Paddle Shifting for H-pattern gearbox

brad131a4 wrote: Now I actually like the application of this. A automated manual sounds pretty neat. Where as you still have to actually shift although with a paddle. This I could see really wanting on a race car but would even use it on the street more than a DSG from any manufacture out there. Don't care what anyone say's they suck in auto mode. I'm guessing there is still a long way to go to have a viable cost effective version for the masses?

Thanks. Well, when designing such system for the masses I think the biggest problem is that every shifter needs to be custom built, because every car model has different shift travel and different cables.. If I were to prepare kits that would directly mount to a car that would mean I'd have to prepare a kit for every car out there, which is a pretty big job :)

That's really cool. About 10 years ago, a MINI tuner in California called M7 Tuning sold a sequential shifter set-up for R53 MINI's that worked in a similar fashion. You pre-selected the gear and shifted by depressing the clutch pedal. Not sold anymore, but if you google: M7 Sequential Shifter it'll pop up.

Hey guys!

It's been a while since I last posted anything about this project. I've now re-designed the assembly, reduced valve count and reduced the costs and weight. I'm looking for smaller actuators as well so I'll replace the big 40mm bore cylinder with smaller 25mm.

I have also decided to make this project public. I will publish details, plans and ideas about the project in near future (except for the GCU). I believe in DIY and if I learned something during these years is that everybody thinks differently and I want to see different designs and ideas. I hope someone will go and make similar system so we can compare :) I will soon make a video of this "evo 2" shifter and will publish it on my FB page https://www.facebook.com/mmemotorsport so don't miss it ;)

Few photos of my h-paddle shifter, evo 2 :

That's it for now from me :)

I just had an idea, could you have a system of adjustable levers to alter the travel so that this system could be more easily adapted to different gearboxes?

Is there any reason the switches, logic etc. couldn't be used on the end of a transaxle type trans. One cylinder doing the in/out motion and the other doing the rotation via a small bellcrank? They would need to be mounted at 90degrees to each other.

Also (I have zero knowledge of this) why do people use pneumatic and hydraulic not electrical actuators and do away with the plumbing and reservoirs and pumps?

Cheaper, durable, easy to replace all which is not what electrical actuators are. There good in a stable environment at best but are still problematic.

In reply to GameboyRMH:

One problem with these is that it's not just one travel that needs adjusting. If I had a lever on the "output" I could only adjust one for every travel. 4 position actuator has 3 different states (other than first) and it's different from gearbox to gearbox. I made the cylinders larger and I cut some washers which I put inside to adjust different travel. Would love to see something more easily adjustable, because it's still PITA to adjust.

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

brad said it perfectly. It's really cheaper and more flexible than anything else (if you need more speed/force, you just raise pressure for example). As for the location.. it's still quite big and it's hard to put this into the gearbox department. It would be great if it could be done.

I have also decided to make this project public. I will publish details, plans and ideas about the project in near future

Looking forward the near future!

In reply to Adrian_Thompson:

I think another issue is actuators seem to be "on/off" devices which would make connecting directly to the transmission bell cranks difficult since they usually have multiple positions they need to stop at. Unless there are stepped actuators, which might work. Plus, the action on the cranks is fairly strong, so the required size of the actuator could be a factor.

I agree each application will be custom. On the R53, they located the shifter mechanism back in the rear battery box, so resulting cables were pretty long - essentially the length of the car.

Hey guys. It's been a while since my last update. I've now reduced the actuators and number of valves. I lowered the weight to approx 9 kg with everything included.

Garage test: https://www.youtube.com/embed/wdrIiRBonr8

Video of stress test (Did approx 20.000 shifts in a row): https://www.youtube.com/embed/eVvniByHvlo

Comments are more than welcome.

This guy needs to come back here and post more.

Brett_Murphy wrote: This guy needs to come back here and post more.

true.