ive seen em in a speedway catalog but dont know what to google to find more info. im running a saginaw 4 speed and looking at making a shifter that has 4 individual sticks. but for the life of me i cant find any more info out there on how they work or how i can make one.

 

Something like this..... https://www.theturboforums.com/threads/369521-Cool-shifter

 

Just like that but for a 4 speed manual trans. The one in speedway had three levers with rods going to the gearbox. I'd like to find more info to simply build my own

 

Are you talking about an old Linko?

 

To be honest I haven't the slightest clue, from the ad it states for 3 and 4 speed manual boxes, and each lever has a different length rod attached with Heims on outer ends.

 

Sounds like one....

 

You are looking for what's known as a lightning rod shifter. They're made by Hurst, and used to be available for automatics, but now they are only available for Lenco transmissions (not Linko ).

I've never seen them on a typical 4 speed, however looking at a saginaw I think a crafty guy could fab something to work.

I looked in the Speedway Motors catalog and found this: http://www.speedwaymotors.com/4-Speed-Stock-Car-Racing-Shifter,2670.html I don't know anything about it but it's the closest to what you're describing.

 

Lol I knew it wasnt linko but I couldn't remember.

 

A guy I know his father has a car close to a Pro Stock car he built and his shifter is 4 levers 1 for each gear , you just pull 1 lever for each gear like an Lenko but he built it his self. I'll see if he has any pic's of it.

 

Perfect, thanks guys that speedway link is exactly what I was looking at, I think if I looked at the transmission enough I could make something up

 

I've worked with them before in stock cars, and the only advantage I can see is that they are simple and cheap, you don't need to shift that much in a roundy-round car, and most run 3 speeds, and you only use 1st to take off, then it's just 2-3, and 3-2, only using 1 lever. On a 4 speed, they might look cool, but you'd have to move two levers to accomplish the 2-3 shift, which would get VERY annoying in a street car, and pretty much useless in a drag car. Say you're in first, 2nd is easy, but then you have to put the 1-2 lever in neutral, then grab the 3-4 lever to go into 3rd. If you really want a badass 4 speed shifter, look for a Hurst Ramrod (inline) shifter, or a Super Shifter II or III (H-pattern). B&M also made an inline shifter, (the Vertigate), but having owned and used both, I can tell you the Hurst is a much better designed and better working unit.

 

This is a Ramrod shifter:

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To get into 1st, you lift up on the "gate" and push forward, 2nd is straight back, 3rd is straight forward, and 4th is straight back, reverse is the little lever on the side, to get there, put the main stick in neutral, then shift the reverse lever.

 

Wow excellent post! Do they still sell them new? I now understand your 4 speed quarrel and don't want to be twin sticking on the street. I'll look into the ramrod, thanks!

 

Also I have. Saginaw three speed transmission, do they share the bell housing with their 4 speed counterparts? I'm almost thinking with a tall ring gear and my turboed bbc it'd pull a three speed like a freight train keeping the motor loaded up

 

That one I posted pics of is on eBay, and it's at like $114 right now, (IRRC, it's just the shifter), there are some others as high as $500-$600 to over $1K, the higher priced ones are NIB complete though. There are some with all the rods and levers in the $200~$400 range though. To me, there ain't nothing like a good ole close ratio 4 speed, unless it's a TKO 600 or maybe a Nash 5 speed.
I'm not sure how that 3 speed, (or even a BW ST10 or Muncie M2x) will hold up to strong turbo power though.

 

Here's one with the shift rods and two of the shift arms for $269, buy-it-now, looks like it has a mounting bracket too : http://www.ebay.com/itm/HURST-RAM-R...811&&clkid=3115709530249461835&_qi=RTM1327407

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It's missing the 'gate actuator rod" though....

 

My buddys dad's car has an old Richmond Trans in it, the ones that bolted together in sections. 3 speed had 3 sections and 4 speed had 4 sections and each section had it's own shift fork with a lever going to each one. I don't think they even made them in 20 years or more. But each lever works 1 section of the trans, old school shit.