Shifting Accuracy With Precision Performance Part 3
Looking at the final adjustments and finishing touches when installing Precision Performance's shifters in Part 3 of Wayne Scraba's series.
We’re back with our wrap-up on the Precision Performance shifter installation. If you spin your browser back to the last segment, you’ll recall we mounted the shifter in the car, added the cable to the shifter body and routed the cable through the floor. This time around, we’ll install and setup the linkage on the transmission and wire the line lock switch as well as the integral neutral safety switch. As pointed out in past issues, Precision Performance offers a wide range of shift levers for various transmissions. You can purchase them separately or include them with your shifter order. According to Precision Performance, all of their transmission shift hardware has been extensively researched and checked, but there can be variables to consider that can have an effect upon cable alignment. They tell us their cable can tolerate 5-degrees of misalignment without excess cable binding. It’s important to note that when an automatic transmission shifter cable moves through its travel, it moves in an arc. This means the cable deflect up and down at both ends of the travel. Precision Performance advise the optimum adjustment is to have equal amount of deflection from the 6-OClock lever position to the most retracted position (in my case, with a forward pattern valve body, that would be first gear). Once the preliminary adjustment is complete, and you’ve verified there is a full range of travel from Park to the end of the gate pattern (in the case of our sample, first gear), Precision Performance shifters have a final adjustment process that works like this: While in Second gear position, the shifter roller (on the shifter body) should be in the center of the gate channel. This is adjusted by way of the two nuts on the cable housing along with the cable trunnion at the transmission shift lever. Line lock wiring is simple. It consists of two wires – one goes to the line lock solenoid and the other goes to a 12 volt power source. In our case, a line lock warning lamp is wired into the circuit so that when the button is pressed, the light goes on. The neutral safety switch wiring is straightforward too: The red wire in the Kwik Shift 1 harness provides 12 volts (+) to the switch contained within the shifter body. The white wire connects to the starter solenoid. In my case, the production line Nova obviously had a wiring harness in place for the OEM neutral safety switch. I simply plugged into the OEM wiring harness (using a couple of spade terminals). With this setup, the car will start in Park or Neutral only. FYI, there are several different ways to wire the neutral safety switch in various Precision Performance shifters. Included with the shifter is an electrical schematic that covers all of the bases. Finally, the shifter includes a connector for a transmission brake. While I don’t use one in my application, the way its wired isn’t difficult: A blue wire in the supplied harness provides power to engage the transmission brake solenoid with the shifter is in First gear and Reverse position with the shifter lever and the button on the handle are depressed simultaneously. If you decide to use this setup, you’ll need an optional relay (Precision Performance part number 308). And by the way, there are some transbrake valve bodies out there that need to have the brake “engaged” in order to use Reverse. Basically, you have to shift into reverse and push the transbrake button in order to back up. That’s the reason why this shifter is wired to engage the brake in Reverse. As you can see, the final shifter setup is, much like the shifter, extremely well thought out, straight forward and to the point. The shifter works great. It’s rock solid with zero monkey motion. In our book, you can’t argue with that. For a closer look, check out the accompanying photos and captions: Click Here to Begin SlideshowLooking at the final adjustments and finishing touches when installing Precision Performance's shifters in Part 3 of Wayne Scraba's series.
We’re back with our wrap-up on the Precision Performance shifter installation. If you spin your browser back to the last segment, you’ll recall we mounted the shifter in the car, added the cable to the shifter body and routed the cable through the floor. This time around, we’ll install and setup the linkage on the transmission and wire the line lock switch as well as the integral neutral safety switch. As pointed out in past issues, Precision Performance offers a wide range of shift levers for various transmissions. You can purchase them separately or include them with your shifter order. According to Precision Performance, all of their transmission shift hardware has been extensively researched and checked, but there can be variables to consider that can have an effect upon cable alignment. They tell us their cable can tolerate 5-degrees of misalignment without excess cable binding. It’s important to note that when an automatic transmission shifter cable moves through its travel, it moves in an arc. This means the cable deflect up and down at both ends of the travel. Precision Performance advise the optimum adjustment is to have equal amount of deflection from the 6-OClock lever position to the most retracted position (in my case, with a forward pattern valve body, that would be first gear). Once the preliminary adjustment is complete, and you’ve verified there is a full range of travel from Park to the end of the gate pattern (in the case of our sample, first gear), Precision Performance shifters have a final adjustment process that works like this: While in Second gear position, the shifter roller (on the shifter body) should be in the center of the gate channel. This is adjusted by way of the two nuts on the cable housing along with the cable trunnion at the transmission shift lever. Line lock wiring is simple. It consists of two wires – one goes to the line lock solenoid and the other goes to a 12 volt power source. In our case, a line lock warning lamp is wired into the circuit so that when the button is pressed, the light goes on. The neutral safety switch wiring is straightforward too: The red wire in the Kwik Shift 1 harness provides 12 volts (+) to the switch contained within the shifter body. The white wire connects to the starter solenoid. In my case, the production line Nova obviously had a wiring harness in place for the OEM neutral safety switch. I simply plugged into the OEM wiring harness (using a couple of spade terminals). With this setup, the car will start in Park or Neutral only. FYI, there are several different ways to wire the neutral safety switch in various Precision Performance shifters. Included with the shifter is an electrical schematic that covers all of the bases. Finally, the shifter includes a connector for a transmission brake. While I don’t use one in my application, the way its wired isn’t difficult: A blue wire in the supplied harness provides power to engage the transmission brake solenoid with the shifter is in First gear and Reverse position with the shifter lever and the button on the handle are depressed simultaneously. If you decide to use this setup, you’ll need an optional relay (Precision Performance part number 308). And by the way, there are some transbrake valve bodies out there that need to have the brake “engaged” in order to use Reverse. Basically, you have to shift into reverse and push the transbrake button in order to back up. That’s the reason why this shifter is wired to engage the brake in Reverse. As you can see, the final shifter setup is, much like the shifter, extremely well thought out, straight forward and to the point. The shifter works great. It’s rock solid with zero monkey motion. In our book, you can’t argue with that. For a closer look, check out the accompanying photos and captions:
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