Second gen manumatic

[critter]

I see where Bowler says they've used a Pontiac G6 shifter for manumatic shifting on a 4L80e. If anyone out there has done this, can you tell me what you did for your console? Did you adapt a Pontiac console or build a custom console? What other manumatic shifters might work?

[1969CamaroRS]

You might ask Steve at Twist Machine he is the manumatic Guru and maker of the Shrifter. Board name is Streetfytr68:
https://www.pro-touring.com/forum/member.php?u=152

Really good guy, top notch service. Bought my manumatic shifter and 4L65E-RR package from him.

[Steve Chryssos]

I haven't tried a G8 floor shifter. I have heard that it is very tall. We tried a shifter from a Jeep Grand Cherokee. It too was very tall, so the top of the trans tunnel was pocketed to drop it down some. Then a custom console was built around it.

The best we've seen is a floor shifter from a Chrysler 300. It's shorter than the Jeep unit. Either way, plan on console modifications and some custom wiring. As Ed stated, there's always the Shrifter.

[critter]

Yes, I am familiar with Shrifter but I'm not really wanting the paddle shifters on this car. I would like to try manumatic in the console however. Thanks for the answers so far and I welcome any additional information.

I anticipated the wiring but essentially are we not talking about a pair of switches? One for up shift and one for down shift or am I oversimplifying this?

And the more I think about the console the more I wonder if it would not be easier to swap an entire console in rather than modify my existing console. I guess that depends oh the car and the console, huh?

[Steve Chryssos]

You got it right. Gut the OE CAN-bus wiring and switch mechanism and add a coupla microswitches and three wires. Not hard at all. Not impossible by any means. Just not bolt on by any means. So many cars come with manumatic +/- floor shifters from Hyundai to Bentley. The trick is to find an assembly that is compact to simplify adaptation. Check ebay for a shifter from a Chrysler 300, Magnum or Charger, or have some fun scouring an import junkyard. Try to find something classy and sporty.
This is the Jeep shifter installed in Hoover.

[critter]

Yep, that's the ticket I was looking for. That's a classy looking setup. Thanks for all the advice.

[critter]

So I yanked my stock shifter out of the attic. I'm looking at the detent plate that controls the "clicks" on the shifts and I'm wondering why I can't work out a way to put 2 micro switches in to create my own manumantic shifter that fits in the stock location. Does anyone have any idea what type of micro switches could be used for this application?

[Steve Chryssos]

Call me next week. I'll send you out a pair of switches.

[critter]

Can do, Steve. Thanks for the assist. I spent this morning in the yards around here looking for a late model shifter to adapt and I came up empty. It seems I'm not the only one doing this kind of thinking. I could find shifters for OD automatics but none that did manumatic. Most had already been pulled or were so busted up they weren't worth having.

[critter]

I know it's been said before but a big thank you to Steve at Twist for taking time to talk to the village idiot (me) today. He's patient and very helpful, even if you aren't a customer (yet). I still haven't nailed down what I'm doing with my 4L80e but he's been very helpful with weighing my options.

[Steve Chryssos]

Anytime. Thanks!

[FerrariT]

You got it right. Gut the OE CAN-bus wiring and switch mechanism and add a coupla microswitches and three wires. Not hard at all. Not impossible by any means. Just not bolt on by any means. So many cars come with manumatic +/- floor shifters from Hyundai to Bentley. The trick is to find an assembly that is compact to simplify adaptation. Check ebay for a shifter from a Chrysler 300, Magnum or Charger, or have some fun scouring an import junkyard. Try to find something classy and sporty.
This is the Jeep shifter installed in Hoover.

I don't know why you guys do not make a kit for this?
this is exactly what I would Like In my Nova Project!!!

Do you guys sell the "microswitches"?

Pic example?

One other question, is there an automatic trans out yet that will allow "engine braking", anybody planning to attempt this if not?

thanks

[Turbo67camaro]

Bowler's transmissions offer engine braking.

They are a site sponser here.

[Steve Chryssos]

I don't know why you guys do not make a kit for this?
this is exactly what I would Like In my Nova Project!!!

Do you guys sell the "microswitches"?

Pic example?

One other question, is there an automatic trans out yet that will allow "engine braking", anybody planning to attempt this if not?

thanks

Engine braking has been proven out and available for a few years now on 4L60E series transmissions. I have the feature on my car. We sell it as the 4L65RR package listed HERE. Here's the video:



It's something of a magic bullet though. The engine braking modification, in itself, is relatively cheap. However, significant internal transmission modifications (expensive) are required to support the modification or transmission failure is almost certain even at modest power levels and under moderate abuse. The mod also requires some very specific blueprinting and calibration steps.

As for manumatic floor shifter microswitches, I offered them free of charge to critter. I'll extend the same offer to you. Call me for some advice on building the right shifter or we can build one for you. Whereas the paddle shifter simply pops onto your steering column, the floor shifter is more involved. Console, linkage....It's never a bolt on deal.

Nudging a plus/minus on a floor shifter is not quite as fun as the paddle shifter.

[critter]

He's right. I spent time with my stock console shifter again last night. creating the custom detent plate to center between the switches would be a breeze but the real issue for me is how to get free from the cable. You need to be able to move the stick forward and backward with out physically moving the shifter cable and manually shifting the gears.

My original thought was to disable a spring in the stock second generation Trans Am shifter and that would allow me to push it to the right and engage the switches. Now, I don't believe there's enough room there or a way to elegantly disengage from the cable side. PHHHhhhhht! Back to the drawing board.

I wonder what I could do with this Hurst Dual Gate...

Did I mention the paddles are looking better all the time?

[Turbo67camaro]

You got it right. Gut the OE CAN-bus wiring and switch mechanism and add a coupla microswitches and three wires. Not hard at all. Not impossible by any means. Just not bolt on by any means. So many cars come with manumatic +/- floor shifters from Hyundai to Bentley. The trick is to find an assembly that is compact to simplify adaptation. Check ebay for a shifter from a Chrysler 300, Magnum or Charger, or have some fun scouring an import junkyard. Try to find something classy and sporty.
This is the Jeep shifter installed in Hoover.

There are 2 shifters for a 2005-2007 Chrysler 300. One for a 4 speed and one for 5 speed. Anyone know what makes the 5 speed double the price over the 4 speed? Are there significant differences between the two in features, quality, or in particular size?

If one used a CAN 2.0b wiring system like ISIS multiplex and a TCU supporting CAN 2.0b with one of those shifters, does that eliminate the need to fiddle with switches?

[BonzoHansen]

He's right. I spent time with my stock console shifter again last night. creating the custom detent plate to center between the switches would be a breeze but the real issue for me is how to get free from the cable. You need to be able to move the stick forward and backward with out physically moving the shifter cable and manually shifting the gears.

My original thought was to disable a spring in the stock second generation Trans Am shifter and that would allow me to push it to the right and engage the switches. Now, I don't believe there's enough room there or a way to elegantly disengage from the cable side. PHHHhhhhht! Back to the drawing board.

I wonder what I could do with this Hurst Dual Gate...

Did I mention the paddles are looking better all the time?

Funny, just reading Steve's post above yours and I immediately thought the dual gate may help and it fits your factory console. Now to find one as hurst disco'd them.

[Steve Chryssos]

There are 2 shifters for a 2005-2007 Chrysler 300. One for a 4 speed and one for 5 speed. Anyone know what makes the 5 speed double the price over the 4 speed? Are there significant differences between the two in features, quality, or in particular size?

If one used a CAN 2.0b wiring system like ISIS multiplex and a TCU supporting CAN 2.0b with one of those shifters, does that eliminate the need to fiddle with switches?

Not sure about the 4 speed shifter, but the 5 speed shifter is a nice, workable piece with low overall height. It also has a nice microswitch arrangement that can be retained. But you will be fiddling anyway to work around other internal devices such as the brake pedal interlock. The shifter has one big plug with lots of pins that cannot be deciphered without the help of the OE schematic.

There are no rules here. Just fiddle and tinker.