MSgpio.com read only forums (Jan.15,2018)

I have a 67 camaro with the original shifter.
I am looking for a solution for the manual mode switching. My first idea was to change the shifter: cadillac cts or pontiac G6/G8 shifters with Tap shift, but they are high and I doubt that they would fit in the console. And alo difficult to find in Europe.

I am now trying to see if I can put a momentary switch with 2 positions on the console near the shifter, like a kind of small lever that I could just push or pull to pass gears. With a switch to lock automatic mode somewhere else.
An other idea would be 2 small switches on the steering wheel, but this would not be safe from my point of view unless someone as a good idea of how to do it

Would it be safe from your point of view? Do you have an idea what kind of switch I could use? for the moment I did not see anything right for the application.

Do you have this kind of switch in your car? can you show some pictures of what you used?

gui67,

I made an upshift paddle that mounted on the right side of my steering wheel, and a down shift button mounted on the left side of the steering wheel.

On my car, I used two small momentary buttons mounted on either side of the steering wheel column. I made two paddles out of aluminum. These were mounted on pivots (hinges) near the steering column, and extended out to about 2 inches from the steering wheel. The paddles were bent into L shapes, with the pivot near the vertex of the L, and the short part of the L parallel to the steering column, and running back towards the driver to where the momentary push buttons were located. I also had small spring pulling the main part of the paddle forward to ensure there was no accidental pressing of the buttons, such as under acceleration or over bumps (and these springs could be changed to change the paddle 'feel').

The buttons were mounted on a separate piece of aluminum and conected to the other side of the pivot hinge. the whole assembly was then strapped to the steering column (I used black ties wraps that matched my column, but others have used hose clamps, etc.) I ran the wires through the small holes in steering column trim, and the whole thing was cleaner and neater that this description makes it sound.

A quick pull on either lever pressed the respective shift button. And pulling both was easy too.

In my case, these paddles didn't turn with the wheel. OEMs seem split about 50/50 about whether they should turn with the wheel or not. I did rig up a transmitter setup to mount push buttons directly on the wheel near my thumbs, but it was complicated. I also preferred paddles to 'thumb' buttons (maybe because I am more used to that).

Other users have used coiled cables (like telephone cords) wrapped around the column (NASCAR style) to allow the buttons to move with the wheel.

However, in my application (road racing) I try not to shift whle cornering hard, so having the paddles move with the wheel didn't seem too important.

Lance.

Thank you for your explanations, would you have pictures of the complete installation?
for the moment, I am hesitating between putting the switches near the steering wheel (seems more complicated) and on the console near the original shifter. (My first goal was to integrate it on the original shifter without any visible modification, but for the moment, I did not find a solution to do that.

Don't you have any interference problems with the downshift paddle when you use the turning signal?

gui67,

When I first started testing I had the shift buttons mounted in a small box, and velcro'd that in various places to see what worked best for me. But it turned out that I didn't like any of the places, in part because I couldn't shift without taking my hands off the wheel and my eyes off the road (though I would have eventually got a feel for it, I suppose).

Placing the paddles was tricky, and required a fair bit of thinking and trial with bends and cut-outs to avoid the existing hardware (turn signal lever, etc.). And my car has a title wheel too, which didn't help. But I did eventually find a position and shape that worked for me. The paddles were about 5" (127mm) long at the outside edge (but less than 1-1/2" (38mm) at the pivot - which were located a fair bit below the centerline of the steering column for clearance), which allowed me to reach them whenever I needed to. Unfortunately, I don't have that set-up in the car anymore, and didn't think to take pictures at the time.

However, micro-switches mounted on either side of the shift lever should work too.

Another possibility is to use switches operated by your left foot (like the old style high-beam switches). Maybe a switch on the floor to upshift, and a switch in the kick panel to downshift. Keeping the switches clean and avoiding overstressing them with the strength of your leg could be an issues though. Actual floor mounted high beam switches probably won't work, as they stay in one position, then switch on the second press - while you will need a momentary switch.

Yet another possibility in some vehicles is to 're-purpose' existing switches (like the horn, high-beam, etc.) as shift buttons, and move these function to separate switches (possibly under the dash, etc.).

Lance.

Interesting idea with the foot switch. A toe switch is an idea, set up like on a motorcycle so you can just rock your left foot to shift up or down. Be sort of a mystery to anyone else who might drive the car and it could get in the way on long trips but it'd be a cool way to shift.

Maybe you guys can tell me, is it more common to use one side to upshift and the other to downshift or to say pull either paddle to upshift and push to downshift or vice-versa?

Incidentally, air suspension is holding, awaiting parts for the next phase (tinwork, oil filter and header flanges/EGT ports). Slow but still progressing.

JB

JB,

The cars I have worked on (mostly race cars) have two 'pull' paddles. Usually this is upshift on the right, and downshift on the left (matching the gas and brake pedal arrangement); though some drivers prefer to have the configuration reversed.

Personally I have not seen a 'push' paddle (that doesn't mean they don't exist, though) or a combo 'push-pull' dual paddle (I can imagine fumbling a shift if it was dual function).

Lance.

Lance wrote:JB,

The cars I have worked on (mostly race cars) have two 'pull' paddles. Usually this is upshift on the right, and downshift on the left (matching the gas and brake pedal arrangement); though some drivers prefer to have the configuration reversed.

Personally I have not seen a 'push' paddle (that doesn't mean they don't exist, though) or a combo 'push-pull' dual paddle (I can imagine fumbling a shift if it was dual function).

Lance.

IIRC, the Porsche Panamera has a push-pull switch on each side of the wheel. Their reasoning was it would be easier to use one-handed if an injury forced you to do so.

I like the intuitive effect of push-pull, can see technical difficulties with it though. Might have to see what I can mock up when I get to that part of it.

JB

I just found 2 site that give me ideas about the paddles :
http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=47229 Lance, does your system look like that?
and
http://www.evilution.co.uk/424

I like the idea of using the horn contact like in the second link: that would permit not to use a stretchable cable between the wheel and the dash.
Do you think it would be possible to add that to Megashift? Does the hardware permit that? (of course, the horn button would then need to be put somewhere else on the dash). One resistance for left, an other for right, and both in parallel for switching from manual to auto. That would only require one input instead of 2.

If it is not possible, then I will either use the stretchable cable or find a way to put the system on the steering column.

gui67,

You are the second person to ask about using two voltage levels to do the up/down shifting in the last two days. I will have a look at this. It should be possible, because one of the inputs we use now happens to be an ADC pin.

Personally, though, I prefer the two pins system, as ground versus pull-up voltage is much less ambiguous than 3 voltage levels. But I can see why people prefer to use the system you describe.

I will have a look at the links and do some thinking/codding!

Lance.