Shifting lever

[jcf2541]

Hello my name is Jason with the first year FSAE team at Piedmont Virginia Community College. We are planing on using a CBR 600 f4i engine. I was wondering if you had any advice on where to put the shiftier for the transmission?

[apalrd]

It's probably a good idea to put it within easy reach of the driver. It would probably make sense if you put it on the same side of the car as the shift lever on the transmission, to reduce the complexity of the mechanical linkage.

Packaging requirements will determine the rest of it.

Any more specific questions?

[Swiftus]

Hi Jason -

I would strongly suggest that you and a couple of your team members get in touch with the team over at Virginia Tech and see if you can convince them to let you come and visit / chat. Its a 2 hour drive and a couple hours of chit chat with an experienced team like that will do a first year team a whole world of good in this competition. General design questions are always good, but you may or may not get a useful answer if they consider it an advantage they have developed over the competition. But I would wager they are going to be more than happy to answer so many of the 'little' questions that you won't even know to ask and which could completely derail your car for this year.

Fill up a car, drive a couple hours and buy the VT Motorsports crowd a beer in exchange for some in-person 'sage' advice. You never know, you might make a couple of friends while your at it!

http://www.vtmotorsports.com/

[Ahmad Rezq]

Jason,
How will you design your shifting mechanism? (Push pull cable, Two Tension Wires, Rod, else)?
Your design and package will put some limitations on where you put the shifting lever.

[jcf2541]

I am planning on a having a handle that is attached to a rod which is attached to the transmission lever(the lever will be in a vertical position). All on the side of the original transmission lever. I just can't figure out if it should be close to the steering wheel or positioned lower in the cockpit. Jason

[acedeuce802]

For a first year FSAE team, it'd be extremely beneficial to make an ergonomics mock chassis. We used a piece of plywood that we could lay at different angles for the driver position, then a mock front roll hoop with adjustable height. We had all potential drivers get comfy, play around with different positions of the steering wheel, shifter lever, pedal position, seat back angle, and all potential frame tubes that affect driver comfort. This will help get the measurements necessary to start designing a frame and components around the driver.

[jcf2541]

I am thinking of having it go through the fire wall any suggestions on what to use to protect the cockpit (in case) of fire?
Jason