Bending the shifter . . .

[ScottNC]

"76 David Brown 885 w/12 spd. I've been at the humiliating age for a while now where everything from swatting a mosquito to working under the dash of my pickup leaves my forearms a bruised, bleeding sorry mess. Add to the list, moving firewood logs with a loader, constantly shifting to/from 1st, 2nd and reverse, the finger grooves in the underside of the steering wheel has my right forearm bleeding through my shirt sleeve. My doctor tells me my thin skin is perfectly normal for an fart as old as I. Is there a reason to NOT heat and bend the RH ("H" pattern) shifter to the right, somewhat out from under the steering wheel? I'd hate to end up with a two-piece shifter shortly after such a (possibly ill advised) modification.

 

[M-MAN]

If you do it wrap a wet rag on the bottom half to absorb the heat. Keep it wet till you're done.

 

[Harry in Ky]

Before you do that I would consider this. Once bent off to one side the bend will tend to act like a wrench and will want to twist the shifter as you move it back and forth. Depending on how the end of the shifter fits in the gates down below that may or may not have any effect. You might try this. Shift the lever a few times in and out of various gears and twist the knob while doing so. Does that seem to make any difference in how things feel down below?

 

[Scott 730]

These have been a godsend for me. I know your frustration. Wrenching isn't as fun as it used to be before my skin went to heck.

 

[tomturkey]

I am sorry to read others are afflicted with the same condition as me. Thin skin from sun damage, I assume. Does not take much to have an ugly purple/red spot on the arm. I wear long sleeves all year long to cover them up and reduce the stares and questions. gobble

 

[timcasbolt]

I have no contribution to the shifter discussion, but have been having the same thin skin problems. A slight brush against a door jam and there's blood everywhere. Has anyone tried collagen supplements or any other remedies?

 

[ScottNC]

Before you do that I would consider this. Once bent off to one side the bend will tend to act like a wrench and will want to twist the shifter as you move it back and forth. Depending on how the end of the shifter fits in the gates down below that may or may not have any effect. You might try this. Shift the lever a few times in and out of various gears and twist the knob while doing so. Does that seem to make any difference in how things feel down below?

Harry - The shifter already has a bit of a (factory) bend that seems to run counter to the shift pattern. Gear changes at issue are mainly between 2nd and reverse so straight back, left or right just a bit and then forward. I have not seen inside a 990 with a 12 speed but it's hi/lo shifter is seriously bent in at least two directions from the factory to get it out from under the dash. The 990 I tried shifting with the engine off felt like stirring rocks with a stick, probably due to the shifter knob being offset as you mention. On my 885 I can bend forward and down to get my elbow below the steering wheel - that works - but once on autopilot loading a trailer with firewood logs or pushing up a burn pile it never fails, I maul my forearm.

Guess I should just go ahead pull the shifter to see hows it's made and what if any heat treat there is. Making the bend above the boot while not allowing heat into any heat treated areas . . . there shouldn't be an issue. Assuming it's long enough once bent!

 

[Harry in Ky]

Harry - The shifter already has a bit of a (factory) bend that seems to run counter to the shift pattern. Gear changes at issue are mainly between 2nd and reverse so straight back, left or right just a bit and then forward. I have not seen inside a 990 with a 12 speed but it's hi/lo shifter is seriously bent in at least two directions from the factory to get it out from under the dash. The 990 I tried shifting with the engine off felt like stirring rocks with a stick, probably due to the shifter knob being offset as you mention. On my 885 I can bend forward and down to get my elbow the steering wheel - that works - but once on autopilot loading a trailer with firewood logs or pushing up a burn pile it never fails, I maul my forearm.

Guess I should just go ahead pull the shifter to see hows it's made and what if any heat treat there is. Making the bend above the boot while not allowing heat into any heat treated areas . . . there shouldn't be an issue. Assuming it's long enough once bent!

It can have multiple bends if they're in line with the direction of travel. I'm only referring to bends going sideways. Then shifting back and forth would tend to rotate the shifter. As an example I've seen people with a poorly positioned joystick loader valve on a tractor. They don't like uncomfortable action of using the lever. Instead of making the effort to relocate the valve so it's easier to operate, they bent the lever to the left. Then later realize that it's constantly working loose in the threads because of the leverage applied while using it.

Depending on how it's made bending the shift lever to one side could put more stress on whatever pins keep the lever in place in the shift cover. If the end of the lever is a round ball a slight rotation might not be noticed, but if it has flat sides then an edge could come into play while passing in and out of the gates in shift rail components. I'm not saying it will, but only thinking it's something to consider.

 

[stevieb49829]

Just be careful bending the shaft - not all of them are solid. I ran into a hollow one on one of my Massey's. Look for a drilled weep hole near the bottom. It could kink instead of bend in a nice arc. steve

 

[Harold Hubbard]

I bent the shift lever on my Farmall M when we first got it, 1965 or so. It still shifts fine. I just couldn’t train myself to shift with my left hand, so I bent it in kind of a Z shape to be able to reach it with my right. The 560 however, had the tall offset shifter, and I never was bothered by it.

 

[Phill Tibbetts]

I have bent several shift levers with no problems. I know the thin skin problem all too well.

 

[ScottNC]

Just be careful bending the shaft - not all of them are solid. I ran into a hollow one on one of my Massey's. Look for a drilled weep hole near the bottom. It could kink instead of bend in a nice arc. steve

Good tip!!

 

[Eman85]

Anyone have any solution for the tissue paper skin aside from the arm chaps? They have skin creams for every little imperfection for women, you'd think there would be something for us that would help. Or is the band-aid industry blocking research? I use more band-aids now then when I was a kid.

 

[Janicholson]

You might try putting a vice grip pliers on the existing shifter! Putting a threaded stud in the handle instead of the thumb screw then a shift knob on the end of the stud. This might be proof od concept and also be adjustable to get a best solution. Jim

 

[Non-farmer]

No suggestions about bending the shifter, I'm just here to say I am developing skin issues too. For me, it's most noticeable on the backs of my hands and top of my forearms. It often looks like crepe paper and is more prone to injury than it used to be. What a great companion piece for the arthritis and carpal tunnel issues that are already there. I wear a wrist brace on my left hand nearly 24/7. It's off atm, I like to give it some air on occasion. I'll put the stiff one on before I go to bed, I also use one that has nothing hard in it. Ain't ageing fun?

 

[ss55]

"76 David Brown 885 w/12 spd. I've been at the humiliating age for a while now where everything from swatting a mosquito to working under the dash of my pickup leaves my forearms a bruised, bleeding sorry mess. Add to the list, moving firewood logs with a loader, constantly shifting to/from 1st, 2nd and reverse, the finger grooves in the underside of the steering wheel has my right forearm bleeding through my shirt sleeve. My doctor tells me my thin skin is perfectly normal for an fart as old as I. Is there a reason to NOT heat and bend the RH ("H" pattern) shifter to the right, somewhat out from under the steering wheel? I'd hate to end up with a two-piece shifter shortly after such a (possibly ill advised) modification.

If the budget allows, maybe trade for a tractor that is more senior operator friendly like a Powershift, power reverser, or hydrostatic transmission?

 

[showcrop]

I had a 1974 885. Getting my boots past those two shifters was the only thing that I didn't like about it.

 

[flembo]

I had my 8n at an antique engine show this past weekend, an old fellow came by and showed me you could pull up on the shifter and move it to the right to make it easier to get on and off. I have had that tractor 25 years and never knew that. But he had never seen a tractor lift like the Ferguson I had it on. So we both learned something.

 

[M-MAN]

Anyone have any solution for the tissue paper skin aside from the arm chaps? They have skin creams for every little imperfection for women, you'd think there would be something for us that would help. Or is the band-aid industry blocking research? I use more band-aids now then when I was a kid.

I think the only solution is don't get old. Our skin isn't just thinner it's lost its elasticity. It breaks instead of moving. Old age ain't for sissies.

 

[Eman85]

I think the only solution is don't get old. Our skin isn't just thinner it's lost its elasticity. It breaks instead of moving. Old age ain't for sissies.

No sissy but tired of bleeding. This skin cream business is huge for women you think they'd do something for old men that don't just sit around. i guess there aren't enough of us or they wish we'd just up and fade away. No profit in us doing our own work.