Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

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Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

June 13, 2005, 08:09:06 PM

To carry on with the ideas in Crystal's thread without hijacking it:

Here is a picture of my handcontrols

Here's how they work; Gas - twist the handle and move a cable that is connected to the throttle at the throttle body. Brakes - The handcontrolls are connected to the steering column (where the column is connected under the dash) and a lever comes off the end near the twist grip that pushes down on the brake peddle when you push down on the handle.

If that's not clear I'll attempt a drawing.

My idea would be to put a clutch lever, as on a motorcycle, on the handcontrols. I think it would have to go there since under braking I would need to activate the clutch, break, and control the steering.

There has to be a solution 'cause I know there are people in wheelchairs riding on motorcycles that have side cars or have been converted to threewheelers.

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #1 – June 13, 2005, 08:48:35 PM

Might be a little exspensive but have you looked into air shifters?

Here is one for a motorcycle.

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #2 – June 13, 2005, 09:01:20 PM

Just a repost from my idea in Crystal's thread : Modified F1 paddle shifters, bi-directional. Pull toward you to shift up or down, push away to engage the clutch. Paddles would work in opposite of each other when you shifted through the gears.

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #3 – June 13, 2005, 10:31:24 PM

i'v seen aftermarket paddle shifters, like a f1 car. think they have some actuators or something... never looked into it, but maybe that might be easyer.

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #4 – June 14, 2005, 08:12:22 AM

Quote from: slamedcat

Might be a little exspensive but have you looked into air shifters?

How would you hook that up to a car trans? A motorcycle shifts up and down (one dimentional motion) while to shift a car you have to have a side to side motion and a forward to backward (two dimentional) motion. I don't know anything about motorcycle transmissions but in a car there are 2 (3 speed) or 3 (4,5 speed) levers.

In my stepson's 3.1, 5 speed Pontiac Tempest he has a shifter cable and a lever select cable. The forward to back motion moves the shifter cable while the side to side moves the lever select cable.

Maybe a couple step motors could be hooked up to reproduce the motions - each with 3 positions. The only problem I can think of with this solution would be that the shifter select motor would have to return to the middle position before the lever select motor could move. Am I reinventing the F1 paddles?

I think I'll do some searching to see what I can find on the subject.

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #5 – June 14, 2005, 09:14:29 AM

I know I have seen air shifters in funny cars before but don't know how well they would work on the street. Or how they work.

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #6 – June 14, 2005, 09:27:31 AM

Quote

A motorcycle shifts up and down (one dimentional motion)

Well, technically it's a rotary motion. The foot lever turns an internal drum with slots in the outer surface that engage pins on the backs of the shift forks, moving them back and forth as needed. Might be able to create something similar for the front/back side/side of a regular lever? Or use a trans with the levers coming out the side of the case.

How about a Volkswagen "auto-stick"?

Yeah, I know it had a torque converter, but it also had a small clutch controlled by a big vacuum can, disengaged by any pressure on the shift lever, re-engaged by a calibrated orifice.

A quick tour through Google's world showed links by the hundred for "hand controls" "manual transmission".

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #7 – June 14, 2005, 09:54:48 AM

For what ever system that is chosen(air, hydraulic, electric), the clutch control could(should?) be mounted on the shifter for one hand operation.

The hardest part will be getting the clutch travel figured out, since its not just a engaged/disengaged deal.

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #8 – June 14, 2005, 10:03:58 AM

Quote from: http://www.accessunlimited.com/drivematic/drivematic.html

A special sensor in the shift lever detects the driver's hand, and a pneumatic servo unit depresses the clutch. A position sensor tells the system when the driver has put the transmission in gear, holding the clutch down until a slight pressure is applied to the gas pedal. This brings the clutch pedal to just below the engagement point in its throw. As soon as the driver begins to accelerate, a proportioning mechanism, working in conjunction with pneumatic solenoids and a microprocessor, combine the inputs of speed, accelerator pressure, and vacuum to produce a smooth, reliable clutch-in operation. Clutching style (quick/sporty to slow/smooth) can be tailored to match the habits and preferences of the client, so that the original "feel" and driving characteristics of the car remain unchanged.

Sounds complicated to me :(

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #9 – June 14, 2005, 10:08:29 AM

Quote

Sounds complicated to me

Very Volkswagenish, just with sensors and computers.

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #10 – June 14, 2005, 10:30:34 AM

How hard would it be to press in the clutch on a car with a hand lever like on a motorcycle? Would I need some kind of force multiplier?

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #11 – June 14, 2005, 10:35:12 AM

its shouldnt be overly hard. You could always get a power assist like on the brakes. A motorcycle is too hard but it is alot smaller. Even still it couldnt be too hard. It wasent on my mazda b2000 with a varient of the t-5. It used the m-5 that they put in the supercoupes I think. I'll bet you could get a clutch power assist and just put a small lever *like* the one on a motorcycle and use that one.

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #12 – June 14, 2005, 12:39:00 PM

If I recall correctly, I seen a thread about the F1 shifter on this bourd.... maybe the old site? And somebody had a link for a kit to make it possible in our cars.... I unno, for soem reason I swear I seen that. I have absolutly no clue if this is possible, but what about those new "sport shifters" they are sticking in everything... It isnt edzactly the same though...

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #13 – June 14, 2005, 01:58:33 PM

This isn't quite what I had in mind, but could be applied. I found this pic in an article at howstuffworks.com (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/sequential-gearbox2.htm). It's of the shifter in a champ car, still a manual tranny, but it's a sequential one. Now i'm not sure about the presence of a clutch, but this, combined with perhaps electronic buttons for braking and acceleration located on the steering wheel (think cruise control setup on wheel for our cars) would prolly be a route to take to achive the desired effect.

Re: Using a manual transmission with handcontrols

Reply #14 – June 14, 2005, 04:15:57 PM

Quote from: turbo83coupe

If I recall correctly, I seen a thread about the F1 shifter on this bourd....

It was actualy made to work with the AOD-E. Our cars have just an AOD in them.

http://www.twistmachine.com/products/
http://www.baumannengineering.com/tcs.htm

Use these two product with each other plus swap in an AOD-E and you have an F1 style setup.