StingrayRacing

So a few weeks I was poking around the web and found the webiste for long shifters. I wasn't too happy with my shifter so i called them up and told them it would sporadically jam on the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts and a few times instead of going from 2-3, it went from 2-5. So they tell me to send it it in for a rebuild and update for $45. I think this is a fair price, BUT in an effort to avoid downtime I ask him if they can send me a new one($425) and credit me back some money when they get the old one back.
As I am talking to him, I am still looking at their website and I see 3 part numbers for the 6 speed:

HR-6000 For Richmond ROD Transmission
HR-6002 Fits Cameros, I-Rocs & Firebirds '82 - '92
HR-6003 Fits Corvettes from '63 - '81

http://www.gforcetransmissions.com/shifter_price.asp

I'm think wow, they make one speciaffacly for the C3!!!! This will solve all my shifting problems!!!! So I ask him about it and he tells me the mounting plate is different for better clearance, so now I'm thinking hell yeah I need more clearance to get the shft rods better aligned. Give me more clearance!

So I give him my credit card and he says he'll try to get it out ASAP....well to my surpise it came the next day, so I was real happy.

When I opened the box though, I notice the directions said Part#6003 84-87 vettes, so now I'm like, what the ?!?!?!?! I call up, speak to the same guy and tell that I have a 72 Vette, their site says this for a c3, but the direction say otherwise...he tells me don't worry they're just using up some old directions...works for me...or does it...read on


I was too busy with work and house duties to get to it myself, so I drop it off at a local shop and tell them to do it for me, along with a driveshaft loop and battery hold down so that when I get it back I am all set to race! Corvette Challenge here I come!

I call the shop a few days later and they tell me after about 10hrs of labor, they don't think this shifter will work, they had to cut some fiberglass to get it in, the linkage it reall clsoe to the yoke,etc...

Now I'm flipping out because I expected the shifter swap to be a 3 hr job. I have the shop call Long to confirm and they say "we don't recommend that shifter in a c3" its for the 84-87 Vettes...What?!?! So why does it say 63-81 on the website?!?! Thats a big f'in typo they got there.

So now, I have 2 shifters that don't work for me...I have to call Long on Monday and figure something out.

I definitely want my money back for the wrong shifter, and I want to them to fix the website listing of it. Also in return for my troubles I think they should send me a new universal one for free and I will send them my old one back...and maybe I'll make the Corvette Challenge in 2 weeks

seem fair? any suggestions?

Noel Carboni

Rich,

I was able to use the Long shifter packaged with the ROD 6 with one mod: I angled the straight-up handle back a few degrees, to make it come up perpendicular to the console:



Are you talking about jamming with a new shifter? FYI, to start out with I had some stiff-shifter issues, but it's smoothed right out after 10K miles or so. :)



-Noel



[Modified by Noel Carboni, 7:23 PM 6/16/2002]

StingrayRacing

Thanx Noel,

The original one would jam sporadically...I can't really drive it with this "new" one.

When I was going to send it for a rebuild he mentioned putting lead-ins on the rails to make the shifts better...they called this their road racing mod.

It did notice they make a shorter shift handle which I will probably use:

tsw71

For the most part, the Long shifter on my Richmond 5 speed is solid and works well. The 6 speed is not too different. As for the jamming going into gear, I'm not sure what you mean by that. Are you talking about serious machanical problems, or what feels like simply missing the gate when going into third and hitting the spot in beween 3rd and fifth. I have that problem. It turns out that the shifter has some springs that center the shifter. If one of the springs is broken, as mine is, it will pull to one side and cause me to miss third gear. Does this sound like the problem you are having?

Do you have contact info for Long, or were you refering to calling Gforce. If so, could you post the phone number for Long. I tried to track down their phone number since the directions for the shifter only include an address. I need to order those springs I mentioned. I was able to make some at work to get me by until I can get some new ones, but the pressure one each side is uneven.

Tom

StingrayRacing

LONG SHIFTERS • 1525 N. State, Rt. 934 • Annville, PA 17003
(717) 867-1303 • Fax (717) 867-3983

http://www.gforcetransmissions.com/shifter_price.asp

Hey, they list a 5 speed shifter specific for the 63-81 Vette too:
5-Speed Shifter for G-Force & Richmond Transmission
(Former DNE Transmission)
Standard H-Pattern Shifters $400.00
HN-1000 Fits Camaros from '67-'81
Fits Firebirds from '79-'81
Fits all Mustangs (replaces Hurst #4070009)
Fits most other applications
HN-1001 Fits Corvettes from '63-'81
HN-1001C Fits Cobra Kit Cars

Wonder what car that is really for ;)

Yeah I think the broken spring may describe part of my problem, I think they mentioned some stiffer spring too.

But part of my problem was when drag racing the I would sometime miss a shift, and when I did the shifter got locked between gears...this happend to me a couple of times.

The shifters are almost the same except the 6 speed had another rod which makes it a little harder to setup.

5 speed:


6 speed:

GDaina

I'm using the Hurst, and initially, had trouble shifting from 2 to 3. Trimmed the bottom of the shifting arms, as they were hitting the crossmember. After that, shifting is smooth as silk

69 N.O.X. RATT

That is :bs I would be furious, and Long would know it. I have a ROD I have had a lot of problems with after 1500 miles. I called Richmond told them the problems and they sent me a new one free of charge and paid shipping both ways.

I would tell Long that I will never, and neither would my friends, or anybody I ever talk to, ever buy a shifter from them. They should send you a new one and eat the costs of the shop time you had to pay for on their bad advise.

StingrayRacing

Problem is that Long makes the only shifter for the ROD, but we'll see what goes on tomorrow when I call them.

tsw71

Sounds like the spring is the culprit. Does your shifter handle center itself firmly, or does it seem easier to move towards one side than the other? I have not had the problem of engaging 2 gears at once..........yet :D , but if you bang it hard enough, i'm sure it will. I just had mine apart to install my makeshift spring. By looking at the design, it is easy to see how your problem can happen. The bottom of the shifter assembly has a ball. It moves lateraly when you move the handle from side to side and engages the sliders. If you were between the two slider and crammed that bad boy hard enough, it is possble to move both sliders partially. The stiffer springs should solve your problem without any additional mods.

See if they can just sell you the springs for you to install. That it the route I will try to take. If they expect me to tear down my car and send them the shifter to replace some springs, then they can kiss my...... :reddevil If that's how they do it, I'll make my own. One of the advantages of being a tool & die maker ;)

The springs can be replaced easily by taking the console trim plate off, removing the bolt that goes in from the side into the sqaure tubing peice that the lower handle mount is centered in. Once this large bolt is removed, you need to pull the hole assembly straight up. It will take a little muscle. Once out, you will see these springs(flat spring stock). They are bolted onto the lower handle by 6-32 socket head cap screws(allen). There are two on each spring. I'd be willing to bet that one has failed.

Good luck with yours :) Oh yeah, Thanks for the phone numbers :cheers: :cheers:

Tom

StingrayRacing

Tom,

Thanx for the info.

Can one of you guys measure the handle and tell if you think a shorter one will work, since I don't have access to my car.

Also guys, I'm not flaming Long just yet, they were very helpful before the mixup so I have to give them the opportunity to make it right....but if they don't :reddevil

tsw71

I used my old hurst comp+ handle and modified it to the height I like. I also bent it back and over so it appears to be in the correct location. Others have used the handle P/N HN-1085 (8-1/2") and have been pleased with the fit and height. I measured mine a while back and mine is also about 8-1/2". Here is a thead from a while back where we talked about this.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=182595


[Modified by tsw71, 4:24 PM 6/16/2002]

StingrayRacing

Got the rebuilt shifter in and it feels pretty good, no problem with 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4 on the quick ride I took, but the 5-6 linkage still needed some adjusting.

Sending the new wrong part neumbered shifter back to Long for a refund...I am curious as to whether they will charge for the rebuild or not, since I have to pay the shop about 13 hrs of labor for all the extra work.

When Long got my my old shifter and rebuit it, the guy said it was probably there oldest design and there was a flaw in that desgin where the bottom of the shifter that engages the sliders might not spring back down becuase of some wacky air suction situation holding it 'up' even though its spring loaded.

I had them send me extra srpings too.

I'm keeping the shorter black shift handle from the new kit and see if i like that one better.

I should be at the track Saturday to test all this out...finally.

Thanx for everyones imput.

Gordonm

I have to post this. I was at Long yesterday selling them some tooling for their CNC machines. That is one of the cleanest shops i have been in. They do very nice work. They just had built Ricky Rudd a custom shifter for his Nascar. Most all the Winston Cup drivers use thier trans and shifters. They had Jeff Gordons trans there all apart. The people there are top notch. Can't say about customer service because I have not dealt with them. It sounds as if your problems are taken care of now. Glad to see it got taken care of. I was very impressed with drag transmissions and the circle transmissions. I wish I could afford to install one. I have always wanted to get in to their shop and it was worth the trip. I'm sure I will be back there. I could spend the whole day in the shop seeing some of the new stuff they are developing. :cool: stuff

tsw71

I just gave Long a call this morning to see about getting some new springs for my shifter. Very helpfull and nice people. They said they'll send them out free of charge. :cool: It's hard to beat that kind of customer service.

StingrayRacing

Well, it turns out the newly rebuilt shifter has issues too...something with the reverse lockout not working which was causing problems with 5th & 6th.

My mechanic called Long and they are sending me another shifter...even though Long has been very nice to deal with this is still very frustrating...my mechanic has about 20 hours into this already!!

Will it ever be right??? Please someone with a 6 speed remind that these things work...eventually!

I took the car home anyway so I can particpate in the last leg of the Stars and Stripes tour.