TWM Short Shifter
I believe from reading all the posts on shifters and engagement issues and my own experience with the (great!) TWM shifter and the stock shifter that this may be due to poorly adjusted shift cables in the HHR SS "as delivered" at the dealer. The Shop manual does not appear to even have a specifically defined method of adjustment. The "put it in 5th gear and adjust to to barely touching the right side stop" appears to be the best method stock or TWM.
I believe I need to get one of these short shifters before the 15th...
This side-to-side adjustment thing has me perplexed.
Since the geometry of the TWM shifter is different (pivot point location relative to the ends of the shifter arm), this allows for shorter throws in both the fore-aft AND side-to-side directions. With less shifter movement needed, obviously, the arm doesn't move as far in all directions as it used to.
So, given the way that the reverse lockout works, and the apparent need/helpfulness to have the right side of the shifter arm hit the side stop when engaging 5th...
... shouldn't this mean that all/any shifter installed with this revised geometry should need lateral adjustment.
Assuming the original shifter was properly adjusted left-to-right, then one would expect that swapping in the TWM (with no lateral adjustment) would result in the new one not coming close enough to the right side stop/reverse lockout "ramp/fin".
I guess I'm more surprised that some don't need lateral adjustment than I am about the ones that do.
Any thoughts on this???
It's also interesting that while 5th seems to benefit from having the shifter come in contact with the side stop (to prevent "overtravel" to the right, past 5th) that 1st/2nd don't seem to be sensitive to this or require the sidestop on the left side. Because of this, after the TWM install, I find that my lateral adjustment is biased to the right side... with the shift gate also pushed further over that way now.
Since the geometry of the TWM shifter is different (pivot point location relative to the ends of the shifter arm), this allows for shorter throws in both the fore-aft AND side-to-side directions. With less shifter movement needed, obviously, the arm doesn't move as far in all directions as it used to.
So, given the way that the reverse lockout works, and the apparent need/helpfulness to have the right side of the shifter arm hit the side stop when engaging 5th...
... shouldn't this mean that all/any shifter installed with this revised geometry should need lateral adjustment.
Assuming the original shifter was properly adjusted left-to-right, then one would expect that swapping in the TWM (with no lateral adjustment) would result in the new one not coming close enough to the right side stop/reverse lockout "ramp/fin".
I guess I'm more surprised that some don't need lateral adjustment than I am about the ones that do.
Any thoughts on this???
It's also interesting that while 5th seems to benefit from having the shifter come in contact with the side stop (to prevent "overtravel" to the right, past 5th) that 1st/2nd don't seem to be sensitive to this or require the sidestop on the left side. Because of this, after the TWM install, I find that my lateral adjustment is biased to the right side... with the shift gate also pushed further over that way now.
Go to the third msg down from Jeff, looks like they are out of stock right now https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/show...ht=shop+manual
Since the geometry of the TWM shifter is different (pivot point location relative to the ends of the shifter arm), this allows for shorter throws in both the fore-aft AND side-to-side directions. With less shifter movement needed, obviously, the arm doesn't move as far in all directions as it used to.
So, given the way that the reverse lockout works, and the apparent need/helpfulness to have the right side of the shifter arm hit the side stop when engaging 5th... shouldn't this mean that all/any shifter installed with this revised geometry should need lateral adjustment.
Assuming the original shifter was properly adjusted left-to-right, then one would expect that swapping in the TWM (with no lateral adjustment) would result in the new one not coming close enough to the right side stop/reverse lockout "ramp/fin".
Assuming the original shifter was properly adjusted left-to-right, then one would expect that swapping in the TWM (with no lateral adjustment) would result in the new one not coming close enough to the right side stop/reverse lockout "ramp/fin".
I guess I'm more surprised that some don't need lateral adjustment than I am about the ones that do.
Any thoughts on this???
It's also interesting that while 5th seems to benefit from having the shifter come in contact with the side stop (to prevent "overtravel" to the right, past 5th) that 1st/2nd don't seem to be sensitive to this or require the sidestop on the left side. Because of this, after the TWM install, I find that my lateral adjustment is biased to the right side... with the shift gate also pushed further over that way now.
Any thoughts on this???
It's also interesting that while 5th seems to benefit from having the shifter come in contact with the side stop (to prevent "overtravel" to the right, past 5th) that 1st/2nd don't seem to be sensitive to this or require the sidestop on the left side. Because of this, after the TWM install, I find that my lateral adjustment is biased to the right side... with the shift gate also pushed further over that way now.
We're still looking for an HHR SS locally to write a manual specifically for it and to determine why the HHR SS almost always seems to require lateral cable adjustment and the Cobalt SS/SC and SS/TC does not.
Thanks for your feedback.
Kevin
TWM
Last edited by TWM Performance; Jan 7, 2009 at 03:33 PM. Reason: Typo
Thanks for your feedback Kevin@TWM.
I forgot about the little side arm/shaft... and that it was actually doing the pushing/pulling on the cable for the lateral motion. I was only thinking about the "bottom" arm, below the pivot. Oops.
So, the geometry of that side arm is supposed to mimic the original? hmmm
You mention in your response that the additional "play" in the stock reverse lockout piece may be less sensitive to this lateral adjustment. In my case at least, after the TWM was swapped in, it was a good 5+ mm out of position for reverse-lock/5th engagement on the right side... probably too far away to just be absorbed by the extra play/flexibility in the stock piece.
Not trying to nitpick or anything (I love the shifter - it's a really nice piece)... just describing my specific findings. And, of course, this is all easily adjusted.
Hopefully some more discussion will lead to a good root cause for this need to play with the lateral adjustment on the HHR.

Thanks again for your comments!
I forgot about the little side arm/shaft... and that it was actually doing the pushing/pulling on the cable for the lateral motion. I was only thinking about the "bottom" arm, below the pivot. Oops.
So, the geometry of that side arm is supposed to mimic the original? hmmm
You mention in your response that the additional "play" in the stock reverse lockout piece may be less sensitive to this lateral adjustment. In my case at least, after the TWM was swapped in, it was a good 5+ mm out of position for reverse-lock/5th engagement on the right side... probably too far away to just be absorbed by the extra play/flexibility in the stock piece.
Not trying to nitpick or anything (I love the shifter - it's a really nice piece)... just describing my specific findings. And, of course, this is all easily adjusted.
Hopefully some more discussion will lead to a good root cause for this need to play with the lateral adjustment on the HHR.

Thanks again for your comments!
Thanks for your feedback Kevin@TWM.
I forgot about the little side arm/shaft... and that it was actually doing the pushing/pulling on the cable for the lateral motion. I was only thinking about the "bottom" arm, below the pivot. Oops.
So, the geometry of that side arm is supposed to mimic the original? hmmm
You mention in your response that the additional "play" in the stock reverse lockout piece may be less sensitive to this lateral adjustment. In my case at least, after the TWM was swapped in, it was a good 5+ mm out of position for reverse-lock/5th engagement on the right side... probably too far away to just be absorbed by the extra play/flexibility in the stock piece.
Not trying to nitpick or anything (I love the shifter - it's a really nice piece)... just describing my specific findings. And, of course, this is all easily adjusted.
Hopefully some more discussion will lead to a good root cause for this need to play with the lateral adjustment on the HHR.

Thanks again for your comments!
I forgot about the little side arm/shaft... and that it was actually doing the pushing/pulling on the cable for the lateral motion. I was only thinking about the "bottom" arm, below the pivot. Oops.
So, the geometry of that side arm is supposed to mimic the original? hmmm
You mention in your response that the additional "play" in the stock reverse lockout piece may be less sensitive to this lateral adjustment. In my case at least, after the TWM was swapped in, it was a good 5+ mm out of position for reverse-lock/5th engagement on the right side... probably too far away to just be absorbed by the extra play/flexibility in the stock piece.
Not trying to nitpick or anything (I love the shifter - it's a really nice piece)... just describing my specific findings. And, of course, this is all easily adjusted.
Hopefully some more discussion will lead to a good root cause for this need to play with the lateral adjustment on the HHR.

Thanks again for your comments!
Thank you again for your feedback. It is odd that the reverse lock was 5+mm out of position upon installation of our short shifter. Hopefully we'll have an answer for you as soon as we locate an HHR SS locally.
BTW, thanks for the orders guys :)
Kevin
TWM Performance


