Hand-Operated Clutch

[bryanedp9]

So I'm thinking about going over from an auto 2wd to a stick 2wd. I know about the hump and linkage and whatnot, but was thinking it would be a good chance to do an old idea of mine.

I'm an avid motorcyclist, and really like the suicide/jockey shift that some bikes have where you have a stick running down to your shifter shaft with maybe a linkage in between. On these bikes, you have a cable-actuated clutch, so you can usually just get a shorter cable and mount the grip on the shifter itself. I'll show you an example:


Now from my understanding, the pre-85 trannies were cable clutch on our trucks, but I could only get away with a 4 speed. If I wanted an NV4500 I'd also have to fab up some sort of master cylinder I guess. I've seen some handicap shifters with the same idea, but a complicated computer to sense when your hand is on the shifter, kinda like the old "autostick" that VW and a few other Europeans used.

I'd rather keep electronics out of this, cable or hydraulic, but I'd like to get an idea of how many pounds of pressure the pedal itself needs to disengage the clutch, because I'd hate to fab it all up and it take more strength than my hand could do regularly. I guess this is why the handicap companies use a solenoid to do the work for them. So anybody with the stock 4 speed or the NV4500, put a bathroom scale on your clutch and see what it says when you push it down or something.

Assuming that it doesn't require too much pressure to open up, what problems would do you guys think I would run into trying this out? With this, I don't know if I'd really need a linkage at all, so long as I got a cable/line the right length and had it somewhat adjustable on each end like on a motorcycle. Not to mention I wouldn't have to install a pedal.

Once again, I'd like to thank the board for answering all my hypothetical questions. If I ever get enough time away from school to actually get any of this done, you guys can see it come to fruition.

[Irish_Alley]

i know on my sm465 non hydraulic they are considered easy to push but at the same time, i had a couple knee surgeries and it would to painful for me to hold the clutch in at a stop light so i would have to pop it out of gear. the hydraulics people have said they are harder to push then the older non hydraulics

[bryanedp9]

I was reading that maybe some of the Dodge NV4500's used a cable, so this could be a good setup for hand operation, not to mention I wouldn't have to worry about a master cylinder or anything. Could anybody verify that there are some 4500's out there with a cable clutch?

[Irish_Alley]

i think post 94 nv4500s had the master cylinder on the passengers side maybe thats the case with them

[VileZambonie]

Why do you really want to go to a stick shift? You could definitely pull off the hand operation but you will need hydraulic advantage or a heck of a grip.

[bryanedp9]

Well I'm not dead set on doing it, but it's just an idea. I'd hang onto the auto and whatnot so I could go back, but I'd like to do it partially just so I could do a hand clutch. Just something different, and I could get a little practice in. I haven't drove a stick much and have never owned one.

[VileZambonie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiXnVl_KZ70

[Captkaos]

Pre 85 trucks used a rod not a cable.

[bryanedp9]

I'd seen the Duck Clutch thing, but it uses some sort of relay or something and is pretty pricey. I'm thinking to go hydraulic, just not sure how the regular pumper clutch works. If I could figure that out I could figure out how to adapt it.

[1MCP7.3/87GMC]

This would be a cool custom idea but I know that in my 62 impala it uses a rod, but I also know that it takes quite a bit to activate the clutch I would say at least 40ibs a mechanical advantage would be needed if you could figure a way to create extra leverage to lessen the pull to a more manageable number this would work with no computer or fluid.

[1980c10]

I had the mecanical linkage and converted it over to hydraulic linkage the hydraulic linkage is maybe a little harder to push but it really comes down to the the lever size on the pedals and the pressure plate itself. The idea sounds interesting but would be difficult to make it practical and easy enough for a hand pull.   

[Irish_Alley]

i know door poppers can pull 45-50 lbs so if you where able to run a switch to the shifter handle then to the popper with 12v it should be able to move but only a couple inches but with the right setup you can convert that couple inches to any size but then you will be losing some power

[firefightin1]

i would look into one of the air shifters for drag racing as a helper!

[Skunksmash]

I thought you had already done it when I read the thread title. I was like "this i gotta see.." lol