Modified B&M Pro Stick?

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67Dart273

67Dart273

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I bought a NOS B&M Pro Stick, and finally ordered the reverse pattern plate. But you have to fiddle with the trigger to get from ?? forward gears or low to neutral.

I'd like to just be able to slam it forward from any gear to neutral, and the only thing in the way is the top little dingle in the drawing, just to the left of the first gear line. That is the little sort of triangle shaped piece. Seems to me I can grind that out and not affect things adversely. Anyone similar?

Bear in mind it has a separate reverse lockout, so no danger of going past neutral
 

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Maybe round it off a little with a file first. Might give you what you're looking for. I do a little at a time so you don't mess with the reverse lockout.
 
This has nothing to do with reverse lockout. That is a completely separate great big piece of metal moved (with your second hand.) I was hoping someone had actually done this, as I don't understand why it's even needed.

I'm also thinking of reworking the reverse lever to try to make it a "one hand" deal:

dsc00525vt.jpg
 
I've been running that style of shifter for what seems like forever. The Hurst 1/4 Stick and B&M Pro Stick are very similar. I was actually using a forward pattern shifter with a reverse pattern valve body until just recently. But either way, if you can coordinate your hands and fingers just-right, you can go from high gear to neutral. Basically, you would need to pull the trigger about 1/2 way or more to clear all of the stops, top & bottom. The worst thing about it is accidently getting it hung in 2nd, or much worse - in first if you don't have a free-wheeling low gear. I do so low doesn't "brake" the car.

I wouldn't mess with the reverse lock-out. It's suppose to be "awkward" to engage. You should be stopped and paying attention to what you're doing anyway so there isn't ANY chance of accidently engaging reverse. But I believe you can take your hand off of the shifter while in neutral, click the reverse lever where it will stay "unlocked" until you push the shifter all the way into reverse. I'll have to double-check that on my Hurst.

Is that a forward plate in the pic? Forward or reverse pattern Hurst's are set up to shift 1-2 without the trigger, then pull the trigger to go into third. The pic looks like the forward pattern Hurst gate where I had to hold the trigger going from 1-2, then let go to allow it to be pulled into third. (That worked for me for many years with a reverse valve body, but I started letting go of the lever too soon and going straight into 3rd. That's when I got the reverse pattern shifter.)

You can file down that little "dingle" just to the right of center to help keep the shifter from "catching" on it. But only slightly round the corner, if needed.
 
Thanks for the reply

OK to avoid confusion the last photo is just one I found on the www to illustrate to 80fbody what the reverse lockout looks like

I just received and installed a reverse pattern plate yesterday, have not installed or used the shifter. I was just playing with it trying to figure it's "tricks."

My current body does not have compression in low, but I'm not really sure??? what the ramifications are of engaging low at high speed, as in if you broke a rear/ driveshaft, etc, and wanted to get to neutral QUICKLY

That I guess sums up my goal. I see no reason to have to mess with the trigger at all to get from 3rd to neutral, as it does not stop at 2nd, either. And of course going into 2nd at some speeds is bad enough!!!

Also, for this old guy, having to maybe unbuckle enough to reach clear "up and over" there with my left arm to get ahold of reverse would be a PITA. A REAL one, LOL. I was thinking of just a little longer extension on the lockout, that would be enough I could mash it with the fingers of my right hand while still being able to operate the main lever. For younger, stronger guys (yeh, I WAS one, LOL) it would not be a problem

Also bear in mind this car may never see the dragstrip. I just drive it!!!!
 
just went out and played with the b&m Pro stick with reverse gate/reverse valve body in my Demon...

I can go from any gear,,,1st, 2nd or 3rd straight back to neutral just by holding the trigger in while moving the shifter...In fact.....once the car has slowed down at the end of the strip, i go from 3rd to neutral in one motion....
 
Re-thinking about what you want to do & it may be a bad idea. In order to get to neutral you'd have to pass 1st gear. If you tried going from drive to neutral at speed with a RMVB, you'd be momentarily throwing the trans into 1st at speed which could do damage to the trans. Sounds like you want a forward pattern valve body for your needs.
 
80fbody said:
Re-thinking about what you want to do & it may be a bad idea. In order to get to neutral you'd have to pass 1st gear. If you tried going from drive to neutral at speed with a RMVB, you'd be momentarily throwing the trans into 1st at speed which could do damage to the trans. Sounds like you want a forward pattern valve body for your needs.
Click to expand...

Not if you have a non-low band apply valve body...and there is no braking in 1st gear..
 
I run a pro stick in my duster, but with forward pattern. The reverse lockout is a bit of a pain on the street, so I drilled and install a pin I made to dis-able it, and when I go to the drag strip I'll just simply pull the pin out and reverse lockout is fully functional. If you do this, you will need some good drill bits, as the plate is harden'd and not easily drilled.
 

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70aarcuda said:
Not if you have a non-low band apply valve body...and there is no braking in 1st gear..
Click to expand...

Tony, since you're much more familiar with the inner workings than me, any chance it would cause a sprag &/or overrun issue by going past first say at the top end of the track?
 
80fbody said:
Tony, since you're much more familiar with the inner workings than me, any chance it would cause a sprag &/or overrun issue by going past first say at the top end of the track?
Click to expand...

Have no idea either...just been doing that for umpteen years, and I use 904 trans...and i coast down the return road in neutral too...
 
An imagined 1st gear internal overspeed condition is what I'm trying to avoid. My thinking is that if I can sort of "guarantee" a slam dunk from 3rd to neutral, the hydraulics in the valve won't have time to think about engaging either 2nd or 1st.

I'll get it in the car next few days and see what gives. It's a console car, so I'm (for now) going to "rough up" a simple plate to mount the new shifter on top of the old console bracket, and moved back a few inches. I'm thinking the old bracket is gonna have to come out of there.
 
Like aar, I've been going from 3rd to neutral in my old 727's and current 904's for years past the finish line with no issues. But I have no low-gear braking. It get's a little tense and potentially dangerous if it hangs up in 2nd. If you do have low gear braking (or whatever it correctly called) and hang it up in low gear, like past the finish line, odds are very good that you'll be in for a very unpleasant ride.
 
Thanks, guys. I thought I might actually get this in today, but the "old man" ran out of steam. I made the mistake of fixing a homemade shed which I damaged with the little crawler last winter--slipping on the ice. By the time I was done with "a short job," I was ready for a nap, LOL
 
Update: Well after a long exhausting fight, most of the day, finally got this "temporarily" installed. I didn't want to punch anymore holes, so was --and finally did!!!-- route the cable through the original console linkage hole.

Mounted the shifter on a piece of strap on top of the original floor shifter pedestal to position it back a few inches. "Just about right" is how the know position came out. I like 'em nice and high

So I went for a little drive, in the aggravating Fri. afternoon traffic, and gotta say, I think this here shifter might just be "A-OK."
 
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