26-27 LEFTHAND RUCKSTELL SHIFTER

[Scott C.]

I am looking for ideas to build and install a lefthand Ruckstell shifter on a 26-27? The vendors say that the one that they sell will not work on 26-27's.

[speedytinc]

Take a spare parking brake unit. Mount the pillow blocks right behind, in line with the car's parking brake.
Remove the clutch cam. Remove the brake ratchet disconnect lever, pawl & rod. Weld up the holes.
Get fancy & do some shaping to the handle base until it looks like the second lever off an early 09.
Bend outward to clear the parking brake lever.(optional)
On the cross shaft, you will need to add a length of 1/4 x 3/4 iron stock to connect to the Rux shifter rod.
Direct will be back on the lever toward the seat.
Makes for a cleaner looking set up than the available kits. Rux shifter.jpeg[/attachment]
Note the shifter rod has an adjustable clevis to fine tune the lever's location. The bar it attaches to has multiple holes to set/change the lever's throw.
The rod has a fixed clevis in the Rux end & is made from 1/2" thin wall conduit.

[Original Smith]

What's wrong with the original Ruckstell design?

[speedytinc]

What's wrong with the original Ruckstell design?

1) Its in the way.
2) Its much more difficult to center shift unless you have a foot throttle to sync motor speed.

[RajoRacer]

Not really, John - that's your opinion. My three shifters are original - Racer has the only foot-feed.

[Scott C.]

I just finished building a Ruckstell to replace the stock rearend. I do not have a shifter yet, so I am open to options. I want to decide which way to go before I install the axle into the car. I kind of like the idea of shifting with the lefthand, plus not having a shifter in the middle of the floor.

[speedytinc]

Not really, John - that's your opinion. My three shifters are original - Racer has the only foot-feed.

I guess I am not coordinated enough.
I friend center shifts by using his left hand around the steering wheel to get to the throttle.
Looks a bit unsafe & not conducive to frequent or quick down shifts. I have 2 center shift T's, both with overriding foot throttles & 2 left side shifts.
Very easy to shift.
Maybe I need to practice more without using my foot throttles.

[RajoRacer]

Whichever is the most comfortable for oneself. Tom Carnegie from the Spokane, WA Club made a dandy L.H. Ruckstell conversion from an extra, stock H.B. assembly & some steel plates - something along John's description.

[Bill Robinson]

Do you remember Stan Howe? My first 3 Ruckstell rear ends came from him - Rebuilt. He sold many back then. And this was before Chaffin's got so big. Anyway, all 3 that I bought from Stan had the left hand shifter, and had the lever that "speedytinc" is describing. They sure do shift easily because your right hand is able to sync the throttle lever & engine speed by finger adjustment, while your left hand shifts the Ruckstell. Easy as pie!
After Stan went to Model-T-Heaven I purchased several more Ruckstells, but all I could buy came with the Right hand shifter. Not bad, but shifting would be much easier if I have an extra arm and hand on my right side because it takes some skill and practice to operate the throttle and the shifter at the same time using only one hand. I'm not knocking it either because I love 'em both- it just takes a little practice.
I actually prefer the LH shifter on cars with no driver's door, and I prefer the RH shifter on cars that have a driver's door due to ease of getting my butt and legs in and out the car.

[Dan Hatch]

At one time there was a thread on how to make one from a brake lever. I think it is still on this forum somewhere.
Happy hunting.?

[RajoRacer]

I believe that was Tom Carnegie's design.

[KimFahrni]

First time doing a response. I am looking at two vendors catalogs right now. Both are a couple years old but both show fitting up to and including a 27 T. Years back I purchased a left hand shifter from the one vendor for my 23 touring. I did have to drill two holes on each frame rail for mounting it. Worked great until one day shifting it and the rod going through the emergent brake rod hole broke off. (If buying one today I would check all welds.) if your Model T has a drivers door would be an issue getting in the car like the emergency brake lever is.

[Ed Fuller]

I saved this PDF years ago. It's a Montana 500 newsletter from 2005. In it Tom Carnegie explains how he made a left hand Ruckstell shifter.

may2005.pdf

(1.58 MiB) Downloaded 95 times

[Jack Putnam, in Ohio]

Simple, easy to build left side shifter.

[Allan]

With a RHD car, nothing is as simple as a direct rod connection from a foot throttle to an over ride adaptor on the carburetor. On your LHD cars a throttle cable should work just as well.

Allan from down under.

[jsaylor]

I made one several years ago from an extra em brake just as described by speedytinc above for my 21 touring. Works quite well. Much easier to get in and slide across with my big feet. Safer shifts, keeping one hand on then wheel. On my 27 Tudor I opted not to move to the left since I have a door and I have a foot feed.

[Swinz]

I saved this picture some time ago, can't remember where from, says it was drawn by Verne Shirk so obviously not my work. Was going to try and make a similar shifter when time permits.

[kelly mt]

I'm running two center shift and one left hand shift Ruckstells. As stated above, the left hand shifter makes it easier to steer throttle and shift.

[Scott C.]

I like the conversion that John Karvaly suggests except that it looks like low and high are reversed from the original shift pattern. I think that I want high to be in the forward position to allow clearance through the doorway.
I acquired a spare hand brake and started looking into what all needs done to be modified and to install it. There is definitely not enough room between the floorboards and the frame on the 26-27 to mount it on the top of the frame. Does anyone have any better pictures of Tom Carnegie's under the frame method?

[Mike Silbert]

I am going to throw out another shift option:

Years ago I rode as navigator with an old timer (now passed on) Model T guy on a tour.
He had a '13 depot hack with a ruckstell center shifter.
When he went to shift forward he used his right foot.
He laid his foot up against the shift rod resting his heel on the floor.
When things were right, he rocked his foot forward.
He did use his hand to pull it back when needed.
It was obvious he had been doing it that way for many, many years.
I thought it was a very interesting way to shift.

I have never tried his technique but it was a hands free shift.
On my Centerdoor it has a stock shifter between the seats.
That shifter position makes it a nightmare getting in the drivers seat and I will eventually fix it someday.
Too many problems bigger than that to give it the priority it needs to make a better shifter.
Try it and maybe you will like it and maybe not.
Your results are sure to vary.
Mike

[vech]

When I put my 1922 coupe together I modified/fabricated to put the ruckstell shift lever on the left side of the car, next to (just to the inside of) the emergency brake lever. As you can see in the photo below, I made my own shift lever out of steel round stock, and drilled and taped and installed a stud to mount the the ruckstill shift lever ball on. I also drilled a hole though the cross rod, and drilled at tapped a hole on the end, to allow the use of a set screw to keep my new shift lever retained on the cross rod. This way, there is enough clearance between the end of the cross rod and the emergency brake lever which is mounted in the stock position on the outside of the frame rail, the the ruckstill shift mechanism directly above the pivot point of the emergency brake lever. I added an extension plate to the the welded on arm to get more travel out of the activation rod that ran to the rear end, which lessened the throw of the shift lever. It worked perfectly once I got it figured it out.

[RajoRacer]

OT a bit but one of the first things I was taught when having the band door open - remove the ignition keys first !!!

[Mark Chaffin]

Did the same on the Ranch RPU mounted under the frame. Worked out great!

[Matt in California]

I saw a foot shifter on Don Asevedo’s 1914 T. I knew I wanted to make it so I asked him for details. His Dad had installed it 100% custom.

I knew I wanted to make one so he gave me the idea of using a Model AA foot shifter, possibly where his dad got the idea.

Here is what it looks like:

IMG_7782.jpeg (60.07 KiB) Viewed 204 times

IMG_7781.jpeg (103.92 KiB) Viewed 204 times

This is no secret, I posted it in the past:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=29499&p=228184#p228184

I honestly don’t know why more people don’t do this. The advantage are clear, when I am not using it I don’t know it is there and when I need it my right leg is free. My hand is free to manage the throttle.

The only update from my earlier posts is that I ended up welding the adjustment. The pipe fitting I was using stripped out. After that this worked even better. I feel this design works great. The biggest challenge was making the mounting bracket so I cleared everything.

Matt

[speedytinc]

Like it a lot.
Great option for a 26-7 for door access.