Tips for Novak T-Case Shifter Install - Page 5

**SuperWade2** · 01-18-2009, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenbo-Slice

Not to jump in, but I did a little poke around and found this step by step install. Not sure if its the old or new style, but worth a look. Heres a link, in case you want to check it out.
http://www.rockcrawler.com/techreports/novak_shifter/page2.asp

I did see that, and the huge thread on JeepsUnlimited Forum... the Rockcrawler article is the Old style,

**Kenbo-Slice** · 01-18-2009, 12:34 AM

Ok, sorry about that. Figured I would throw it in... Just in case. Good luck!

Humboldt · 01-18-2009, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperWade2

Played with this this evening... I'm pretty sure it will get it hot enough to bend...

BUT as I was heating and trying to move a little bit with the pipe over the top, one complete side of my vice LITERALLY snapped off... So I guess I get to buy a new vice now also and try to heat up again tomorrow...

Sw2

Its worth mentioning to heat the cane a couple inches above the vice. If you heat it right at where the vice is clamped, the vice will act like a heat sink and take considerably longer to heat up enough to bend. Learned that one the hard way

**Jerry Bransford** · 01-18-2009, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperWade2

I thought Jerry, and mine are the "newer" style, which retains the stock Front to Back shifting pattern... the "older" units had a reverse shift pattern... I could be wrong, it seems to happen quite often...

Sw2

I'm running the newer style that has the factory shift pattern. 2Hi up front, 4Lo is all the way towards the rear. Humboldt and a few others here are running the older reversed pattern.

**SuperWade2** · 01-18-2009, 07:22 PM

Not sure if this is the "final" bend or not, but it's getting much closer... When placed in the mount, it appears to allow for shifting through the full range of gears (not 100% sure about 2Lo, but I think so).

Now If I can get the bolt tight enough on the cane mount... Also I cross threaded the handle on one of the on and off's so it's pretty much stuck on there unless I want to destroy the nice shift handle by sticking in the vice...which I'm not really too excited about right now.

If this works, as is, I did take more pics next to a ruler showing the distance between the bends... I think everyone's might be a little different, but if anyone else can have an "easier" time because of my pain, I'd be happy to post them somewhere...

BTW that combo Oxy/Mapp Torch thing is pretty sweet...well worth the $$$ to have a small setup arround for whenever I might need it.

SW2

**SuperWade2** · 01-19-2009, 12:28 PM

Now the only problem is that the Cane still rotates a bit and I might have to tack it like Jerry did his...but I will wait to see if I'm going to vice the handle off first since it's stuck on as well...

2H

4LO or N (I don't remember)

2LO

**Jerry Bransford** · 01-19-2009, 12:37 PM

That looks real good. I cross-threaded my cane's threads a little during the bending process too so I used a die from my cheapie Harbor Freight Tools Tap & Die set to clean up the threads and it was fine after that. If you end up tack-welding it as I did, and I recommend doing that once everything is as you want it, tack weld it only to the loose half of the bracket that bolts to the main bracket. That way it can still be unbolted.

**SuperWade2** · 01-19-2009, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Bransford

That looks real good. I cross-threaded my cane's threads a little during the bending process too so I used a die from my cheapie Harbor Freight Tools Tap & Die set to clean up the threads and it was fine after that. If you end up tack-welding it as I did, and I recommend doing that once everything is as you want it, tack weld it only to the loose half of the bracket that bolts to the main bracket. That way it can still be unbolted.

Thanks Jerry... I think I'm going have to destroy the handle to get it even off at this point, which I'm not excited about... I think it will get me by as it for a while and as long as I can shift without yanking the cane all the way out, it will get me by for my snow run next in the Sierra's in a couple week.

So I'll probably wait to tack it until I get a new handle as long as it is basically functional.

Wade

**Jerry Bransford** · 01-19-2009, 12:47 PM

The issue I had before tack-welding in it to the bracket was not that the lever pulled out. Instead, the lever would rotate to the side when I shifted it which caused the cane to vibrate against the opening which was annoying as hell. Plus it made it nearly impossible to shift once it rotated out of position. It was impossible to straighten it out from the top once it rotated out of position.

**SuperWade2** · 01-19-2009, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry Bransford

The issue I had before tack-welding in it to the bracket was not that the lever pulled out. Instead, the lever would rotate to the side when I shifted it which caused the cane to vibrate against the opening which was annoying as hell. Plus it made it nearly impossible to shift once it rotated out of position. It was impossible to straighten it out from the top once it rotated out of position.

I can reach in from the top and rotate it back around straight if it swivels...

I am also getting some vibes, but from a email from Novak they suggest that it could be vibes from the TeraLow, which I feel in the cab, and being transferred through the bracket and up the cane... makes sense since I've notice more vibes since adding the 4:1 box.

**Jerry Bransford** · 01-19-2009, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperWade2

I can reach in from the top and rotate it back around straight if it swivels...

I sure couldn't and that was after several "heroic" efforts while driving nearly a hundred miles home with it vibrating/buzzing and pretty much unshiftable. Perhaps you can because of your cane's slightly different geometry... or you aren't getting those two bolts as tight as I cinched mine down to in an attempt to keep it from rotating out of position.

jmcbroom · 01-19-2009, 01:35 PM

Yeah, the Novak kit was a "fun" project, and I have the old style. I will say the new HEIM joints look like they'd be much better. On mine, if I tighten any of the nuts up too much the all thread bolt gets in a bind and I can't shift at all. Bending the rod proved to be the part of the project that had me spitting mad.

Be sure you get a boot to cover the hole in the floor board, I didn't at first and lived with hot air blowing into the cab and cooking my feet for a month or so, and that's with the doors OFF.

For those running the old style and have issue with the all thread coming loose or backing out, I put a couple bolts on the rod to use as lock bolts and have had no problems since (about 1.5 years ago).

I really wish they would've stuck with the reverse shift pattern. The shifter looks out of place sticking up like the way it is in some of these photos while in 2Hi.

Overall, even with the frustration of putting mine in and the frustration of having the all-threaded bolt fall out leaving me under the Jeep on the trail, this shifter kicks *** once setup.

Tim · 01-19-2009, 06:35 PM

ha! my cane never spins! the old style has its advantage!!!

heres a pic or two of the boot i installed:

after i installed it i went back and dropped in a 2low. at that time i cut the hole to fit the boot better. the cane did not need to be changed when i went with the new part. there was minimal bending needed when i swapped out the ax-15 for the aw-4 auto.

jmcbroom, im with ya all the way although i had an easy time with the bending of.... i will go with a new style linkage and have the best of both worlds

jmcbroom · 01-19-2009, 07:30 PM

I think that's the same boot I used, but I didn't have it going down into the trans tunnel - cool idea.

The new kit looks like a much better setup, but I really don't care for the shifter sticking up like a sore thumb in 2HI. The old style only sticks up like that in 2/4LO, in 2HI is looks "normal".

Now, if I could get the HEIM joints to use on the old setup I'd be happy as hell.

Brew461 · 01-20-2009, 06:14 AM

How much trimming is done on the tub to clear the rod?

01-20-2009, 06:14 AM	#75
Brew461 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: DA UP Posts: 1,212 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	How much trimming is done on the tub to clear the rod? __________________ Mine: 03 TJ Hers: 01 XJ

01-19-2009, 01:35 PM	#72
jmcbroom Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Houston Posts: 166 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Yeah, the Novak kit was a "fun" project, and I have the old style. I will say the new HEIM joints look like they'd be much better. On mine, if I tighten any of the nuts up too much the all thread bolt gets in a bind and I can't shift at all. Bending the rod proved to be the part of the project that had me spitting mad. Be sure you get a boot to cover the hole in the floor board, I didn't at first and lived with hot air blowing into the cab and cooking my feet for a month or so, and that's with the doors OFF. For those running the old style and have issue with the all thread coming loose or backing out, I put a couple bolts on the rod to use as lock bolts and have had no problems since (about 1.5 years ago). I really wish they would've stuck with the reverse shift pattern. The shifter looks out of place sticking up like the way it is in some of these photos while in 2Hi. Overall, even with the frustration of putting mine in and the frustration of having the all-threaded bolt fall out leaving me under the Jeep on the trail, this shifter kicks *** once setup.

01-19-2009, 07:30 PM	#74
jmcbroom Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Houston Posts: 166 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	I think that's the same boot I used, but I didn't have it going down into the trans tunnel - cool idea. The new kit looks like a much better setup, but I really don't care for the shifter sticking up like a sore thumb in 2HI. The old style only sticks up like that in 2/4LO, in 2HI is looks "normal". Now, if I could get the HEIM joints to use on the old setup I'd be happy as hell.