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Making a shift knob.
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-Zodiac-
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2014 4:42 pm    Post subject: Making a shift knob. Reply with quote

I planned on making a shift knob for my Ghia, I noticed that in the manual it says "resting your hand on the shift lever knob while driving will cause premature wear to the transmission"

so is vw busting my balls, or is there a good reason that they are made out of plastic? I planned on making it out of a nice wood, either ball shaped or T shaped with a metal nut-to thread it onto the shifter.

Is there a certain weight I should stay under or is this all B.S?

By the way, I don't rest my hand on the shifter anyways.
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Brassneck
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2014 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Personally, I don't think anything fabricated for a knob would be heavy enough to continually force the rod down and put pressure on the tranny...

I am pretty sure the reference is in terms of having your hand resting on the shifter...which truly adds some real weight: your arm weighs on average 9-11 pounds...and while that's "dead weight" most people with the habit of doing that likely forget that they are putting force on it, and perhaps even applying pressure as well.

I have a few different shift knobs, one solid wood... and it's not an issue.

Make away, in my opinion. But post pics when done!
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jpjohns
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2014 6:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I want to have a woodworker I know make me one as well out of some nice hardwood. He can turn it on a lathe but I don't know where to find the right size threaded insert so I can screw it to the shift rod.
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-Zodiac-
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2014 7:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I didn't think much harm would become of it. I tried resting my hand on the knob and it didn't feel like I was putting to much pressure/ weight on it, I probably just couldn't tell. So I just wasn't sure.

I shall post pics up when it's done! Going to have to find some wood I like from a guy I know Wink

And jpjohns - the thread size for a stock shifter is 12x1.5 I belive, so if he has a tap set he can take some round stock and just drill and tap it then insert it into the wood via glue/ epoxy, or press fit. Or find a nut with that size.
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jpjohns
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2014 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lol... I don't know why I didn't think of just cutting the threads into the wood. I was looking along the lines of a threaded insert.

http://www.americanshifter.com/catalog/adapters/shift-knob-adapters-metric

They have some cool shift knobs.
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kman
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2014 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thread or epoxy in a threaded insert.

https://www.belmetric.com/ts52151-m12x15x162-bigse...AnyL8P8HAQ
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 01, 2014 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That place is definitely a cool site, they have some pretty hilarious knobs too lol Aswell as some badass stuff.

If anyone wants to keep their ride vw you can go this route-
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


They have a place for you to upload your own image/graphic whatever, but I don't know how that works

If for somereason I choose to not make a wooden knob than I might get the Wolfsburg lol
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-Zodiac-
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 11:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh and jpjohns -
I didn't mean cutting the threads into the wood. I meant that since your friend has a lathe - depending on the type - could just take some "round bar stock" and turn it down however you desire. like with a taper or something, and then drill and tap that, and inset it into the wooden knob via epoxy. I think you can cut soft metals such as aluminum and brass on a wood lathe.

Tried out the T shape just to see if I liked it, I don't care for how it feels. Although it is comftorable I think I'm going to stick to a ball shape
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 8:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

when resting your arm on the shifter it puts force on the shift fork in the transmission witch rides in a grove in the slider hub. it then will constantly rub against one of the sides instead of float in the grove and will wear out the shift fork faster. especially 3/4 shift fork because it is made of brass.

this is a pretty cool wood knob: http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=C38-I-105B
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-Zodiac-
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 9:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I tried several searches on Vw knobs and never came across the cip1 website, I like that option a lot better than others that are sold. Too bad it's out of stock! I might be tempted to get one.
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 10:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cip1 shows some Rosewood ones on their site but when you click on the link they are out of stock. Discontinued I believe.
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 10:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I found this place a few years back when searching for a custom knob.
Hot Shift Knobs
http://www.hotrodshiftknob.com/
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-Zodiac-
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 12:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That place has some beautiful shift knobs!

I suppose I'm trying to be discouraged from making one Wink ??
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

-Zodiac- wrote:
That place has some beautiful shift knobs!

I suppose I'm trying to be discouraged from making one Wink ??

If you have the tools and skills go for it. Maybe you can make some extras and stars a biz😎
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 6:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i don't know about the tools part Wink but i suppose i make up for that in being creative. turning a block of wood into a sphere will take a bit of creativity since i don't have a lathe or router, but it can be done.

on the t shaped one i tried i used a piece of a chair we were throwing away
here is another i made from the chair, i like this style quite a bit. i don't know if i will use it, but i got a bit of joy smashing the chair, and it only took two cuts with a hacksaw.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 3:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

For the Hurst shifter in my ghia, I bought an engraved billiard ball shift knob from a vendor here. I can't find it in the classifieds, but I believe it was this vendor:

http://www.epcoshiftknobs.com/engraved.html

You can see it in this picture.

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[/img]
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 8:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not really a woodworker, but was able to make one for my EMPI Hurst clone I am happy with. I purchased a hardwood ball, already turned, with a small flat spot, from a craft supplier, stained and sealed it. I drilled out an oversized hole and epoxied a 3/8-24 nut in the bottom. The Hurst shifter needs a knob with a hollow around the center hole to allow the reverse release collar to enter up into the ball when pulled.

I also drilled a another flat-bottom recess in the top to accept a Wolfsburg metal button emblem.

Ultimately I like it but may someday do a replacement turned from a decorative hardwood.

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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 11:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Hurst shifters I have had work almost as well as any of the high dollar shifters. They also just look right in a vintage VW.
Nice knobs guys Shocked
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This brings me to another question. What exactly does putting in an aftermarket shifter do? Shorter travel, smoother, what? I had a hurst in old car but it was a weird slap shift thing. So what does it do for a manual trans?
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PostPosted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 12:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Most aftermarket shifters shorten the throw between gears to varying degrees.
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