[Bob Childress]

As best as I can tell there are only two basic “rod” shifter styles or methods being used on our cars. And now thanks to Ian and Gary we have pictures of both styles.

One design has a pitman arm attached to the transmission rod. The force to rotate the transmission rod, and move the rod back and forth is applied by the shift lever out AT THE END OF THE PITMAN ARM. The stock CAV shifter, and the examples shown by Ian, use that method.

A second method attaches the shift lever directly inline with the transmission rod so all the force applied for rotation and back and forth are exactly CONCENTRIC WITH THE TRANSMISSION ROD. The picture with comments posted by Gary is an example of the second method.

Each of these methods has some advantages which essentially are the subjects of this thread. As I worked with the stock CAV shifter I realized that the overall structural rigidity of the shifter is the key to a crisp feel and a no wobble shift pattern.

The first patch I made to the stock shifter was not enough. I added the two rod ends on a separate mounting plate, and then added an additional base plate just for more structural rigidity. The whole assembly was welded together and bolted to the stock mounting brackets on the floor of the CAV. The improvement was day and night but I was looking for perfection now.

Holding the transmission rod fixed, I could still move the shift lever and see the rod ends flex to the left and right and I could also feel the plastic parts in the pitman arm compress. This picture shows how the transmission rod on the unsupported shifter lever end acts like a pry bar to move the rod ends left and right.