That looks quality. And, I see what I think are adjustment bolts to adjust the throw? I'm very much looking forward to your finished product! I noticed you're using the correct SC-specific M5R2-RKE "top" "lid" "hat" or "boot" that is shaped like a "D." The aluminum housing has a flat side to accommodate the lid.
If I may offer some quick feedback, those SC-specific D-shaped lids are getting very hard to find...if not impossible. I happened to stash two away when I noticed they were becoming unobtanium. The more common mazda/ford ranger M5R2 shifter rebuild kit uses a full round lid which I think has to be slightly modified for us to use (it's been a while since I used one of those, I usually went with rippers vs rebuild). That mazda/ranger kit is very easy to acquire on the interwebs and it's probably what most folks will be using. I'm not sure you have to make any adjustments, but have you tried using one of the round ones to make sure it fits correctly? It sounds like you are still in time to make design adjustments before the final production run , if necessary.
Sorry if you covered this on facebook, but does that mean that your set up also uses the factory internals? Like the thin metal shims, plastic cup washers, etc? What about the neutral return spring? I always did like the stiffness of the spring in the ripper to get the shifter back to neutral.
Great job man!
The internals are a completely different design from both the stock and the ripper. I feel it is a much simpler, stronger and far more stable design. I intentionally didn't include pics of the internals...for obvious reasons.
I've had 2 safety innovations stolen by one official in Indy Car. I have to protect my interests this time. I'm sure everyone would understand that.
I'll have to look at the Mazda/Ranger lid. I've seen that they're available. I might order one to make sure it would work. That was smart of you to stash away a couple of those lids. When I heard about the formerly-unobtainium status of the early crank sensors, I decided to order a new one for my 95 while they are still available. Ofc, I understand that as soon as I need it, I'll have forgotten where I put it. lol Btw, although I know the Mazdas and Rangers use this transmission, I hadn't noticed that the lid was a different shape, so thanks for that info.
When I first offered up the idea of making these shifters available if there was interest, I didn't get much response. I get that. People don't know me, my skills or if my opinion of my own design was reliable. Luckily, another club member who has a ripper was at a cruise night. He got to feel my shifter. When he posted that mine felt better than his, a lot of people showed interest. That's a great thing because, if there wasn't enough interest, I wouldn't be able to make them available. It's good to have witness's statements. lol
I ONLY own vehicles with manual transmissions. Even my SUV is a stick. I know how good it feels to have a great shifter, and how much more fun they are to drive. I don't want fellow SC owners to not have that option. I hope I get some good quotes for the machining. I'd love to do it myself, for the equipment at work won't accommodate reliable repeatability. Without the digital displays on manual machines, it's too time consuming, with too much waste. I refuse to release these if they aren't top quality.