'37 Oze build

Those fit all shifters from the aftermarket usually end up with only one detent matched between shifter and trans because of extreme geometry mis matches------


and just so a person can get a cute shifter ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Lokar said to align them in neutral------but what about the others???????????just wait until your doing some high speed run and it goes into lowgear with shifter in drive----------


As I mentioned before--------and maybe you can visualize it in your last pic, I built an intermediate arm/pivot on the crossmember at the rear of trans and then went forward to the trans arm, using lengths and angles so the detents and travel were correct----wish I could find a pic-----

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the detents don't match because the mounting geometry is wrong------------

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Dave----------your missing it--Its not RATIO-------its the geometry---------------sort like steering geometry-if its not correct, they don't move the same just like front wheels in a turn--------


I have gotten a few from late corvettes---like the shifter and parking brake-------- also have gotten Corvette steering wheel/column with the shift switches--------doing the heads up display also on one car---------

Quote:

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Originally Posted by daveS53

The detents in the Lokar shifter mechanism don't perfectly match the transmission, so there is no easy fix. If it was a simple problem of the leverage ratio, that could be fixed with a slight alteration to one of the lever arms. Changing the leverage ratio would just fix one problem and create another one.

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What makes you say that? Unless either the Lokar shifter or the transmission has unequal spacing between the individual detents (not an equal number of degrees movement between each position, and I've never seen one like that...) then it should be a matter of lever arm geometry. That stack of washers is likely going to cause you issues in the future, other than looking a little "shady".

I noticed in your picture that you have an extension installed between the transmission and linkage arm, could you remove the extension and eliminate the washers?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 36 sedan

I noticed in your picture that you have an extension installed between the transmission and linkage arm, could you remove the extension and eliminate the washers?

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I had not noticed the extension spacer, but what I did notice is that your two arms are not parallel with one another. The arm on the tranny needs to be installed more vertical, exactly parallel to your shifter arm in your reference detent position (both in neutral?). Like Jerry says, it's the geometry, and the arc travel of the two arms.

Take a look at this-----its what I have used and solves problems of geometry angles------and leverage


http://www.kugelkomponents.com/zenca...=index&cPath=2

OH, I see it now!

The shifter's arm (not the tranny's) is hitting the case at the rear of the housing. It's like it needs to be raised up or moved over to give it more clearance to the case.

Do you have room to add spacers under the shifter where it attaches to the bracket to raise it up? Or, maybe you could move the shifter base back a little more to give it additional clearance? Perhaps the shifter manufacturer has a different arm for it that is bent to move it over more?

.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by daveS53

To reduce the total travel by .35 inch would require an arm that's almost 1/2 inch shorter.

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Or, you could drill a new hole in shifter arm.

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You could make an adapter to get the correct geometry.

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If your arc measurements are accurate, and I'm not questioning them, it seems to me that the inconsistent differences in arc between detents (large going to small going back to large) can only be accommodated by a shifter designed for that specific transmission, either a re-packaged OEM or an aftermarket designed to account for the strange detent spacing. As you point out, the first ten degrees of arc only needs 0.71" lateral travel, while the ten degrees at the other extreme needs 0.92". You can see that by putting orthagonal x/y lines for the two points on the arc - the higher you go on the circle the more horizontal movement is needed, which is why I suggested that the arms need to be parallel - it keeps the lateral movement and arc distance balanced between the two arms. If it were me I would be leery of ruining an expensive transmission with a re-engineered shifter, but that's just me. Hope you get it figured out.

For $130.00 you could cut your losses;
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/bm...ion-type/4l65e

advice not needed

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dave Severson

36 sedan has the best idea!!!! I installed 1 Lokar shifter, and only then because the customer insisted on having a "Lokar" shifter! The only PITA bigger then installing the POS was trying to drive with the thing. Customer finally came to the same conclusion. I installed a B&M "Hammer" shifter in the car for him a couple months later, car is still shifting great with the cable shifter!!!! I've installed bunches of shifters on both automatics and manuals over the years and Lokar rates below the bottom of the list in quality and functionality.....

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and the beauty of fiberglass, patching that gawd-awful hole you've cut in the tunnel is an easy repair, too.:):):)**)

Didn't I kinda put the same message to typed words back aways????????????


In fact I just noticed that I gat a Corvette shifter and park brake assy under the desk------
If the factories use a cable --then use a cable----if you use the steering column out of the sane car your trans come from, then use the columen shift-maybe---------its all in the trans arms, just like rocker arms------

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advice not needed

I think that just about every shifter problem that has been posted on CHR in the last five years has had a common focus in the name LOKAR. LOKAR makes some great products like e-brake systems, but they've pretty well established that their shifters SUCK.

Best of luck with the rest of your build, Dave.

there shifter knobs are nice!!!!!!!!!!!and the weight of them bouncing around when you hit a bump will automaticly shift your trans-------------


But I think Daves53 has put me on an ignore list----------




Their dipsticks are---------------------

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jerry clayton

But I think Daves53 has put me on an ignore list----------

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It would be his loss Jerry, you have great advice with lots of experience, as so with Dave Severson and Rspears!
Sometimes we are too stubborn for our own good.....

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advice not needed

Maybe it leaks , BUT---it still does its job and tells you how low the fluid is---------------

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advice not needed

get a shifter from the era of the trans--------PRESENT DAY????-------and use a cable---if needed you can get cable shortened/made to length at any industrial machine service center------with a cable , using the oem arm and cable mounting points, you won't get any unwanted ghost shifts from vehicle/engine/drive line torqueing reactions to power on/off during acceleration/braking-----------


Do an online search for late model Corvette/Camaro salvage yards----you might want to look at the ebrake lever also----

Lokar even makes a cable shifter but I am not familiar with their design. I have an Art Carr cable shifter on a 700R and it has been trouble free....but it is a gated shifter that might not look too cool in an Oze

Quote:

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Originally Posted by daveS53

I have to say that this shifter problem has been my biggest screw-up so far.

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As Kenny Rodgers once said "You gotta know when to fold em".
IMHO, you need to get the correct parts that fit so you can spend more time on doing other things.

Wow am I glad I read this post, I was wanting a lokar for my 40 ford truck but not now. Thanks guys.

I used a Lokar.. fwiw.. bolted right up, has the drive mode "gated" can't be bumped. works fine. I even lean my leg on it while puttin' along. No issues.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by daveS53

.....Some of the gel coat is close to 1/4 inch thick! The console is a total piece of junk!

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The thing I would be thinking, and I imagine what you're thinking about now is, "...if a simple little console is like this, what's the body like?" It's not a big deal, just adds some time and steps to the project if you assumed you were in a quick block & spray mode with OZE. Plus you've got an adversarial relationship with them to talk about problems, it seems.

Hmmmm.....timeline for a project?
1. excitement
2. decisions
3. $$ comittment
4. wait
5. wait
6. call
7. push/urge
8. receive parts
9. excitement
10. start work
11. discover
12. fix problems
13.. discover, part 2
14. call
15. get pissed at lack of response from vendor
16. more discoveries
17. more work, more $$
18. major doubt
19. frustration
20. repeat as necessary

We've all been there

advice not needed

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yes, 34-40, I too have used Lokar shifters on all my builds for years and never had a problem with any of them. Always use the floor mount models. All regular and safety functions of the shifters always work flawlessly. Used on 350 and 700r4 transmissions and I drive my cars 10's of thousands of miles each so they are used a lot.