Dana 20 Twin stick kit

[abe78]

Hi, a couple of weeks of before im going about to install a twin stick for the D20. i havent really found any good write ups and i have no instructions either. any tips, write ups and preparation would be greatly appreciated

Thanks
Abe

[[]V[]AXX]

I have no camera at the moment, so I can't give you pics, but the shifter from JB Custom Fabrication fit my 1979 J10 with no need to cut anything. The bad part is that depending on your set up, you may have to separate the transmission from the clutch housing to get your original shifter off. I'm not sure on an automatic. So, if you're running the TH400 or TC727, pics of mine won't be useful for you. Here's a link to the one I got. I believe BJ's offroad sells the same one.

http://jbfab.net/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=JCFCS&Product_Code=D20J&Category_Code=Shifters

All I had to do on mine was to slide it over the shifter support tube, and center it in the original cut out in the floor. I drilled new setscrew holes in the tube and tightened it up. The shift rods just thread in or out depending on length. My shift rods threaded ends had to be trimmed because my setup was short, and required the rods to be threaded in almost all the way, and they contacted the clutch housing when shifted into low range.

[abe78]

Thanks for the reply, sorry about being short on the info, i have a wagoneer -77, I6 258, 3 speed T15A trans and the D20 t-case
the twin stick kit is from BJ:s

[bigdogwaggy]

more info please, this is something that i have been giving thought too recently..

[rixcj]

Typically, you DO have to separate the tranny from the TC.

See post #5 here...

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=112392&highlight=dana+20+twin+stick

I spent some time fabbing up this telescopic shifter support rod. In my case it was well worth it.

Rich

[abe78]

and how hard is it to separate the two?
i imagine that you drop the transfer case and then have a go on the twin stick install.

[[]V[]AXX]

You've got the same setup as me. You will not need to separate the tranny and case, but you will need to separate the clutch housing from the tranny. That's 4 bolts, plus removing the driveshafts at the transfer case, and unbolting from the crossmember. You'll only need to move it a few inches. Just enough to get the old greasebox shifter off the tube, and slide the new one on. If you have a tranny jack, you can jack up the tranny and roll it backwards. I can get you pics tonight, but it'll be in the dark, as I am at work right now, and won't get home till after nightfall.

Rixcj, I was going to go with your telescoping tube idea, till I realized it was unneeded. I was looking at your pics, and it looks like you bought the FSJ twin stick for your CJ. You needed the short style CJ shifter, or else you had a different setup from most CJ's. I didn't have to cut anything to mount mine on my J10. I think the Wagonneer uses a longer shifter support tube, but otherwise is the same. It may only have a longer tube when running an automatic with the Dana 20. I've gotta get back to work, but I'll post some pics tonight. My engine is still out, but otherwise you'll see the setup as it will be when fully installed. My only complaint is how to mount the boot to keep water out.

[rixcj]

Rixcj, I was going to go with your telescoping tube idea, till I realized it was unneeded. I was looking at your pics, and it looks like you bought the FSJ twin stick for your CJ. You needed the short style CJ shifter, or else you had a different setup from most CJ's. I didn't have to cut anything to mount mine on my J10. I think the Wagonneer uses a longer shifter support tube, but otherwise is the same. It may only have a longer tube when running an automatic with the Dana 20. I've gotta get back to work, but I'll post some pics tonight. My engine is still out, but otherwise you'll see the setup as it will be when fully installed. My only complaint is how to mount the boot to keep water out.

You're right, I do have a FSJ twin shift kit.

My t-18/d-20 combo came out of a '79 J10. You cannot use a CJ twin shift kit on an FSJ setup (which I have). The CJ t-case shifter support tube is shorter than a FSJ tube, so it will not fit right.

I assembled my twin shift kit onto my tranny/t-case while it was out of the vehicle, on a bench.

There is no way the original t-case shifter was going to come off, without separating the two components. Believe me, I looked hard at that.

That was the motivating factor for me to make the telescopic tube. I didn't WANT to separate them. As well as for other reasons...

Perhaps your setup is a little different.

Rich

[[]V[]AXX]

Ok, here's my setup with the tube removed before installation. This was right after I rebuilt my transfer case.



Here are some shots of how it sits right now in the truck. I'm sorry about some of the details, but it's pitch black out there, and all we're runnin with is the camera flash...















From the top shot, you can see the clearance between the front of the T15A and the shifter support tube. There isn't a lot, but by separating the clutch housing from the tranny, and moving the tranny backwards, you can get the shifter off the tube. This is the kind of thing that you could do easily when changing the clutch. I'm not sure how the T18 is set up, but separating the transfer case from the tranny would be more work than this. You would have to clean the gasket surfaces, and in my case, that was a nightmare that took about an hour with both pieces separated and sitting on the bench. Thirty year old gasket material is not easy to clean off. If you have a transmission jack on wheels, I would just set it up, and take out the 8 cross member bolts, and roll the whole unit backwards. Me and my brother ended up muscling this thing into place using a floor jack and a lot of swear words. I'd think another option besides separating the transfer case and tranny would be to find a way to cut the shifter support tube without damaging anything. Maybe use a sawzall with a fine tooth metal cutting blade. The tube is mild steel, and is pretty soft, at least it was on mine. At that point, you could use the telescoping tube idea, which will make it easier to get off in the future if necessary. I don't foresee this shifter wearing out any time soon, though.

The threaded rods on this shifter were way too long, and will have to be cut off to clear the clutch housing when shifting the case into high range. As you can see, another 1/8 inch, and I would have had to get out a die and thread the rods a bit further up.

I was afraid, at first, that the left shift lever would interfere with my transmission shifter, but a test fit showed that it would not be a problem. Once I have the engine in and the transmission shifter installed, I'll take some more pics.

and btw, Rixcj, I almost bought the CJ shifter from Novak. They told me it would be "easy" to find the CJ front cover plate to replace my FSJ one. I looked for a while, and was told about the JB Fab kit, which fit and cost a lot less than the Novak kit. I guess you probably couldn't find a CJ front cover as easy as they thought, either, huh?

[abe78]

thanks alot for the info and pics []V[]AXX, cant wait to get going on my install

[rixcj]

and btw, Rixcj, I almost bought the CJ shifter from Novak. They told me it would be "easy" to find the CJ front cover plate to replace my FSJ one. I looked for a while, and was told about the JB Fab kit, which fit and cost a lot less than the Novak kit. I guess you probably couldn't find a CJ front cover as easy as they thought, either, huh?

I don't know if it's a camera angle thing, or not, but it looks like your shifter support tube is shorter than mine. If you look at your 7th picture down, and see the length of the tube, then look at the length of my tube...


...the lengths appear to be different. Even though mine is modified, the length of mine is exactly as long as the original one. Perhaps that is why your tranny/tc didn't have to be separated.

Your t/c looks like a CJ dana 20. They have a short support tube.

As far as the front cover, I had to notch my tranny hump towards the pass. side to get the assembly to fit. So, a standard front cover wouldn't work. So, I had to make one.

Have you actually shifted it, to make sure that you are happy with the throw of the shifters? This is the part that I fussed with for hours.

Rich

Edit: I just noticed that you mentioned cutting your tube. That explains the "shortness" of it.

[[]V[]AXX]

Yeah, it shifts back and forth fine. I had to adjust the throws slightly by disconnecting and threading the rod out a bit, but it clears the hole just fine. My cover is the FSJ cover. The way Novak showed the CJ front cover was different in that the inside shift rail stuck out 3/4 of an inch further than the outside.



The differences in tube length are due to the different transmissions. My T15A is shorter than your T18, and depending on the setup you pulled your drivetrain out of, would have had a tube to match that vehicle. On my frame, there are two sets of cross member bolt holes. My truck used the front set. I'm not sure what used the rear set, but it would require a much longer tube.

Does the front face of the T18 stick out in the way of the tube? I would still think that the original shifter would have come off the tube just by separation from the clutch housing? Either way, if he has the T15A, it should be the same as mine. The pics JB shows on their site show a MUCH longer tube than mine. I was prepared to make a custom length tube if necessary to get it mounted without cutting the floor. I was worried it was not going to clear the original cut out in the floor, but the throws are not long. Here's pics in the daylight with the cover in place:

4-hi


neutral:


4-low


never happen, but spread:


The boot is oval shaped, and I may end up cutting on it some, and making a new frame for it. We'll see when I get that far. There's still an engine to install and hook up.

[rixcj]

My tranny/ TC was out of a '79 J10 w/ a 360.

Your setup came out nice. The shifter throw came out perfect.

Rich