Stronger shifter centering spring?
 

There is a long thread below on this forum about accidential downshifting to a gear too low, causing overrevving and major engine damage. It's my opinion that the "centering spring" in the shifter mechanism isn't strong enough to "tell" some drivers when they are in a position where 3rd is up and 4th is down --- so they accidentially get into 2nd and all Hell breaks loose. I had a bit of this problem myself, but, thankfully, always at lower speeds and revs so no damage. I helped it a bit by installing a Voodoo know, which is shorter than stock, making the centering spring "feel" stronger. Still, It's not strong enough to give me the confident for downshifting in aggressive driving.

Is there any mod that will make the centering spring stronger?

Thanks,
Richard

Richard,if you want a better feel of things,get the Richard Paul short shifter.
Available from Rick's. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Emil:

It has been my understanding that the Richard Paul mod eliminates the centering spring altogether. But correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks,
Richard

I'm going to do something very rude here. I am posting after myself just to bump this question up. The reason I am doing so is that there have been so many posts about mechanical overrevving, wherein somebody is downshifting and going for 4th and gets 2nd, and I think a stronger centering spring would prevent all of these problems. And they are very expensive problems, indeed. So please forgive me, and will somebody please answer my question of whether there is a mod to get a stronger centering spring?

Thanks,
Richard

I have had my fully stock AP1 few months now and I have been thinking exactly this since day one. Strange that nobody else seems to think this.

Perhaps I should buy a spare transmission and start to develop some soft of kit myself?

What type of spring is the centering spring? Can you shim it for a greater pressure? Or you can have custom springs made(if its a round spring like a valve spring), I know some who have done this on their motorcycle's and it was not expensive.

Good idea,
ROD

It's a regular coiled spring. I can't say I would ever want a stiffer spring myself as I never had problems mis-shifting.

Would a metal shift collar help?

I must say I think the OEM shifter is terrific just as it is and there is no way I would change the spring. Might, (actually I did), change the shifter knob.

Bumping this. Has anyone found a stiffer spring solution?