Help! GTD shifter part.

Howard Jones · 03-28-06, 09:46 PM

I need a source for the little plastic ball joint holders that are part of the shifter mechanism used on GTDs. I mean the shift lever at the front of the car that you shift with your hand. There are two on each shifter. They control movement of the two shifter arms by slipping over the balls that are part of the two arms that the cables are attached to.

1. For the record what car is this shifter out of.

2. I NEED at least one but I want to buy a few extras.

3. My car is a center shift USA model but I think the shifter is used in all models of GTD's

Howard Jones · 03-28-06, 09:48 PM

Sorry I have a cheep camera here's a picture of the assembly

Howard Jones · 03-28-06, 09:49 PM

Better, Heres one of the plastic piece on the assembly

Howard Jones · 03-28-06, 09:51 PM

Heres one where I tried to point it out. Well anyway you GTD guys know what I need. Please help me. Thanks, Howard

Malcolm · 03-29-06, 02:14 AM

Sorry Howard but that set up is not in all GTD's. The standard right hand drive right hand shift has nothing that looks like that.

If you get really stuck could you not convert the cables and joints to allow use of small heim joints?

Andy Besic · 03-29-06, 07:08 AM

Howard,

I am almost sure That is the Lotus Esprit shifter assembly. The pictures are bad and I have never had mine out completely but from what I can see it looks exactly the same.

Andy

40 Bud · 03-29-06, 03:33 PM

The shifter was developed for the center shift cars and is from the 89/90 Lotus Esprit SE. Unfortunately I have no idea where to find the little plastic part. I currently have Dave Bean Engineering searching. He is a central California Lotus guru. Any input about a supply would be very helpful!

40 Bud · 03-29-06, 05:31 PM

No luck at Dave Bean!! He tells me that the part was never available except as part of the complete shifter assembly and that assembly is no longer available. It is out of production. Any ideas out there??

Andy Besic · 03-29-06, 06:33 PM

http://www.wcengineering.com./ ? otherwise I have one that comes with a GTD40 for $50k [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif[/img]

Gregg · 03-29-06, 06:47 PM

Can you make the piece out of delrin or aluminum and then bush it?

Jim S. · 03-29-06, 09:19 PM

Howard, just have new ones made out of oil impregnated bronze. If you can't find a shop out there to do it, send it to me I'll help you out. You could also use Delrin, but I'm not sure if it will hold up like bronze. You might also consider bearings with spherical centers. It looks like a ball bearing but the center is a spherical ball with a hole in it. Press these into a outer case that represents the outer shape of the current part, then you can pass through it with a shaft that's welded or threaded back into the shifter. Hope this makes since??

Good luck. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

andys · 03-30-06, 11:35 AM

Howard,

Give these guys a try. They're in the UK. Your shifter is very likely an Esprit unit.

Andys

Howard Jones · 03-30-06, 03:05 PM

Thanks everyone, I made one myself last night out of some Derrin (sp?) I had on hand. Kind of a one off, make it by hand, fix.

I believe the best way to address this would be to make some new "L" arms and press in a spherical bearing in place of the plastic "retainer" thingie. The other thing that would need to be changed would be the shaft that is pressed into the main aluminum center piece. I would make a new one with shafts that would mate with the spherical bearing at each end.

For now I will give my homemade fix a try. Down the road, like next winter, I might redesign the whole thing as described above.

In the meantime I am going to try and find a source for the original part. I sent a email to the WC engineering guys. I'll pass on any info I receive.