Miata Mailing List: September 1995, Message #79
sponsored by



     


   From: Tom Manson 
Subject: RE: Shortened Shifter
   Date: Sat, 2 Sep 1995 06:50:27 -0400

On Fri, 1 Sep 1995 a.mccombs3@genie.geis.com wrote:

> Robt. Holland notes that "shortening the shifter doesn't happen at the top
> of the shaft, but below the fulcrum point."  I don't understand.  I thought
> the whole point of this was to reduce the length of the shift throw at the
> top end of the shift lever - so you don't have to move your hand so far. 

[stuff deleted]

> Thus, a shorter movement of the upper or knob end, would result in
> the same distance at the lower end of the lever.  Or am I missing something
> here?

Nope Jack, you got it right.  I think Bob slightly misapplied his words... 
for that matter, you can't shorten a fulcrum since it is already an 
infinitely small point.  The reduction in length above the fulcrum is 
what we're looking for here.  Just as the "club knob" is smaller and 
represents less height above the fulcrum, it offers a shorter throw (at 
the cost of a smaller hand-hold and lighter weight) than the Voodoo.
Later,

Tom Manson, Frederick, MD		
Product Assurance Manager, Orbital Sciences Corporation, Greenbelt, MD 20770
President, Chesapeake Area Miata	301-220-5670 (O)  301-694-6721 (H)
Manson@fred.net				301-873-4004 (M)  301-414-9441 (P)
http://www.fred.net/manson/home.html
CAM Newsletter URL = http://www.wam.umd.edu/~albabe/miata/cam/news.html