Bending a shift lever--need help

The shifter I have in the Chevy is from a 37 nash and is pretty cool. It has one bend in it (see picture). The problem I have is when I shift into 2nd or 4th. I have to point my elbow straight up in order to shift since the seat is there. One way to handle this issue is to put bucket seats in from a late model Lexus...hahaha, no thats not an option! LOL
What I need to do is put another bend in it to make it go straight up. Question is, can I do it by "hand" with a vice and a pipe bender/extension or do i really have to heat it up to do it? Is the heat mandatory or is it just to make it bend easier? I'm not sure if the heat is required so that it doesn't crack or something like that. It is a solid rod.

Thanks in advance for any help.
Paul

 

I don't see you doing any power shifts so I'd heat it to bend it.

 

Think about whether shortening and "less" bend, would work for your setup.

 

Heat it to bend it. I used a mapp gas torch to bend one.

 

heat it and add a cheater pipe bend it...easy

 

I was working on a friends car once with a similair problem. We unbolted it, and made an adatpter out of 1/4 inch plate that would angle it forward enough to clear. Might consider that. Just requires a little bit of cutting, and drilling 4 holes.

 

heat for sure, take your time and it will come out nice

 

Before you have a go with the torch, pipe wrench, cheater pipe, and sledge hammer - take it out of the car first.

 

Heat is the way to do it. HRP

 

i see that the existing bend has a nice graceful curve to it.....i'd heat for the other bend over a wide area so you could match it. maybe a 2"-3" area cherry red, you don't want a sharp bend

 

I am with everyone else, use heat and take your time...

I really like that shifter. Its like the ones Old Blue Bird School buses had....

 

I personally would use the round end hole on a crescent wrench to bend it rather than a pipe wrench or pipe.

 

I agree with most others recommending heat. Also suggest you consider making a template from 1/2 or 3/4 plywood, adding a "U" strap at one end of the bend, heat the rod over several inches, and insert into the "U" strap and bend along the contour of the template. Nice gentle curve, no sharp bends.

Ray

 

Here is my take, remove it from the car and find something with the same radius as the lower bend, steel would be best. Heat it as others have suggested and work the heat along as it is bent over/around whatever is used to match the lower radius. Also I think both bends being parallel to each other would look best...jmo.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I guess heat is in order! And the template of some kind is a good idea. I def would like to match the other bend and keep the straight parts parallel.

 

Why not, just take some bend out of it ?

.

 

There is always one in the bunch, so here goes--

If you have a bender and the rod is solid you can cold bend it without issues, just make sure you protect the threads. I would clamp it down to a table and use the bender to pull up the bend. Clamping in a vise and pulling sideways will kink it at the end of the vise jaws first.

 

Get a piece of small diameter steel rod from the hardware store or a place like Lowes. Get a a rod small enough that you can bend easily by hand cold.

Bend this rod to match the same shape as the shifter and cut it to length. Put the gear shift in high and match the rod to the ****er, the bend the rod by hand to find the best position. Check this shape in the other gear positions. If you are satisfied with the shape remove the shifter and use the rod you bent as the template.

Use an acetaline torch as propane may not get it hot enough. Make sure you remove the knob or you'll ruin it. A bench vise is almost a must for this job.

Be sure to not damage the knob threads. With it cherry red it should bend easily. Bend it to match the template.

 

HA, amazing how complicated this has been made up to be.

 

I've bent a few cold using a 2ton press. Fairly easy and was able to make great compound curves.

 

I am pretty sure propane won't do the job. MAPP gas might. Acetylene would be better.

I would be worried about an uneven bend with it clamped in a vice. I would try to find something with the approximate curve you want (as was mentioned above). Use as a bending template or as an anvil of sorts.

 

propane works fine just a little slower heating it up. a vice works fine and a boxed end wrench. maybe bend the radius around a old wheel or large pulley.
done one for a friend didn't take 15 minutes.

 

I don't think it will look good, IMV..I would see if the throw could be shortened? Must be a foot from 1st to 2nd?

 

Bingo. Or sit up higher.

 

Heat the thing with an OE torch and muscle it to the shape you want. This is traditional hotrodding, not rocket surgery.

 

Keep the heat down to dull red.
Most of the manufacturers back in that time used a steel similar to SAE 3140 for various parts including shift levers..
By keeping the heat down you will retain most of the original strength.
It will also make cleanup easier with less scale.
If you use a template and an electrical conduit bender as others have suggested, you will have less dink marks to clean off afterward also.

 

Or you could simply turn the bend around facing the other direction which would put the stick in a vertical figure. What's it gonna take 1 or 2 bolts to do it? Remember the KISS game.

 

Try a conduit "Hickey"

 

Hey guys thanks again for all the input. Hopefully this weekend I will get to it and post back here. Dikster, good thought but I am sure it will hit the dash if I do that. Its a Camaro T5 with S10 tailhousing so the throw is quite far. At least a foot.
I dont want to ruin an already very cool shifter so I will make a template first and see how it looks. Then decide what to do then. Voodoo is correct, its not rocket science, but if I dont see what it looks like in template first I might ruin it.

Thanks,
NRM

 

heat and bend.. maybe shorten it as well.