Converting front exit cable shifter to rear

[rmchrgr]

Anyone ever convert a front exit cable shifter to make it work from the rear of the trans?

If you've ever dealt with one of these types of shifters, you probably know what a nuisance a front exit cable can be. There are exhaust clearance issues and sharp angles created by having the cable loop backwards towards the gear selector lever. The cable on my B&M Pro Ratchet comes out the front. From there, it goes through the floor pan, bends around the bell area then back towards the trans lever. It works but not great. There is some binding and a very sharp angle where the cable mounts in the bracket they give you.

So I learned that T/A Cheetah shifters have the cable come from the front like most shifters but ultimately loop back to actuate shifts from the rear of the pan. I believe they use a bracket that mounts on the rear of the pan so the cable can route from the rear but use a specific Morse cable that does not match my B&M shifter otherwise I would just get the parts and be done with it.

So I would like to do something similar using the B&M stuff I have on hand rather than buying a Cheetah shifter since I like the Pro Ratchet. I am thinking about some sort of bell crank set up where the cable loops back under the cross member area. Don't know of any aftermarket brackets available to accomplish this.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[diymirage]

The "easiest"way to accomplish this is to keep it a front exit shifter, but instead of diving through the floorboard 3 inches before the shifter loop the cable around the passenger seat and have it leave the cabin somewheres near the rear seat, facing perfectly into the transmission shifter lever

 

[rmchrgr]

The "easiest"way to accomplish this is to keep it a front exit shifter, but instead of diving through the floorboard 3 inches before the shifter loop the cable around the passenger seat and have it leave the cabin somewheres near the rear seat, facing perfectly into the transmission shifter lever

Huh, never thought of that, thanks. Will have to look into that.

One of the main issues though is where the cable bolts into the bracket, it can be a very sharp angle which binds the cable. That's why I wanted to come from the back of the trans since it is a smoother entry for the cable.

Again, I will try that method, might be what needs to happen.

 

[thesiren74]

I went around the bellhousing from the passenger side and it hasn't burnt up,i did it in march and so far so good went through 3cables before doing this not cool.

 

[thesiren74]

I wish they would make cable sheathing out of flexible steel like ckoke cables!

 

[Bad Sport]

Here's a thought.

Get the install kit for the Cheetah cable to the trans. Install your shifter just like you normally would, just route the cable down the right side of the trans, across and back up to the trans. like the Cheetah does.

With the bracket for the Cheetah, that should be doable. One issue is getting your cable to clamp into the Cheetah bracket.

More than one way to skin a cat.

 

[rmchrgr]

Here's a thought.

Get the install kit for the Cheetah cable to the trans. Install your shifter just like you normally would, just route the cable down the right side of the trans, across and back up to the trans. like the Cheetah does.

With the bracket for the Cheetah, that should be doable. One issue is getting your cable to clamp into the Cheetah bracket.

More than one way to skin a cat.

Again, if I could have done that, I would have. There are to things preventing it from working - like you mentioned, mounting the cable is one hurdle; the Cheetah cable has a sleeve with a groove in it where the u bolt holds it in place. It's a specific design element that puts the cable in the right place. Plus, you can't swap cables between shifters either, they have different ends.

Could it be made to work? Probably. But, I don't like to buy stuff knowing it will have to be modified. I'd rather just come up with a solution using what I have.

 

[hangn0ut]

I never messed with your model shifter. I do have a 64 Plymouth with one of those classic small chrome box B&M shifters. And I was melting cables. Looking closer at the shifter I saw that it was already designed for a rear exit cable. Simple piece to hold the cable in place and a hole in the cover and i had a rear exit shifter. Now there was plenty of room to route the cable to a simple bracket mounted on one of those four assembely line lugs and the shift arm. End of problem. So take a look at your shifter. A lot a shifters had a rear cable exit model.

 

[67Dart273]

In my opinion this would be difficult to keep reliable. The stroke of the BM cable/ linkage is VERY short, meaning that any wear, slop, or play is going to be a larger percentage of the linkage travel.

I've actually looked at this as well. I went from a BM to a Cheetah. Look over the Art Carr / Winters shifters, which seem to be the father of the Cheetah shifters EXCEPT that the cable enters the rear of the shifter

Art Carr / Winters

 

[rmchrgr]

In my opinion this would be difficult to keep reliable. The stroke of the BM cable/ linkage is VERY short, meaning that any wear, slop, or play is going to be a larger percentage of the linkage travel.

I've actually looked at this as well. I went from a BM to a Cheetah. Look over the Art Carr / Winters shifters, which seem to be the father of the Cheetah shifters EXCEPT that the cable enters the rear of the shifter

Art Carr / Winters

Yeah, I agree that this might be a tough thing to do right.

That being said, a mechanical bell crank arrangement with a rod end on one side to actuate the lever is what I am thinking. Just have to do a little engineering to get the geometry correct.

This would be a no-brainer if the cables were the same.

 

[rmchrgr]

Forgot to add that Aerospace Components makes this for this express purpose but it's for a Powerglide.:wack:

 

[joeboy]

I would really like the idea of a rear exit cable but it seems like mounting is only half the problem to me. If you think about the actual cable operation it is a push/pull system. the cable is fully extended for park and fully retracted for 1st at the transmission lever. (I think) so if you reversed the entry to the transmission only, your cable would need to be opposite to operate. Like fully extended for 1st and fully retracted for park. so when you grabbed the shifter lever inside it would be in 1st in park and park in 1st... You'd need to either reverse the gate plate in the shifter or also change the geometry/cable routing at the shifter to match the trans.

I have a front exit hurst quarter stick that I protected the cable by getting about 1.5' of 6AN high heat tubing and slicing it down the side for a sheath over the cable, I then wrapped that in high temp reflective tape. It literally sits right against my header and so far so good at 1000 mi.