Freezing the Slushbox. Torque Converter on-demand lockup switch.

[Christ]

Ya know that old quarter slot game: "California Cruisin'"?

That always had a 4 speed shifter in it...

In fact, I'd be willing to bet that someone with a little experience in fabrication could easily make a gate shifter w/ a set of micro switches. Anyone volunteer?

[Christ]

Logitech 6 speed with pedal set:



Out of price range, though, at $270

[Tygen1]

I've been down this thought process road before. Trying to figure out a cheap way to make a real shifter for a manualmatic. The conclusion I came to was to program an inexpensive PLC so I could use two momentary switches, one for up and one for down. Aranging mechanical switches to work in a sequenced shift patern is way to difficult for the return on your time and money, the PLC is a quick win, but you gotta know how to program them. For me the better option is the MTX. If that is not an option, as has been mentioned, the PLC is the way to go for ease of programing. BTW, it could also be used to kill the injectors and start up a aux. trans fluid pump then turn them off when the motor is restarted. CLICK PLC by Koyo, from AutomationDirect this is the one I setled on...if I were to go that route. The PLC is quick, elegant and relativily easy and you can do it from your home.
To the issue of neutral. Most ATX's still use some sort of mechanical linkage to force the trans into neautral, there is also a sequence for the shift solenoids to be set in, but that is often secondary to the mechanical linkage, I supose for safety's sake... Again, if you are using the PLC and you wanted to EOC or just coast while using the manual shifter, just kick you auto shifter in neautral, even if you in top gear on the manual shifter and it ought to go into neatral, then switch off your box and let the cars' pcm match up the gear it likes, etc... That reminds me, if you don't use a "ghost" load/resistor for the PCM to think it still has control of your trans while you are manualy shifting it, when you switch you box off you will be in limp mode. Don't want that to happen at a high speed....
Also, remember the risk you are taking by shifting yourshelf. If you acidently shift from 4th to 1st, you could kill your trans, etc... My trans does act a bit funny after I've use the manual shifting box for even a short while. I think becuase there is no slipping between gears (the solenoids when manual shift hit hard between each gear) that may cause some harm, but I really don't know???

Hope this helps...

[Christ]

In orange4boy's case, there are only two solenoids, and a series of on or off for each one selects the gear that he's in.

Since there are 4 gear possibilities, and 2 solenoids, the simple math would say 8 microswitches, activated 2 at a time, in each gate of the "shifter".

Mill yourself a piece of metal, weld small tabs at each gate opening. attach two micro switches to each tab, in such a way that the "stick" would actuate them.

If first gear is OFF OFF, You don't need any switches in the first gear gate. 2nd is ON OFF, so you only need one switch there to turn the first solenoid on. This can be directly wired with a wire junction for more than one switch on each solenoid. Gear 3 is OFF ON, so you only need one switch in that gate, as well. Gear 4 is ON ON, so you need two switches in that gate, which, when activated by the selector stick, turn both solenoids on.

This would still require use of the original selector to put it in D, but no controller, other than making sure your TCU doesn't get pissed at you.

[Christ]

Questioning myself...

If you were going this route, why even bother w/ a TCU? I mean, if you really want Manu-Matic all the time, with no option to shift automatically, why not just delete the TCU and associated wiring/sensors, then use the MM shifter assembly described above, making sure that the micro switches are giving the proper signal to each of the solenoids.

(If the solenoids operate on 12v, make sure they're getting 12v... )

[orange4boy]

Wow. You guys have been busy.

I like the simplicity of the click things. It's an all in one solution, minus shift box. The only thing would be the programming which is totally out of my realm. I could fab the microswitch shifter in my sleep (would rather mod an existing stick) and wire the relays and resistors but the whole math/logic/progarmming is all Greek to me.

I will take a closer look to see if it's user friendly or not when I get some time.

I have to crawl under the egg to see about the neutral shift linkage. I remember seeing a lever and cogs when I was changing the ATF. I think neutral is mechanical. Not insurmountable but trickier.

I don't want the paddle shift or triptonic type because I need to be freer to jump between gears after EOC. Are we looking at a shifter on a shifter?

Then of course there's reverse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73...eature=related

[Christ]

I'm still thinking about the neutral/reverse/park problems. I haven't come up with a good solution, yet. Once I do, you can bet it's gonna be here, in plain type, using my normal over-expressed and extremely detailed style.

My best idea right now is to use the existing shifter to actuate between P, R, N, D.

You put the shifter in D to begin driving, but then you have to manually select gears. You could feasibly start in 4th gear if you're not careful. Once you've exited first gear, TC lock could be engaged by another micro-switch on each of the 2, 3, and 4 gates, actuated by the gear selector, or it could be manually actuated (which is less idiot-proof).

SO, to pull out of your driveway, you'd put the original selector in D; Put your manu-matic selector in 1st gate; begin accelerating; as engine speed increases to your "comfort point", remove selector from 1st gate, place selector in 2nd gate.

Wait - I see a problem here, already. If 1st gear is OFF OFF, any time you move between gears using the selector, the solenoids engage 1st gear. This would be BAD. Now, you'd need a redundancy circuit that allows the previous gear to remain active until the new gear is selected, which is beyond my capabilities.

Also - it's incredibly impractical in a manu-matic to actually pass through neutral each time you shift gears, so a "clutch" pedal, as it were, isn't really necessary, but might make a nice design feature for "comfort".

[Tygen1]

ChrisT, just try to draw up your proposed wiring diagram and I'm sure you see why I was leaning towards the PLC idea. Although I've got three Shift Solenoids, so mines a bit more complicated. The timing issue of turning off switches as you simultaneously turn on others is also an issue. Here is a link to the diagram I finally settled on to get the mircro switches working: Diagram for Manual shifting ATX! - TeamZX2.com
Maybe this will help?

[orange4boy]

Wait - I see a problem here, already. If 1st gear is OFF OFF, any time you move between gears using the selector, the solenoids engage 1st gear. This would be BAD.

The solution there is to just wire it so in between shifts you are in D and the computer takes over decision making... and shift fast. It does defeat the neutral between gears but like I said, if that's on a floor shifter, I can just pop into neutral with my hand on the shifter to match the next gear. I'm good with that. It's 90% manumatic without some crazy actuators or something. It's the reaching and flipping that stupid lever that chafes my hide.

My hope here is to get away from the tree shifter. Even if it becomes a floor shifter with standard gears ( fairly simple to install and actuate.) and a 6 pos. rotary switch like the Toyota nation post, that would be pretty darn good. p-r-n-d are easily and comfortably at hand and 1-2-3-OD+TCC are on the switch.

I think I'm probably going to go with a rotary or lever switch in the end for simplicity's sake if neutral can't be had between shifts. It was a cool idea but too much trouble. Being in drive between shifts would be annoying.

[orange4boy]

Now I need to fill my shopping list:

We'll need about $15-$20usd in basic electronic hardware.
1 6-position, double pole rotary switch
1 push button switch
1 DPDT Relay
3 15ohm 25 watt resistors
4 SPST Relays
Around 10-15' of wiring (I used 20gauge)

Anyone know a good cheap Canadian electronics supplier?

And start wiring: