t5 transmission shifter
 

im putting a t5 5 speed transmission from an s10 in my 52 pickup. the only issue that i have is straightening the bend in the shift lever. it is more than robust and hardened. the problem lies in the plastic ball which would melt if i heated the steel. has anyone been able to straighten this lever without heat?

Isn't the plastic ball threaded on the shaft? It should unscrew

I think the ball would be threaded too. maybe there's a glue to keep it from unthreading easily?

As for bending, we have a 400,000 ton press brake at work.... no problems. If you were close by, I could do it.

cut the T5 shifter and weld on the stocker. I think plastic ball pops off.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...w/100_0977.jpg

Is the ball you are refering to at the bottom, the pivot for the shifter? Some of them are plastic from what I've heard. I don't think they come off.

Some S-10's have hollow shifters, not easy to bend without breaking. You can get a Mustang short-shift kit, even a stock Mustang shifter is an improvement and allows bolting a shifter to the stub down low. One of the short throw kits that has adjustable stops is not a bad idea because shifter forks can be broken from over-travel/over-pressure..

I cut mine at the proper angle and welded a shifter from a another truck on it, make sure you scarf the shaft so you can get a good weld. If it falls off it causes problems. Mine looks realy good and shift great in the garage.

I welded a plate to the side of the short stick, then bolted my stick to that. It'll get covered by a boot. You can remove the ball, iirc you have to remove the pin first. I was playing with the spring washers as a way of adjusting the tightness and I had to cut some welds on the top plate, take the whole thing apart, then tack it back together. If you want to shorten the throw, redrill the hole for the pin higher up on the stick, then space the whole unit up an equal amount.