can still be selected. |
I had a hell of a time finding that one exact spot where I could access all the gears. Now that it's there and bolted down, I really don't want to go fishing for another spot where the shift knob might be a little closer to me in 3rd gear.
| Quote: |
2. the shift rod coupling located in tunnel under the back seat comes in different styles, and there might be a slight difference in their length. a small change in length may cause a large displacement at the shift knob back and forth.
some couplers are a multi piece assembly of stamped steel and rubber inserts, others are a rubber bonded to steel. some maybe OEM, others aftermarket. |
Thank you for reminding me.
When I replaced the shift rod bracket in the tunnel, I had ordered a couple of different types of couplers. The urethane coupler was shit so I put in the stock replacement which worked remarkably like the original.
| Quote: |
| 3. exact location of the tranny is another factor, worn, soft, or different manufacture engine and tranny mounts, plus play in the mounting holes will influence the shifter location. Again small changes in shift rod apparent length will have large changes in shifter fore and aft position. If you ever had a torn tranny mount, you may notice how much the shifter moves about, it moves a lot more than the tranny moves. |
Within the last few years, I had to replace the front transaxle mount as it had broken, and the shifter was bouncing around as result of my getting on and off the gas. Quite a sight. haha
Later, when I had the engine out, I checked the bottom trans mounts, and they were okay.
| Quote: |
| This is just a guess on the diminsions, but say the shift lever is 14 inches tall above the ball socket center pivot point, and below the ball pivot by 2 inches is the centerline of the shift rod. 14 divided by 2 is 7. thus a change in shift rod length say by 1/4 inch will give a 7/4 (1 3/4 ) inch change in displacement of top of the shift lever. |
Well, I've had three shifters in there so far - the original which had the threads break off as the result of the extension I put on its relatively weak (and old) 7mm threaded shaft, an OEM-style replacement that promptly snapped off at the ball in the tunnel, and the current 12mm short shifter with a KG-type bend in it which helped locate it in just about the same place, distance-from-me-wise, as the stock Beetle shifter.
This 12mm shifter, with some height added to it, and a nice round knob (pictured above), seems to be perfect for me. Everything works properly, and I like a long throw so I'm all good.
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
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zerotofifty
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Joined: December 27, 2003
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| Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2023 9:09 pm Post subject: Re: long reach to shifter |
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Sweet, good it is fixed.
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zerotofifty
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Joined: December 27, 2003
Posts: 1559
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| Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2023 6:02 pm Post subject: Re: Long reach to shifter |
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I got to thinking what if you can move the shift rod in the tunnel further from the shifter shaft on tranny nose, that will bring 1st and 3rd back some at the shift lever. if there is enough room on the coupler, simply drill and tap new hole(s) for the set screws so they are further apart from each other than they are now. You can drill the new holes on the opposite side of the coupler. then you will have a choice as to which set of holes to use for the set screws, thus in effect changing the length of the shift rod. this wont change the throw of the shift lever, but will alter its position more rearward, You may have to slot the holes more in the plate under the lever to make it work.
Any way it maybe worth trying, it certainly can be put back if you dont like it.
as stated, a small change in effective shift rod length will have a big effect on shift knob position fore and aft
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scottyrocks
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Joined: August 19, 2016
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Location: Long Island, NY
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| Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2023 10:03 am Post subject: Re: Long reach to shifter |
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I took a look at that possibility this morning. The effort, to me, is not worth the potential result, as I have achieved my goal in a much simpler fashion.
Perhaps if I was adamant on retaining a stock-style shifter, I would consider this, as it sounds like it would work.
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“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch' |
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toxicavenger70
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Posts: 871
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| Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2023 12:51 pm Post subject: Re: Long reach to shifter |
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| A curved Hurst style shifter might work out for you. |
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