Is it possible to column shift a T5?

has anyone done it? How hard is it? What did you do for reverse?

Any help would be appreciated. I think column shifting is cool/old school!

Thanks,
Paul

 

They say anything is possible, but that would be a tough one. Have you looked at the difference between a top loader and side loader?

 

Why?

 

"""""""""""""""""""" WHAT DID YOU ASK ??? !!"""""""""""""""""""""""""""

 

When I was a kid, ( early 60s ) the first thing we used to do was to get the 3 speed shifter on the floor, then later on if we could afford it we bought a 4 speed and a Hurst shifter. why would you want to try to put a 5 speed on the column???? I'm just asking.

 

Because I think column shifting is cool. There is another thread going on now about it. Check it out. I have a T5 to possibly put in my 41 chevy coupe (custom) but would like to keep it column shift and would like to know if its possible. I may put it in or I may put in a 3 speed OD. Not sure yet and just asking questions to help me figure it out. Just trying to think out of the box, thats all.

 

NO! Column shift can only operate 3 speeds. The mechanism is a lever that moves to the left, up&down, then right, up&down. 4 positions only, 3 forward gears 1 reverse.

You could make that shifter operate a Automatic trans.

 

Thanks MC.

 

Get a phillips screwdriver & take off the 4 screws on that little shifter box on the column under the hood & see how it works, it's very simple. Grease it & put the cap back on.

 

Easilly? Not even close.

Can be done? Yep, lot of time and engineering, and most anything CAN be done.

 

You could shift a 4spd with a column shifter, with a separate stealth shifter on the floor or an electric solenoid for reverse, but a 5spd...whoa.

 

I believe there were some british cars with a 4spd column shift, can't remember which, any old brits out there.? Or maybe it was peugeot, had one a very long time ago

 

I call B.S. back in the mid 60's some Chevrolet vans offered 4 speeds on the column.

I believe it was also a common practice in some foreign cars. HRP

 

There's a few threads on here about that.
One of them is about developing such a shifter.
The problem is having so many gates in the column. The next problem is not having any external shift levers.

As far as gates go, With a 3 speed there's only 2, 4 speed has 3, 5speed can have 3 or 4.
That's a lot of crap to stuff into a column.

Another poster stated that a foreign manufacturer had done this, search them out.

Top loader means the gears load from the top. It has nothing to do with the shifter, its location, method of operation, or mounting.

Column shifting ain't cool, its ancient OEM not old school.

 

I was thinking like a VW Bug shifter, but . . . ????? Anything is Possible

 

We had Ford vans at work that were 4 speeds on the column,if I remember right with 105 HP motors, gutless POS.

 

That's what I thought, I like big bad hot rods too, until I drove my 53 Panel. It's kind of cool, both your hands are out there Big in front of you, its kind of tough feeling, kind of like those dumb ape hangers on a Harley. Kind of like a brawler.

 

I kind of miss my 59 Ranchero with 3 on the tree.

 

I had a 1965 Datsun truck with a 4 speed column shift, I am fairly certain it was a "top shift" type trans, though I just drove it and never really had to work on it so I could be wrong on that

5-speed column shift... that would be some engineering marvel.

... as for why.... the other day there was a stock looking 41 Pontiac sedan across the street from me at the auto repair shop, when I looked inside there was a big ol 5 speed shifter coming out from the floor. would have been more cool on the column. big ol' stock looking 4 door sedan... don't know what motor was in it but it did have dual exhaust.

 

41 Packard was a column shifted toploader arrangement...but still a 3 speed.

I would look at using a column shifted 3 speed along with a seperate aftermarket overdrive unit...

Neal

 

there were some International cabovers with 5 speed transmissions AND column shift.Live long and prosper,may the force be with you......

 

Huh? VW bugs were never column shift, certainly my 66 that I drive daily isn't, and neither were any others.

 

That's cool, thinking out of the box is what got this whole hot rod thing going in the first place. I was just curious because we hated column shifts, they weren't "cool" back then. When I was in Japan in 67 I had a Hillman Minx and that had a 4 speed on the column, and it was right hand drive, that was interesting to drive, especially after a few warclubs of Asahi beer on a weekend. Now I'm old and have a TH 350 in my roadster, nice and easy. Good luck with it.

 

Hmmm, my '30 Buick is a floor shift, and my 39 Buick is a column shift. It seems that for a while (like the period this board focuses on) column shift was considered progress.

You might also look at how a front wheel drive (aka - cable shifted) five speed shifter works. I've been thinking about this for my E100 and A108. I like five speeds. Two cables. There has to be a way to modify the column shifter, I just haven't taken it apart to see. Easy? maybe, maybe not. It depends on how you define easy and what your skill set is.
Go for it.

 

That´s interesting, because I´ve owned a couple of cars with 4 on the tree. Common thing in Europe in 50s and 60s.

But you´ll need a sideloaded gearbox, adapting a T5 would probably be more work than it´s worth.

 

It took me about 20 minutes to get tired of the column shift 3 speed in my 66 elcamino. Took me about 2 years to work up enough gumption to cut it for a floor shifter. Best thing ever for that one.

I had 59 ford panel wagon with 3 on the tree shift, the archaic appeal of it wore off after the first stop sign. I didn't drive it enough to worry about changing it.

I suppose a floor shifter looks out of place on some cars. Funny how nearly every one was available with floor shifter, console, and bucket seats as an up charge.

 

It can probably be done, but it won't be easy and it won't be cheap. How much do you want to spend to run a T5 in there?

A Chevy 3-speed with OD would probably work a lot easier.

 

In the 60"s a friend ni high school had a Simca 4 on the tree.

 

I wasn't thinking of column mount, but on how the remote shifter work.

What's trying to be accomplished here is outside of what we know of on how typical column shifts work.

 

Look at it from an evolution standpoint.
When the engineers first had to link the side arms to the shifter, they split it up:
1st/reverse, and 2nd/high; two tracks, just like the 'H' pattern on the floor shifters.

If a guy wanted to do this, he could remove the cover at the arms and measure for a third arm, to go next to the 1st/reverse or the 2nd/high, wherever he wanted the new reverse to be. The pin is then replaced with a longer one, and the 'pawl' at the end of the stick welded onto for the needed extra sweep.

My '58 Simca Arronde had a 4-speed column shifter, and this was the way it worked.
Simple geometry, lever factor, and some lightweight fabrication.
Consider this: When it was first built, the second track had to be alongside, and a pin simply 'selected' the track. How about just one more track?

George Hurst did it...remember his first shifters were for 3 speeds! Look at a 4-speed Hurst.
All we're doing is going 'back to the column'!