901 Shifter

[Norm01]

I've read dozens of posts this morning to try and get a definitive answer and I'm thinking it doesn't exist but here goes. Is there a simple kit that will allow my 68 901 shifter to center back from 4/5 to 2/3. I do not want a short throw shift kit, neither do I want to change my shifter assembly to a later 915 style. I'm just looking for the shifter to always center from left to right back into the 2/3 plane.

[savaden]

The short answer is no.

I have tried different setups and I did not like the spring tension in the 4-5 plane centering the shifter. My experience was with using a Rennshift and varying the spring tension of the centering. The spring tension in the 4-5 plane makes it harder to locate the proper push point, thereby making the gear engagement more difficult. It also applies tension on the shifter in this plane when the gear is engaged which transfers noise from the drive train into the shifter.

My experience has been that the factory shifter, with careful attention to repair of all the wear points, coupled with aircraft style U-joint coupler in the rear, will yield the most satisfying result. I would recommend completely disassembling the shift lever and renewing any parts that show wear, especially the first-reverse lockout plate, and the ball cup in the base plate.

SV

[Flieger]

I think you are alone on this one. I never felt a need for it and I've never heard the complaint before. You just have to become in-tune with the shifter so your muscle memory knows where the gears are, as there aren't any gates.

[Norm01]

I think you are alone on this one. I never felt a need for it and I've never heard the complaint before. You just have to become in-tune with the shifter so your muscle memory knows where the gears are, as there aren't any gates.

I suspect you are right. It's not really a complaint but more what I am used to in a shifter. Actually thought something was broke in the shifter until I was told it was designed like this. Now that I know it's not broke I will probably learn to appreciate it more.

[merbesfield]

My buddy just built a gated Seine gated shifter for his 901. His car is not ready and we are going to test it in my car. He used a 915 alum as the base. On the early cars the heater lever is an issue. For testing we are just going to remove it or tuck in in tunnel temporarily. Calling these gated is sort of misleading. They really are not gated like a Ferrari. All the Seine does is reproduce the same tabs that are present for fifth and reverse and uses them on first and second. Or first and reverse for the 901, I think I have it right.

Another guy I met this weekend at the local car show showed me his homemade gated shifter, cost him his time and $1.29 for spring. He actually used an old accelerator linkage as his link point to the spring. He thought it would be the weak link to his Rube Goldberg design but so far been very strong. It is basically the same as Seine. Seine supply's a complete shaft, which makes more sense. But for a $1.29 hard to beat it.

[Jay Laifman]

If you shift with your hand biased to the side you want the shifter to go, that's all you ever need. So, for example, if you are downshifting from 4th to 3rd (on your 5 speed box), you have the right side of your hand giving just a little extra pressure to the right side of the knob, and flow back. It will always automatically slide through the gate and down to 3rd. Similarly, if you are going from 3rd to 4th, you have the left side of your hand giving a little extra pressure to the left side of the knob as you push up. It will slide up, across neutral, and up into 4th.

That's how my dad (who raced in the 50's) how to shift. Never had a problem.