I have a nice 1940's Bakelite shift knob that I would like to use on my car. It come with a removable threaded sleeve and indeed, my shift arm is a different thread. Where is a good source for a new threaded sleeve for such an application. Perhaps a hot rod shop where I do not need to buy a whole box of them (such as at Grainger). Thanks!
I bought a threaded insert at a local hardware store (the closest thing to a hardware store here is a Menard's Home Improvement store). They had several sizes to choose from in those bolt bin drawers in the hardware department. I think the one I needed was less then a dollar. I epoxied my insert into my shift knob. The epoxy cost a lot more then the insert, I think I have less then $10 in the whole project. Gene
Something like this with internal (Female) and external (Male) threads? You just need to know your threads, SAE or metric, or BRASS THREAD REDUCER/ADAPTER/INSERT
I just drill out whatever knob I want to use and epoxy in a couple of nuts with the correct thread. I grease up a bolt, thread the nuts on tight and glue the whole thing in. After it sets up unscrew the bolt and Bob's your uncle. Leave the nut a little proud of the knob surface and you can run a jamb nut up against it on installation.
I make and sell custom shift knobs, and I refurbish a lot of old survivor knobs, too. So I'm a little bit familiar with those threaded, reducing inserts. It's a pretty good system because you can switch them around to fit a lot of different size shift levers. Back in the 1940's, the common size was 5/8" course, so the O.D. of the reducing insert matched that and the I.D. would be whatever size was needed to screw on to the particular shift lever. But there were also some maverick manufacturers who made knobs with 1/2" O.D. inserts. You should be able to tell at a glance which you have. The problem is..... none of those old inserts are available off the shelf anymore. (Everything is metric, usually M16x1.50, these days. This is what I mostly use for what I create because that's what's available.) I've seen and done it all. Sometimes an old knob is special and is worth keeping the flexibility of the master/reducer system and other times simply epoxying an insert, as has been mentioned, of the particular size that you need today will do just fine. Another option is, any local machine shop can make you a male/female threaded reducer for $5 or $10, if it comes to that. Feel free to contact me if I can be of help.
Send a conversation to my pal Mike (saxman) he makes custom shift knobs and has a lot of different size inserts. HRP http://www.1954design.com/
Of course you don't really need a lathe to do this. Just get a cheap 5/8" bolt and drill and tap the end of it to match your shifter, then saw off the end with the hole, and there is your new insert.
I have used Heli Coil to match knob and lever threads. With the tools and parts provided in the Heli Coil kit, drill the knob, tap the drilled hole, and screw in the threaded insert. Works great. JWL
If all of these things sound to hard. Send me the knob and something that screws on your shaft and I will make a adapter. Small job if you have the equipment. A little larger if you don't. PM me if you want to do it.
You can find the threaded adapters online but you need to know inside and outside threads. Another thought is that both O'Reilly's and Autozone and no doubt Pep Boys sell "universal' shift knobs some of which are pretty inexpensive that might have the adapters in them. I'd still be looking in the little pull out boxes above the bolt bins at ACE or another hardware store. update at 13:54 went to the local Ace and no threaded inserts of any kind they did have some knobs with brass inserts that one might be able to knock the plastic off and thread the outside of the insert if the inside has the right thread for the shift handle. That might be the quick 5 buck fix.
I usually just filled the knob up with body putty and jammed it on the shifter. Mask off the shifter and floor to catch drips. Use tape to seal it up so putty stays in the knob. I have banged a few gears over the years, never had one pull out. I doubt I would do it on a race car. I guess there may be better epoxies but that is always in the shop. Yes, you can unscrew it. Sometimes it is on harder than you would expect.
Thank you all for your responses. Very much appreciated and indeed, a great deal of light has been shed on this subject. I now know the measurements of what I need. I need something with an OD of 5/8-18 and an ID of 5/16-24. I will send out some PM's. Thank you!
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