A4 Shift Shaft Diameter?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 675
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From: Riverside, California
A4 Shift Shaft Diameter?
Need some help from the forum as I'm working on a custom shifter for my C5 with the A4 tranny. Only thing is I'm way over here in the middle east (can't tell you where or why 
) so no access to the parts and pieces for the time being.
Anyone have access to tell me the outside diameter of the metal shaft on the A4 shift shaft? Don't need the white plastic part diameter, just the metal.
Many thanks,
Padrino
) so no access to the parts and pieces for the time being.Anyone have access to tell me the outside diameter of the metal shaft on the A4 shift shaft? Don't need the white plastic part diameter, just the metal.
Many thanks,
Padrino
Tech Contributor
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,843
Likes: 16
From: Howell Michigan
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
Don't know if this will help or not, but the O.D. of the shaft where the **** goes is 12.55mm. The shaft takes a larger step past this point as it goes into the main part of the shifter assembly, but I don't have that dimension.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 675
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From: Riverside, California
Super. This will allow me to do some work from here. Gotta kill time
(no pun intended) somehow.Padrino
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,012
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From: Hilton NY
The main metal shaft tube is 0.550" od with a 0.100 wall thickness. The top 1.5" of the shaft is turned down to 0.492" od and is slotted on both sides 0.177" wide and 1.35" from the top. The main metal shaft tube is 4.8" from the top to the top of the bottom slots for the gate. The center pin shaft that is pushed down by the button is 0.194" od. I designed and built an A4 shifter with a hemispherical gate that doesn't require a button or **** to be pushed down in order to shift; the gate exists in both an x and y axis as viewed from the top. The stock shifter movement has no x-axis only a y-axis (forward and backward movement), that's why it needs a button for the gate.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 675
Likes: 3
From: Riverside, California
The main metal shaft tube is 0.550" od with a 0.100 wall thickness. The top 1.5" of the shaft is turned down to 0.492" od and is slotted on both sides 0.177" wide and 1.35" from the top. The main metal shaft tube is 4.8" from the top to the top of the bottom slots for the gate. The center pin shaft that is pushed down by the button is 0.194" od. I designed and built an A4 shifter with a hemispherical gate that doesn't require a button or **** to be pushed down in order to shift; the gate exists in both an x and y axis as viewed from the top. The stock shifter movement has no x-axis only a y-axis (forward and backward movement), that's why it needs a button for the gate.
Padrino
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 675
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From: Riverside, California
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,012
Likes: 508
From: Hilton NY
This isn't a one value answer. The top of the center pin extends from the top of the shaft tube as follows: Park = 0.765", Park lockout gate = 0.353", Reverse = 0.510", Neutral and ODrive = 0.670", 3 or 2 or 1 = 0.510". These values are due to the gate pattern. The Park lockout gate requires the button to be pushed down 0.410" to go either way between Reverse and Park. The shifter can go from Reverse to Neutral to ODrive without pushing the button and ODrive to Neutral without pushing the button but the button needs to be pushed to go from Neutral to Reverse. The button needs to be pushed to go from ODrive to 3 but not pushed to go from 3 to 2 to 1. The button doesn't need to be pushed to go from 1 to 2 to 3 to ODrive to Neutral. The ability to upshift from ODrive into Neutral without pushing the button is a design fault in my opinion, upshifting should be easy from 1- ODrive but not into Neutral, Reverse or Park. If the gate is redesigned then upshifts from ODrive to Neutral can only be made if the button is pushed down. Also the center pin is spring loaded so that it always defaults upward and thus seeks the upper gate slots of Park, Neutral and ODrive. Hope this helps.
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Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 675
Likes: 3
From: Riverside, California
This isn't a one value answer. The top of the center pin extends from the top of the shaft tube as follows: Park = 0.765", Park lockout gate = 0.353", Reverse = 0.510", Neutral and ODrive = 0.670", 3 or 2 or 1 = 0.510". These values are due to the gate pattern. The Park lockout gate requires the button to be pushed down 0.410" to go either way between Reverse and Park. The shifter can go from Reverse to Neutral to ODrive without pushing the button and ODrive to Neutral without pushing the button but the button needs to be pushed to go from Neutral to Reverse. The button needs to be pushed to go from ODrive to 3 but not pushed to go from 3 to 2 to 1. The button doesn't need to be pushed to go from 1 to 2 to 3 to ODrive to Neutral. The ability to upshift from ODrive into Neutral without pushing the button is a design fault in my opinion, upshifting should be easy from 1- ODrive but not into Neutral, Reverse or Park. If the gate is redesigned then upshifts from ODrive to Neutral can only be made if the button is pushed down. Also the center pin is spring loaded so that it always defaults upward and thus seeks the upper gate slots of Park, Neutral and ODrive. Hope this helps.
Well detailed answer. As I'm making allowances for the greatest distance of travel required for that pin I'm going to use the 0.41". However, you raise an issue I wasn't aware of which could affect the design and that is the pin is actually at different hights above the shifter shaft at different gear positions. I'll work that into what I'm doing.
I have to agree with you on the design flaw on being allowed to go from D to N without a gate. Someone bumped my shifter once while I was sitting at idle and threw it into neutral. Made me think what that would have been like at 4,000 RPM on the road!! She's not allowed to reach across and do that any more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn!!
Thank you again for all your info Fast 1. I appreciate your time and effort.
Padrino