new lx 5 speed top plates

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SuperDuperCruizer said:
The 40-series top loader moves the cane shifter forward a couple inches; but the angle is still weird with the 60-series cane whether it’s a 60-series top plate or not.
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That’s true, and it does move towards the direction of my knee, but does not touch. The shift lever can be easily heated and Bent to a better angle to compensate. I’ve done this with a 60 series cover in a 40 series rig to get the shifter in a good spot.
 
So if we can make 40 series top plates, can we also make 40 series 5-speed shift canes as well?
 
vegas said:
So if we can make 40 series top plates, can we also make 40 series 5-speed shift canes as well?
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It's been done... or you can bend the 60-series cane; however, the 60-series cane that is currently available will break if you are not careful. They are hollow and filled with a damping material.

I was planning on taking a 40-series shifter and welding the H55F seat to it to make something closer to stock.
 
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SuperDuperCruizer said:
The 40-series top loader moves the cane shifter forward a couple inches; but the angle is still weird with the 60-series cane whether it’s a 60-series top plate or not.
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Reshaping the 5spd 60/70 shifter by heating it with a torch is probably easier than trying to rework the shifting end of a 4spd shifter though.
 
MOTOV8R said:
Reshaping the 5spd 60/70 shifter by heating it with a torch is probably easier than trying to rework the shifting end of a 4spd shifter though.
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Thanks, I’ll try to bend the 60-series shift cane I have before attempting to weld something together.
 
I actually found a 3B with a 5speed and 40 top cover and orginal shifts out of a 84 LX in Europe. I eventually realized mid last getting the orginal shifter was going to be just as hard as the top cover

Screenshot_20180201-054833.webp
 
ERNRAM said:
I actually found a 3B with a 5speed and 40 top cover and orginal shifts out of a 84 LX in Europe. I eventually realized mid last getting the orginal shifter was going to be just as hard as the top cover

View attachment 1623322
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I was just looking at the 40 shifting cane from my 4-speed and it wouldn’t be hard to make one in the machine shop at my hacker space. Can somebody post pictures of the bottom end of a 40 series 5-speed shifting cane so I can see it? If it is anything close to the 4-speed cane it shouldn’t be too hard to make new ones out of steel rod stock.
 
Here is a four speed and five speed side by side.
IMG_2854.webp
IMG_2855.webp
IMG_2856.webp



These are both out of RHD 83/84 40 series. if you look you can see how the five speed been sooner. This is because the shift tower i taller but they share the same shape inspection cover and shift boot. A few time I've seen in this thread that the BJ42 with a five speed had a taller hump then 40 series model during the same year with a four speed. Not sure why Toyota would reshape the inspection cover to be the same shape as the five speed if the flat cover was already working.

While your looking the transmission shifter might as well look at the transfer shifter as well. 40 series post 8/80 was the same thru the 84 model and will not work on the five speed because of the location of boss on the transmission housing. 60 series will be further back to match the 60 series transmission shifter location.
 
There’s no shortage of 5 speed shift levers out there. Not sure why anybody would have to make one or find one specifically from a 40 series.

I think the “hollow” shifters the other guy was referring to are the 60/70 series two-piece “fat” levers. They can easily be bent with a little heat. Just keep a cold wet rag around the two-piece section.
 
Ultimately it's depends on each owners level of detail, addiction and insanity on the level or purity the desire or willing to pay for.
 
Splangy said:
There’s no shortage of 5 speed shift levers out there. Not sure why anybody would have to make one or find one specifically from a 40 series.

I think the “hollow” shifters the other guy was referring to are the 60/70 series two-piece “fat” levers. They can easily be bent with a little heat. Just keep a cold wet rag around the two-piece section.
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Please clarify. The shift levers from a 40 series are as rare as the top plates. The 60 series are at an odd angle and bang your knee. I want a 40 series shift lever just because I like the length and location of it.
 
vegas said:
Please clarify. The shift levers from a 40 series are as rare as the top plates. The 60 series are at an odd angle and bang your knee. I want a 40 series shift lever just because I like the length and location of it.
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All you have to do is reduce the angle on the 60 series shift lever. Also, the 60 series lever will not bang your knee with a 40 top plate unless you’re well over 6’ tall or have really bad posture.
 
Splangy said:
All you have to do is reduce the angle on the 60 series shift lever. Also, the 60 series lever will not bang your knee with a 40 top plate unless you’re well over 6’ tall or have really bad posture.
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Short dude here.....someone post a photo of an finished install of a H55F with a 40 series top and a "fat" 60/70series shifter relative to the seats/center console. I need a visual.
 
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@Splangy Something to consider is the driver's height determines where your seat is positioned when you drive. If you're 6ft tall... I'm assuming your seat is moved all the way back? Also, are we talking about a 79+ or 78+earlier truck? I had a 78, but I didn't change out the 4-speed. So, I cannot comment on how the 5-speed mod would turn out in that truck.

@tstepp920 I'm not sure how soon I'll get to the garage, but I'll take pictures of the driver's seat with the 60-series shifter in 2nd gear. I have an 81 setup by the way. I don't have the transmission/body tub cover in place at the moment. I'm drilling my input/output flanges for the correct drive shafts and deciding what to do about the transfer case shifter. I haven't driven the truck since installing the new transmission w/correct top loader; however, the truck came with an H55F w/incorrect top loader & correct 40-series stick shifter when I bought the truck.

There are plenty of H55F conversions that are functional. On the other end of the spectrum we have the install that closely mimics or is identical to the factory design. Either way, these recent posts seem to focus on what is required for 2 things: functional install vs. closest to factory install
 
SuperDuperCruizer said:
@Splangy Something to consider is the driver's height determines where your seat is positioned when you drive. If you're 6ft tall... I'm assuming your seat is moved all the way back?
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That’s a good point I hadn’t considered, but I have to imagine that most guys have to have their seats all the way back even at 5’-10”. Every cruiser I’ve owned (1959-2002 models) has required me to have the seat all the way back and still didn’t provide enough leg room. I still say it’s an easy fix and only requires changing the angle of the shift lever. The only real difference between the shifters is whether it’s a 1-piece or 2-piece lever.
 
@tstepp920the other end of the spectrum we have the install that closely mimics or is identical to the factory design. Either way, these recent posts seem to focus on what is required for 2 things: functional install vs. closest to factory install.[/QUOTE]

Curious is there something wrong with the factory setup that can be improved with a different shift cane? Mods are required for a 60 series cane. Thought those mods were to making closer to the stock setup?

Splangy said:
I still say it’s an easy fix and only requires changing the angle of the shift lever. The only real difference between the shifters is whether it’s a 1-piece or 2-piece lever.
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With the tower in the 40 series location not sure the 60 series shift needs to be bent up and much as twisted towards the center. Besides being fat if it's like the four speed the 60 series shift cane is two to three inches shorter. I know the 40 series four speed shift knob is smaller/shorter than the 60 series but the five speed use the same knob as the 60 series four speed.
 
I am looking at aesthetics. I like the thicker tapered look of the 60/70 series shifter. I do not care for the thin toothpick of a shifter cane that the 40 has.
I have 2 concerns with the 60/70 shifter.
Will the shifter rest against my leg or center console or will it be further forward to the point it makes shifting a pain?
 
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