Side shifter assembly for 1980 WilMac

[Jjhooker2]

I am looking for details on the shift assembly. Having problems with my 1980 WM Trike. I'm looking for information on the side shifter assembly. There's a plate in there that needs to go back in a certain way and that's what I'm trying to find.

Was anyone ever able to get a copy of the assembly manual for the Wilmack kit?

thanks!

Jjhooker2@yahoo.com

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

I got on some of it in the tech thread above.

The vast majority of these trikes started out as a beetle. So the shift mech is modified from stock beetle parts.

I will assume it worked (on the trike) somewhere in the past.

I the plastic bushing on the shift rod near the shifter is wore out or missing, or it the coupling from shift rod to trans is wore out sloppy...... then no amount of adjusting will make it shift right.

So that is the first things to check.

That plate under the shifter and the shifter itself is slotted big, they can be moved all over the place. This is the shifter adjustment..... they go where ever it works.

There are procedures that will move you in close. I will find something on you tube.

Now .... IF the shifter has been changed then the plate and procedure is different. A lot of the aftermarket shifters do not use a plate at all.

All that said.... I usually put the trans in second gear, then put the shifter where I think second should be, which is right up to touching the reverse lock out whether it is the stock plate or otherwise , and tighten everything up from there. Then drive, make very small changes.... then drive and adjust..... repeat, repeat

[video=youtube_share;IVcDysBVwq0]https://youtu.be/IVcDysBVwq0?si=ODhuVgPLle5ox28N[/video]

 

[Jjhooker2]

I got on some of it in the tech thread above.

…

All that said.... I usually put the trans in second gear, then put the shifter where I think second should be, which is right up to touching the reverse lock out whether it is the stock plate or otherwise , and tighten everything up from there. Then drive, make very small changes.... then drive and adjust..... repeat, repeat

[video=youtube_share;IVcDysBVwq0]https://youtu.be/IVcDysBVwq0?si=ODhuVgPLle5ox28N[/video]

Thanks for all that info. We’ve watched the video. We’ll have to see if our plate is the same.

Ours has a side shifter on the trike.

The problem we have is that the big slotted plate fell out onto the floor and now we don’t know which way that plate goes back in. Is there a certain position that that plate needs to be in? Does that big slot go up or down …forward back? does it matter which way around that plate goes? that’s the problem we’re having and we can’t find any gears because I think that plate is wrong.

THANKS!

 

[DeathBySnuSnu]

Typically rotated to the left hand side.

To make a sideways shifter just take the stock shifter, cut the shift rod in half rotate 90*, weld back together..... tadaaa.

Of course a trike this shift rod is shortened..... a lot.

Some folks try to bend more offset into it..... does make it harder to get the right amount of rotation on the rod.

So with the shifter on the left hand side....

Up would equal right.

The rampy tab would be up and out.



Not all have the short tab on the other side.

If the shifter was cut from a beetle the mount looks like this.



Or maybe a dune buggy part was used that does the same exact thing but is easier to mount.



It has been a very very long time since I have messed with a stock type set up. My VW trike is massively different because my trans is upside down and backwards. But I made it work.

You can figure it out too.

Do you know if it is a VW shifter or some aftermarket dune buggy shifter?