020 - Prototype Quick-Shift - Mk1 Adjust. Added -Update 13/06/2011

I have utilised the ball bearing type cables on a couple of high integrity machines that work in a radioactive environment. These were for remote control retrieval systems, to be used if power was lost on the machine, and it could not be driven back to the maintenance area, outside the radioactive area.

They worked really well during the trials. I don't know if they have had to be used in an emergency yet though?

I can't remember the name of the company that manufacturers them. But they are out there somewhere!

Hydraulics were unacteptable, as the oil becomes radioactive!

But, I was toying with the idea of a sequential 020 system using a pair of hydraulic cylinders. Trouble is, you'd need to fit a power steering pump, and hitting neutral would prove a bit of a problem!

 

Thanks for all the input folks. But!

I need those two bits of tube, in the 'non-vag parts wanted' section.

So, if you kind folks could please keep your eyes open, or ask around for me, I would be most grateful!

 

Nice one, I think I've done a similar thing to what you're planning, albeit in a more ghetto fashion! Yours looks very good, mine was a bit of a lash up that never got finished of!

I've basically cut off part 26 and added some angle steel a rod end to replace it. the angle steel has several holes and the throw is adjustable by moving the rod end up or down and in or out. The gear-stick has been replaced by some m12 threaded rod for now but will be replaced eventually.

I've used the standard ball and socket joint on the bottom of the stick but threaded the ball and screwed and glued the m12 rod into it. Reverse is locked out with a little gate that lifts out of the way.

I've only got one crappy photo at the moment, I've been using it for a year now and still not got round to finishing it!



the gear-stick isn't that long any more!!

the rod bushings (3,4,5) have been replaced with these....



16mm fits the rod nicely with some light sanding.

You're definitely doing the right thing adjusting the throw at the gear stick end rather than at the gearbox, then the forces aren't amplified through all the bushings.

Watch out for thermal expansion, with tighter tolerances as soon as things heat up it can start to get tight.

 

Very nice. Congratulations on doing something different!

The use of a rod end on the gear lever to shift rod is interesting. I did consider similar, but I could not see how to make it quickly adjustable! And, it sticks out a long way. Not too sure you could gat a standard rubber boot over it.

Is the bottom photo an Igus flanged unit?

Thanks for the tip on thermal expansion. Not considered it, I must admit! Will look at the relative coefficients for bronze and steel. I shall not use any plastics, so it should not prove a problem!

 

thanks,its a bit agricultural but it works ok, I was sick of pressing the stick down when going for second and getting no gears. you wouldnt get a std gaiter over the top of it but i dont mind for a track car.

looks like you're doing yours properly, i skimped on mine because it starts getting expensive with all the joints. its tricky to get it all right, you find that when you take the play out of one part, the forces are just transmitted elsewhere and you get play there

Are you going to use ball and socket or helicopter joints for the main shift rod ends? for the rod support bearings it would be nice to use proper linear bearings mounted in spherical joints.

I'll try and get a better picture of mine later.

 

I have seen those bearing gadgets at the Autosport show - can dig out contact details as needed.

 

Thanks Chris.

The plastic ones that mec82 posted are Igus or equivalent. I have all the info on those.

What I have not found, as yet, are spherical bearing units, exactly the correct size for the 020 application, in bronze. Smaller ones are available off the shelf![:^(]

So, if you have anything at all on bronze, 'off the shelf', sphericals, I would really appreciate the information!

 

I would use an oversized spherical bearing and press in a bronze or maybe a PTFE flanged bush...I know its childish but that still makes me laugh!

Then you can make it whatever ID you need for the standard shaft and it will have better friction properties. Off the shelf bushes normally come in a clearance fit, say 16mm +0.035 to 0.08 ID. Bear in mind as well that the paint thickness on the shift rod may vary!

The Igus bearing by the way is a really got fit for the shift housing, its not a good fit on the shaft though since the ID is 16mm and shaft is 16mm+paint. I've taken back the paint and opened up the bearing ID slightly.

these seem quite good for bearing parts..


http://www.ondrives.com/bearings-bushings.html

oilite bushings are supposedly good

 

Thanks mec82.

Yes. The paint needs removing from the tube!

Been through all those options!

Plastic or PTFE defeats the object of the exercise, which is to have metal bearings on every sliding, occilating or rotating part.

 

Dave

look up some sheet metal fabricators in your area using the yellow pages, pop down there and ask to rumage through their scrap bins??

 

Glad to be of some use, its given me some motivation to finish off mine now!

I'm sure you've thought about this but one thing that occured to me is that the g'box will move around unless you use totally solid engine mounts. The standard squishy bushes allow the shafts to move with the gbox but a solidly bushed setup wont. I haven't noticed any issues with my setup so far but worth thinking about.

the oilite bushes look ideal, very good friction coefficents yet hard. only issue is that they tend to have a large wall thickness.

 

Infinity. You should be on the stage with jokes like that.

There are just six sheet metal fabricators in the 'Golden Pages' for the whole of Connaght. The nearest one is just 40 odd miles away!

You obviously have not read of my 200 miles round trip to the VW breakers, who were actually 30+ miles from the address in 'Golden Pages'!

My request for help was in the hope that someone in the UK would nip down to their local sheet metal fabricators and have a look in the scrap bins for me!

 

Don't be offended G!

Roughly translated, Dave is "still under the Audi, 10 days later, changing a wheel bearing"

 

Not too far off Boss.

I have been waiting two weeks, for a 3/4" to 1/2" adaptor, to tighten the hub bolts, the final 90 deg.

Today I had to rig this up to do the job.

Mrs daved has been crawling around with the bolts at just 200Nm for the last two weeks!

 

Glad to of service

Why does the tube have to be that particular size only??

 

Funnily enough:

Cos., other sizes will not fit!

No just codding. Those sizes exist off the shelf, and I can make the small adjustments necessary to the OD and ID using files, emery cloth and a Dremel.

For this prototype:

Anything from 32 OD to 31.75 OD and 26.5 ID to 26 ID would be fine for the larger tube.

The smaller tube must be 12 ID to 12.2 ID. The OD could be 15 up to 16.

Seamless tube is mandatory though!

 

couple more pics of mine....






You can see where I get my adjustment from, can move the rod-end to change the throw. The first prototype used a rod end on the bottom of the gear stick which mounted onto another threaded rod which went through the shift housing. the heat from the exhaust directly underneath meant that it expanded and started siezed up after driving for a bit.

The OEM ball and socket worked much better and has the additional benefit of being able to remove the gearstick without dropping the shift housing out.

You can just about make out the IGUS bearing in that photo, theres also one at the other end of the shaft, its a great fit, you just remove the std bush by drilling out the 2 ali rivets and then bolt that one straight one!

It aint pretty but once I've proved it out (that would mean me getting my lazy a***) I'll make a final one up with some nice machined bits!

How are you getting on with the tube search? Are you still going with the 'push down for reverse' setup? Thinking about it, a stiffer spring might have saved me a lot of time! these things just snow-ball!

 

Yes, it will still be push-down reverse.

All parts below the reverse latch on the gear lever will be standard VW. But, with mods to make reverse very difficult to engage. ie. The latch height on the gear lever will be adjustable so that it will only just pass under the catch on the edge of the frame.

No tubes yet. One lives in hope. May mean a trip to see my Derbys relations, and a visit to Sheffield!

 

Don't need the 32mm diameter tubing. Turns out that the useless side impact bars from late model Mk2s are - 32mm OD x 25.5mm ID.

So. I have ground and linished out the ID to 26.2mm. And, filed the OD, above the line on the photo, to 31.5mm. Just the job for the prototype!

EDIT 1 - Took me about three hours to make it. That tube is flipping hard! Just about blunted a new Sanvik hacksaw blade! Shame I can't get Eclipse blades in Eire!

EDIT 2 - Tell you what folks. Just look at the lines caused by the flash, etc., on the top part of the tube. Perfectly straight or what? That is perfect cylindrical filing!



ps. If anyone should want to know my technique, for filing an accurate shoulder on a piece of bar or tube, then, please pm for my address. Post a €5 cheque, or 5, if in the UK. And, I will forward photos of my method.

 

I have found a piece of tube.

It is 5/8" OD x 1/2" ID. It comes from the gear change rod of a supercar I used to own.

I have filed one end down to 15.10/15.20 mm OD. Yes, I can file as accurately as some people can turn on a lathe! These are the interference fit limits for the bearing that I am going to fit.

The other end needs an M16 thread. I have not got a die, so I am cutting it by hand. I gave up at 19.00 hrs, as I could not see well enough to continue. I was going to make it M16 x 1.5p Fine, but could not follow the lines. So, it is now M16 x 2p!