Winters Shifter Adjustment...is killing me!!

OkieRocket · 11-01-2020, 08:29 PM

I did some more checking on my Cable and Shifter over the weekend. It looks like I can get Park, Reverse and 1st lined up on the Shifter and on the Transmission Lever/Arm just fine, but 2nd is approx. 1/16" short and 3rd is still approx. <1/8" short.
I started thinking that the only thing that might make sense is that the "travel" of my Cable is possibly too short?? I then checked the full "travel" of my Winters Shift Cable at both ends. Both have a total travel of approx. 3.135" each..... I'm not sure if that's enough travel to cover the full range of travel for a Rossler TH400 and this specific Shifter? Maybe it is??

I'm going to call Winters tomorrow. Maybe ATI also, if Winters doesn't figure things out for me.
I'll post what I learn from my calls to them, in case it might help someone else in the future with the same issue.

Jeff Stout · 11-02-2020, 01:21 PM

Maybe change hole location on arm. Going further away from shaft requires more cable travel. Had to do this when a used a t400 shifter assembly on a my metric 200.

OkieRocket · 11-03-2020, 12:06 AM

Thanks Jim and to all that have tried to help. I spoke to the Winters Distributor again today and I told them I did some measuring and have found that the Linear Travel on the Transmission Arm Positions in the various Gears is "different" than the Linear distances for the Shifter.....This has to be part of, if not the true problem...The Travels must be the same.....I don't know what else to think?? The Winters Distributor told me that there's not much else to check on the Shifter. They said to call Rossler and talk to them about some possible causes from the Transmission??? That really shocked me. I can't see there could possibly be any problems in that area.
Also tried setting everything starting in 3rd gear.....same problems.
The reason I had decided to try the Distributor again, is that they sell a lot of these Winters Applications and I thought they could give me a better, "hands on" type of answer from their in the field experience.... As they have no more suggestions, I'll definitely call Winters directly tomorrow. Hopefully, they can help me??...My fingers are crossed..........I'm at a kind of a dead end. Not sure what to do after that??
Maybe try ATI and see if I might have a bad set of Trans. Brackets? Who knows??

Eman · 11-03-2020, 01:16 AM

Hard to imagine how it can be in the transmission. The distance from the center of the shift shaft to the center of the cable attachment point is the only thing that could or would change anything. I know with B&M shifters they have a lever with a couple of holes according to what shifter you're using.

OkieRocket · 11-03-2020, 02:36 AM

I hear you Eman. Rossler builds probably the best TH400 out there. They are "experts' on this Transmission model-for sure. I also called Carl Rossler and he tried to help me. He said that "nothing" in this area of the TH400 has changed in his many decades of building them. They are good people and very willing to help.
I tried Carl's suggestions (i.e., starting my alignment check in 3rd Gear Position and verifying that my Transmission Lever is oriented correctly). Unfortunately, I only got to the 1st Step...Got 3rd Gear adjusted (by also realizing that the Cable was now too short by 1/2" with the std. Winters Brackets). In order to get the threaded end to be long enough to engage the threaded sleeve for the ball stud on the Lever Arm, I had to relocate the Cable Mount at the Pan 1/2" further forward with a Bracket I had fabricated).
Then, I found that none of the other Positions (2, 1, N, R) would line up.....very frustrating.
I'm pretty sold on the idea that the difference in the travel distances between the Shifter Gates and the Transmission Lever/Arm is where the problem lies. Hope to have some answers from Winters tomorrow.

GallopinGhost · 11-03-2020, 08:12 AM

Sounds like you are narrowing in on the fix. If the lever on the trans is correct, which it sounds like it is, seems like it has to be in the shifter. I wonder if you can take the shifter apart and do some measurments on the shift lever ?

OkieRocket · 11-03-2020, 10:54 AM

I "hope" I'm getting close Mike....So far, as best I can measure, I'm seeing the most Travel Difference from 3rd to 2nd.
The Transmission Lever Ball Stud is traveling ~ 0.470". The Shifter is Traveling ~0.535"..... A difference of ~0.065".
Hoping to have some "answers" from Winters, when I call them later today.

11-01-2020, 08:29 PM	#1
OkieRocket Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 43 Likes: 12 Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Winters Shifter Adjustment...is killing me!! I did some more checking on my Cable and Shifter over the weekend. It looks like I can get Park, Reverse and 1st lined up on the Shifter and on the Transmission Lever/Arm just fine, but 2nd is approx. 1/16" short and 3rd is still approx. <1/8" short. I started thinking that the only thing that might make sense is that the "travel" of my Cable is possibly too short?? I then checked the full "travel" of my Winters Shift Cable at both ends. Both have a total travel of approx. 3.135" each..... I'm not sure if that's enough travel to cover the full range of travel for a Rossler TH400 and this specific Shifter? Maybe it is?? I'm going to call Winters tomorrow. Maybe ATI also, if Winters doesn't figure things out for me. I'll post what I learn from my calls to them, in case it might help someone else in the future with the same issue.

11-02-2020, 01:21 PM	#2
Jeff Stout VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: phoenix Posts: 1,486 Likes: 66 Liked 704 Times in 281 Posts	Re: Winters Shifter Adjustment...is killing me!! Maybe change hole location on arm. Going further away from shaft requires more cable travel. Had to do this when a used a t400 shifter assembly on a my metric 200.

11-03-2020, 12:06 AM	#3
OkieRocket Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 43 Likes: 12 Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Winters Shifter Adjustment...is killing me!! Thanks Jim and to all that have tried to help. I spoke to the Winters Distributor again today and I told them I did some measuring and have found that the Linear Travel on the Transmission Arm Positions in the various Gears is "different" than the Linear distances for the Shifter.....This has to be part of, if not the true problem...The Travels must be the same.....I don't know what else to think?? The Winters Distributor told me that there's not much else to check on the Shifter. They said to call Rossler and talk to them about some possible causes from the Transmission??? That really shocked me. I can't see there could possibly be any problems in that area. Also tried setting everything starting in 3rd gear.....same problems. The reason I had decided to try the Distributor again, is that they sell a lot of these Winters Applications and I thought they could give me a better, "hands on" type of answer from their in the field experience.... As they have no more suggestions, I'll definitely call Winters directly tomorrow. Hopefully, they can help me??...My fingers are crossed..........I'm at a kind of a dead end. Not sure what to do after that?? Maybe try ATI and see if I might have a bad set of Trans. Brackets? Who knows??

11-03-2020, 01:16 AM	#4
Eman Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: E TN Posts: 472 Likes: 16 Liked 133 Times in 76 Posts	Re: Winters Shifter Adjustment...is killing me!! Hard to imagine how it can be in the transmission. The distance from the center of the shift shaft to the center of the cable attachment point is the only thing that could or would change anything. I know with B&M shifters they have a lever with a couple of holes according to what shifter you're using.

11-03-2020, 02:36 AM	#5
OkieRocket Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 43 Likes: 12 Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Winters Shifter Adjustment...is killing me!! I hear you Eman. Rossler builds probably the best TH400 out there. They are "experts' on this Transmission model-for sure. I also called Carl Rossler and he tried to help me. He said that "nothing" in this area of the TH400 has changed in his many decades of building them. They are good people and very willing to help. I tried Carl's suggestions (i.e., starting my alignment check in 3rd Gear Position and verifying that my Transmission Lever is oriented correctly). Unfortunately, I only got to the 1st Step...Got 3rd Gear adjusted (by also realizing that the Cable was now too short by 1/2" with the std. Winters Brackets). In order to get the threaded end to be long enough to engage the threaded sleeve for the ball stud on the Lever Arm, I had to relocate the Cable Mount at the Pan 1/2" further forward with a Bracket I had fabricated). Then, I found that none of the other Positions (2, 1, N, R) would line up.....very frustrating. I'm pretty sold on the idea that the difference in the travel distances between the Shifter Gates and the Transmission Lever/Arm is where the problem lies. Hope to have some answers from Winters tomorrow.

11-03-2020, 08:12 AM	#6
GallopinGhost Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: VA Posts: 230 Likes: 23 Liked 21 Times in 13 Posts	Re: Winters Shifter Adjustment...is killing me!! Sounds like you are narrowing in on the fix. If the lever on the trans is correct, which it sounds like it is, seems like it has to be in the shifter. I wonder if you can take the shifter apart and do some measurments on the shift lever ? __________________ Brian Carpenter Stock 1358 Last edited by GallopinGhost; 11-03-2020 at 09:10 AM.

11-03-2020, 10:54 AM	#7
OkieRocket Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2016 Posts: 43 Likes: 12 Liked 6 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Winters Shifter Adjustment...is killing me!! I "hope" I'm getting close Mike....So far, as best I can measure, I'm seeing the most Travel Difference from 3rd to 2nd. The Transmission Lever Ball Stud is traveling ~ 0.470". The Shifter is Traveling ~0.535"..... A difference of ~0.065". Hoping to have some "answers" from Winters, when I call them later today.

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