Bent Shifter

[flyingbrick]

Has anyone successfully bent or pulled back the shifter in a ranger? I am tired of punching the dash well grabbing first, i was thinking about doing a pie cut and welding the shifter but it seems to be filled with some kind of rubberized tar.

 

[Chris.S.]

Good idea. I hate the placement of the shifter.

 

[metalmacguyver]

Its filled with rubber? Interesting. I would just say heat it and bend it but if its got some stuff in it, dont heat it.

 

[flyingbrick]

Well my dad saw me typing the first post and went and thru it in the 30ton press. it's bent I’ll have to play with it and I’ll let you know how it goes, oh and I’ll take pictures in the morning, too tired to move right now.

 

[flyingbrick]

ok i did not take before Pictures or measurements, but i have after pictures and measurements.

This is how we bent my shifter.

This is the aftermath.

And what it looks like in the truck, in first with no knob to center of the shifter from the dash is 4 1/2''.

 

[Chris.S.]

Nice one. If only I had a press.....

 

[flyingbrick]

You could try a BFH or a vise, maybe ask neighbors or local shop if they could do it cheep or free?


By the way can some one give the measurement of the stock shifter in first from dash to the middle of the shifter?

 

[4x4junkie]

By the way can some one give the measurement of the stock shifter in first from dash to the middle of the shifter?

I got 3¾" measured like your pic (just below the lighter socket) in 1st gear on a '98.

 

[flyingbrick]

Thanks Junkie i'll take a pic of it with the knob back on, with the new angle it is at it's alot nicer to drive.

 

[Chris.S.]

How easy was it to pull the shifter?

 

[flyingbrick]

The hardest part was the OE knob, then 2 screws to pull the cup holders/ shift boot, and then i think a (don't quote me i am tired here) 16mm socket? to remove the nut on the retaining pin which you just thread the nut on the other side of said pin and tighten till it falls lose then just pull the shifter.

 

[rboyer]

The hardest part was the OE knob, then 2 screws to pull the cup holders/ shift boot, and then i think a (don't quote me i am tired here) 16mm socket? to remove the nut on the retaining pin which you just thread the nut on the other side of said pin and tighten till it falls lose then just pull the shifter.

17mm socket actually. And heat is your best friend when removing the shifter ball, but if you're just sticking it in a press you can carefully fold the boot up with the ball still on there and do the deed without removing it. Nice trick by the way, I think I may take one of my spare shifters and stick it in my shop press on the weekend just to find out how different it feels when shifting with my arm farther away from the dash.

 

[rboyer]

By the way for anyone wanting to bend their shifter, his pic is from a later model Mazda trans with the groove for the retaining pin cut on the back-side and may not be the case for someone else with an older model truck that has it cut on the passenger side, so don't bend it according to the picture of the shifter but instead bend it relative to the position which it is mounted in the truck. I would probably take a marker to it while it's still in the truck and mark it center where you want the press to seat on top of it.

 

[Chris.S.]

This'll be my weekend project.....