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Trying to install my Empi trigger shifter.

FM Former Member
I'm having trouble trying to get my new empi shifter to shift into first. I wallered out the mount holes on the shifter so I could have more adjustment to move the shifter to the left and back. Now, in order to shift into firt I have to pull the trigger and move the shifter left and forward. I can then gingerly shift into second. Of course If I miss second I can't get into it without a trigger pull and a chance of going into reverse. If I adjust the shifter into it's correct position then I can engage all gears but first. Everytime I try to get first I get third, but all the other gears encluding second engage fine.

I checked the linkage in the tunnel and the coupler looks in good shape.

The previous shifter was a standard bug shifter. It shifted fine but shifting into first sometimes took a try or two.

No, crunching noise from the tranny or popping out of gear stuff.

The short shift of the empi is great. I just have to figure this out.

Anybody, have some suggestions? If not I have to take her to the shop.
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FM Former Member
I'm having trouble trying to get my new empi shifter to shift into first. I wallered out the mount holes on the shifter so I could have more adjustment to move the shifter to the left and back. Now, in order to shift into firt I have to pull the trigger and move the shifter left and forward. I can then gingerly shift into second. Of course If I miss second I can't get into it without a trigger pull and a chance of going into reverse. If I adjust the shifter into it's correct position then I can engage all gears but first. Everytime I try to get first I get third, but all the other gears encluding second engage fine.

I checked the linkage in the tunnel and the coupler looks in good shape.

The previous shifter was a standard bug shifter. It shifted fine but shifting into first sometimes took a try or two.

No, crunching noise from the tranny or popping out of gear stuff.

The short shift of the empi is great. I just have to figure this out.

Anybody, have some suggestions? If not I have to take her to the shop.
S shambly
Paul,

I had a similar problem with gear selection when first building my car as when the gear selection rod is shortened its difficult maintain the same rotational alignment because of its shape.

I think you need to move the shifter to the right, not the left, because:-

Third is where first should be.

Therefore, you want the gear selection rod to be rotated less clockwise (viewpoint when you are sat in the car looking forwards)

This is achieved this by moving the selector right because the gearlever has a pivot within the shifter. (visualise by holding a pen 3/4 of the way down)

Hope this helps (and I hope i've not got muddled up!)

Simon
FM Former Member
Paul,

I'm going through the same thing right now...with the same adjusting pains.. EMPI trigger shifter.

Simon is right about moving it a little to the right though.

ALSO, something I had to train myself, a shorter throw shifter ALSO means smaller left to right movement. You have to get used to not throwing the shifter too far left.

I have managed to strip the rear mounting bolt and corresponding welded nut and I'm looking for a way to fix it...

Group,
Any ideas?? helicoil? or Tap it for a bigger bolt?

Brian.
FM Former Member
Brian & Paul,

I recently installed one on a friend of mines car and it "Droped Right In" without any adjustment.

As for the "Striped Nut" Bian; if the nut is still in place, simply chase it with a Twist Drill and re-tap to a slightly larger size of Thread.

Once this is done you shouldn't have trouble threading in a new bolt with the same NC or NF Thread.

Good Luck,

Jack Blake
S shambly
Paul,

You can't rotate the rod at the other end (without modification) as (on my '72 car anyway) the urethane coupling frame is located in a dimple on the selection rod by a pin (the coupling has a threaded hole in which the pin sits).

Bizarrely, I found that my problem with shifter alignment was solved by using a genuine VW gearbox to shifter-rod coupling. I'd initially tried with an after-market urethane part (thinking it was better) but my alignment was way out (and also tried drilling and tapping an alternate hole for the pin on that coupler without success)

Advice given to me by my kit manufacturer (Chesil here in the UK) was that slight distortion of the coupling might be required to obtain correct gearshift alignment due to the tolerances in cutting and rewelding the (curved) selection rod with exactly the same rotational relationship end-to-end.

Just make sure to distort (if you need to) in the correct direction as its all very confusing....
FM Former Member
Interesting on the shift the shifter forward method.

I found a empty stretch of road near my house and I spent a half hour playing with the shifter. The only time it worked right was when I removed the base plate and bolted the shifter directly to the tunnel. Then I had a strange idea to put a super thick flat washer under the back 13mm nut. Strangely the car shifted perfectly a couple of times then stopped finding first again. I hope I don't have something seriously wrong with the shift rod.
FM Former Member
Paul and Group,

Once again, this site pays off.
After multiple attempts at adjusting the EMPI, I unfortunately stripped out the rear nut and bolt. I tapped the hole for a 10mm bolt and "hogged out" the shifter plate (both ends) and installed the shifter farther forward and to the left.

Voila' ... All gears and reverse seems to be locking out fine. (knocking on wood).

I'm not recommending that you "hog" out your shifter, I'm just saying it worked for me.

All tranny's and shifters that have been modified will need their own coaxing to get just right.

Good luck!
and Thanks again for the ideas.

Brian.
FM Former Member
"Hoggin'" and "Wallerin'"

I use "wallerin'" when I mean to make a round hole a little bit ovalish for assembly or adjusting.

I use "hoggin'" when I mean to make the original hole or slot bigger, longer, shaped differently etc.

"My buddy took a piece of flat steel and with just a hand drill he hogged out the shift gate pattern for a ferrari 5-speed".

Because I changed the slot to accept a 10mm bolt, I did a bit more than just waller it out.


I've lived all over the USA and I still have a soft place in my heart for Southern sayings and lingo.

Brian.
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