Modification of shifter from 4 speed to 5 speed

kco2949785

kco2949785

Daily Driver
On my Fiat 128SL coupe I'm converting it to a 5 speed transmission from a 1979 Strada. Can the existing 4 speed shifter guide plate be modified to allow the fifth gear position? Has anyone removed the "block out" area for fifth gear as shown on the photos. Or was a later shifter from a five speed car like a Strada or Yugo used? There is a photo of the plastic Yugo shifter plate. I'd like to keep the original coupe chrome plated shifter rather than a Strada or Yugo black shifter. Those shifters would raise the position of the shifter knob. I've outlined the area on the metal guide plate that I think needs to be removed. Thanks in advance for any replies, Ken
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Thanks Jim and Ernie. Your responses were very helpful. Here's some photos of how I cut the shifter guide plate. It will be a few months before I get these two 128SL's back together and will add to this thread how it worked out. Waiting for the machine shop to finish the short blocks.
Ken
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The horizontal cut was by an air powered rotary die grinder. The wheel was almost worn out so it was small and fit into the shifter plate. The two vertical cuts were with a sawz-all with a fine toothed blade and with the cutting speed set low. You're right about the metal in the shifter plate as being hardened steel.
On a side note, just got a call from the machine shop and the 1500 short block for the blue car is finished. Good news as I was running out of things to do on these two 128SL's.
 
Good report! My cutting torch approach was super cave-man, yours is clean. Interested to hear how your short block came out, I am just getting started with my machinist.
 
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