Whoof. I haven't posted half as much as I should, and I've done even less work. However, yesterday I finally finished one part I've been wanting to finish for a while...
I guess I should catch up first. I graduated March 26th, from New Castle School of Trades, with an associates degree in "machine technology", which, of course, is a glorified way of saying I've gotten to get in trouble with lathes and mills. (I have to post some photos of the last project--a Roots square-piston engine)
I forgot to mention I graduated valedictorian with 100% attendance and a 4.0GPA... (I guess valedictorian is a little less important at that school, as apparently anyone with perfect attendance and a 4.0 can get it. Not sure how many managed to do that, though)
However, with the wife being pregnant and on bedrest for the last two months, I have been staying at home and taking care of her rather than working, so things have been tight. Ayrton Joel is due any day now--actual due date is June 10, but if we get past May 1, we will be lucky.
So I've been home with Aleyah and my wife 24/7... not quite used to it, and it's been a little rough having to do everything. I'll be glad when this is over.
We've organized a little more in our little room.
But Aleyah and I have been having fun every once in a while, down in the shop. For Christmas, she received a marker airgun. You take kid magic markers, and pump the compressor, and it blows the ink through the marker tip, onto whatever you want. So the other day, I let her have it on one of the white walls of the shop.
She's a lot of help. I wish I could let her do more, but for safety's sake, I only let her do minor things, like occasional drilling on the lathe, or setup on the mill.
Ok, back to the Seven.
After I made the Subaru shifter, I made one for the Seven. However, the Miata shifter throw isn't particulary short, so once I threaded the knob on, it added about 3 inches to the overall length, making it awkward. So, I looked around online at photos of Miata short-throw shifters, and figured out what I'd have to do.
On my last day at school, I made the basis of my short throw via a HAAS CNC lathe. I made the middle part of the shifter at home. I lengthened the distance from pivot points by .5. In retrospect, I would have probably gone slightly longer, maybe .625-.750, but it's ok. I think much shorter would have made it harder to locate the gears.
Then at home, I made the rest of the parts needed. I had to make a .5" spacer to lift the pivot ball. The pieces I had were about .495, and I really needed more towards .625, so I had to hand-cut a spacer. I'll put some silicone sealant when I do the final fitting. I also had to make an internal spacer to raise the plastic pivot rings. (both of those spacers were made out of 4" and 6" discs that I had to cut out on the lathe) I then drilled and tapped a 4-40 hole in the outer spacer, so I could make a small plug for the shifter to pivot on, since the original is now .5" lower, mostly hidden by the internal spacer, and not in play anymore.
I then mounted the pivot end of the shifter on the mill, and had to mill a notch. Since the plastic insert is curved, and I do not have a horizontal mill, or any other tools that could make the curved radius, I just had to manually adjust both X and Z axis at the same time. It came out right, and I did minor adjustments with a cutoff wheel on my angle grinder.
Now it was just a matter of fitting. This was actually when I realized I need to make the spacer.
Now everything is ready to go into the car. I may have to file down the original peg, or trim the plastic insert to avoid any contact, but so far, it does not appear to interfere.
Here's it on the car. Now I have to finish installing the transmission tunnel cover. It's folded, and I just need to trim one end, and then weld in the Dzus fasteners, and drill holes into the cover for the fasteners. I think it will come out pretty well. I might make a larger aluminum ring to make the mating of the shifter to transmission tunnel cover a little more attractive. I'm going to eshcew the leather boot, because I like the way it looks as is. No, it may not be a sequential, but at least now A) I can hold the shifter the way I like to, B) it's closer to the steering wheel, so less movement required of the right hand, and C) it's a shorter throw.
Login
Register
FAQ
Members
