So I heard about this nifty gizmo and it got my all riled up and excited. I've never seen one in a car however, and that makes me wonder why?
Has anyone used one? Know a guy with one?
Know why I couldn't put it in my car, with my T-10 shifter?

I thought this meant I would shift like a dirt bike or something, all gears in a line, but I guess that's not how it works, it's more like you turn your H pattern sideways. That correct? But it locks you out of first gear, so you can't accidentally slam back into it, when going 2-3?
If anyone has used one and can explain how it works, or how it doesn't , please let me know.

I "powershifted" from 2-1 instead of 2-3 once, and it wasn't pleasant, and I think this shifter is all kinds of unique, so i'm considering it.

oh, BTW, i'm looking at the Hurst 411-8156
Thanks

 

The V-Gate is intended for use in drag racing applications that do not need to downshift easily or quickly. Thats not to say you couldn't use it.

It has a lever you pull up to engage 1st and then you just pull 2nd, push 3rd, pull 4th. No side to side movement.

If I remember correctly, the hardest part of using one on the street would be shifting from 3rd to 2nd or 2nd to 1st because of the gate.

Hope this helps.

Rob

 

Hmm, I think I understand it. So if i'm in third, i'd pull back to get into 4th. If I was actually trying to downshift into second, i'd grab a level to pull up, to engage the "downshift mechanism", then pull back?
So is there still a neutral?

Thanks

 

It's easy to upshift from any gear, you either push or pull the main lever.

If you look at the picture in Summit you can see how the lockout lever works. To down shift into 2nd you enter neutral, pull up the lockout lever, then into gear. To get 1st you hold the lockout lever up while shifting into 1st.

Yes there is a neutral. The main lever is there when you select the reverse lever.

Rob

 

Oh, reverse is that other lever! I get it.

Ok, so it's still an H pattern right? Just you are locked out of downshifting unless you use the lockout lever?

So lets say I was in third, I could just clutch, yank the shifter down, and be in 4th. But if I lift up on the lockout lever, then go down, i'm in second? Or do I have to lift up on the lockout lever, and go left and down, ie, like in my tranny now?

Thanks

 

It's still an H pattern, but the H is sideways and vertical.

 

WHAT?!? oohhh, ok, starting to make sense here. So 1st is up and forward, 2nd is up and back, 3rd is down and forward, 4th is down and back? So in third, you pull the lockout such that you can go UP, and back into second, or you go into neutral, pull the lockout, then go forward into 1st?

Ok, but then if you're in first, and you pull back, i'd think it'd want to pull you into 4th and not second.
I think i'm going to have to draw a picture in MSpaint or something...

 

Think of the lever as the control for right/left. Put the shifter in neutral, pull up on the lockout lever to clear the ramp and push handle towards the dash. Now your in 1st.

Let go of the lockout lever, side step the clutch at 6200, wait until 6800, pull handle back towards you. Now your in 2nd.

Wait until 6800, push handle towards dash. Now your in 3rd.

Wait until 6800, pull handle back again. Now your in 4th.

There is no side to side movement, just front to back.

Adjust launch and shift RPM accordingly.

To shift from 4th to 3rd push the handle forward. I don't think you need to use the lockout.

For 3rd to 2nd I think you have to shift to neutral, pull up on the lockout, then pull the handle into 2nd while still keeping the lockout held up.

For 2nd to 1st I think you have to pull the lockout up and over a ramp in the shifter while pushing the handle foreward into 1st.

Look at Summits online picture for the Richmond 5-speed. It shows the other side of the shifter and you can see the gates a little better.

Rob

 

Hey, good call. Looking at the pic of the richmond is pretty clear.

But if you're in first, and you bring it back to second, I can't help but think it might be able to "fall" into the 3-4 gate, and you'd be in 4th. I guess it's designed not to, so I should trust that.
I guess this would be a PITA for autocross, or anything that requires rather fast downshifts, but would make 1/4 mile streaks a bit easier to shift through. I think I might buy one of these later in the summer, this is pretty slick.
Although I imagine i'd need to customize the shifter boot, tranny tunnel hole, etc..

 

I don't know how well it would work with the rotated bellhousing. You'd get tired of it in a real hurry on the street anyway.

 

Hmm, I remember hearing about that, but I thought that was only the T-5's. When I bolted up the tranny to the engine (even outside the car), I figured i'd notice an 18* "tilt", which I didn't. It seemed straight as an arrow. The Hurst Supercomp shifter on it now bolts up near the torque arm mounts, and the bracket is vertical, no tilt to it.

 

Might be, I haven't looked. When my car had the Nash it took some clearance work with a hammer and drift to fit the clutch hydraulics with a normal bellhousing.

 

If I remember correctly to get 1st you pull the lockout up and over the ramp for 1st. When you pull 2nd there isn't any room for it to fall into the 4th gate.

I can't see this being good for roadrace or autocross.

Some things to think about are that it is a long shifter and is mounted fairly high up so you may have to open up the hole, and I don't think it will have a torque arm mount.

I think you are correct that only the t-5 cars sat tilted and the t-10 cars were straight.

Rob

 

The torque arm mount is separate, on the other side of the tranny. The hurst shifter is bolted onto the passenger side, the TA is on the driverside, and back a bit. That *shouldn't* effect anything.

Yea, I think i'm beyond the point where this car is even useful in autocross or anything. Tall tires on the back, relatively soft shocks and whatnot, it doesn't handle all that great as is. I think i'm more into the drag race, and powersliding the occasional corner on the street

Ok, thanks for all the info guys, it's been a great help. I'll be sure to post here if I go for it.