CRG Discussion Forum
Camaro Research Group Discussion => Originality => Topic started by: canadair on October 07, 2011, 01:56:20 AM
-
can someone show or tell me the differance between an original shift ball to a repro
-
The original ball is chrome plated aluminum and the repops I have seen are chrome plated steel
-
As Joe mentioned the repop's are steel and very heavy when compared to the originals.
-
I have a few of the original balls and they look more like aluminum then cheap pot metal.
I used to work with alu and pot metal castings and the pot metal was porous and would have weak theads in a tapped hole.
The chrome ball has to be a fairly good alloy because it can't have a porous surface and have a decent chrome finish.
Also the ball has a 3/8-16 tapped hole that has to be strong enough to take the force of a 3/8-16 steel lock nut.
We used to have a lot of trouble with stripped threads on the pot metal castings that had to have tapped holes.
-
did the original ball have a threaded insert to reduce the thread to 3/8''
-
No insert on the ones I have. They tapped the aluminum. Thats one reason why I think they needed to use a pretty good (strong) alloy not a weak low cost material.
-
Are you sure there is a lock nut on the chrome ball?
-
No lock nut on my original ball.
Jimmy V.
-
I thought, although I could be wrong, that the ones with a locknut had the shift pattern engraved on the ball. That was in order to align the shift pattern to your liking.
-
I have seen them with the lock nut and they have a recess on the bottom which I thought was for the lock nut
but I never checked the AIM to see if they show a lock nut.
The chrome ball came with a console and the console has the shift pattern on it.
-
As Joe mentioned the repop's are steel and very heavy when compared to the originals.
In the old days you could take a magnet and know immediately the shift ball was a repro but now the ball is still very heavy vs. an original but its not magnetic as it used to be. They changed something but again that rascal is still very heavy.
-
In the 'old' days.. Why would there be repros? :) go down to the dealership and buy one....
-
In the 'old' days.. Why would there be repros?
Because the repro stuff has been around for a long time.
I think you are confusing the 'good old' days with the 'old' days. :)
-
The original ball is a chrome-plated zinc die-casting, is not magnetic, and has no jam nut.
-
In the 'old' days.. Why would there be repros?
Because the repro stuff has been around for a long time.
I think you are confusing the 'good old' days with the 'old' days. :)
You're right.. I WAS thinking of the 'good old days'; I skipped the 'bad old days'... now I find myself... in the *confused days'.. :)
-
Thanks John