TR2/3/3A shift knob

[TomMull]

The shift knob for my TR3 has gone into my parts cloud and I can't seem to locate it, so I bought a new generic one on line. Although my car is a TR3, it's got a TR4 transmission, so I ordered the knob for a TR4.


Apparently my car still has the TR3 shift lever since it is 7/16 UNF (32tpi) while the TR4 is 5/26 NC. No way that will fit.



Moss shows an 848-250 knob for the TR3 up to TS5000. Mine is a TS 58023. For the later cars they show NLA.



Anybody know the difference?


It has to fit the lever, which does not change at the TS5000.


I'll dig out Mr Piggotts book, as soon as I can find it. (Maybe it's in the same place as my shift knob?)



Tom

 

[trglory]

I put a synchro TR4 trans in my TR3 but I reused the original TR3 shift lever. TR3 lever is a straight shaft, TR4 lever has a bend in the shaft.

 

[TomMull]

Thanks Joe. I was more interested in the difference in the shift knobs before and after TS5000. I wasn't very clear ton that.
Tom

 

[trglory]

AFAIK there is no difference.

 

[TomMull]

AFAIK there is no difference.

r
That's as it seems but Refer to #1 on the diagram, which indicates that there is a difference:
https://mossmotors.com/triumph-tr2-3-4/clutch-gearbox-drivetrain/external-gearbox
Here's a pic of it.

 

[charleyf]

Assuming that there is a difference , I am betting that the thread is the same on the two TR3 shift levers. So the difference would be in the configuration of the knob. Likely the number size or some such.

 

[groupdeville]

The early TR3 knob is hard rubber. The later TR3 knob was hard plastic. Both have the shift pattern on them. The TR4 lever went to the 5/16-18 thread.

 

[pdplot]

As I recall from the dim past, the rubber knob tended to leave a rubber film on your hand after a while. What I did was to put a tourmaline doorknob on there which fit my hand much better and didn't "shed" rubber dust.

 

[CJD]

Here is the early knob...kinda chinsy rubber...

I’m used to holding my palm on top of shifter knobs, but this one is so skinny you have to grip it palm to the side.

 

[charleyf]

The early TR3 knob is hard rubber. The later TR3 knob was hard plastic. Both have the shift pattern on them. The late TR3B and TR4 lever went to the 5/16-18 thread.

As an owner of a TR3B I can tell you that the TR3B used the standard TR3 shift lever as well as the TR3 shift knob. The 3B used the transmission for the TR4 but not the shift lever. When I first had my 3B I ordered a TR4 shift knob . It did not fit. I learned the lesson the hard way.
Just like I will be using a TR3 shift lever and knob on the TR6 tranny that is going into the TR3A that I am presently working on. You want the lever to match the car not the tranny. The levers for TR3 through 6 all fit the trannys.

 

[TomMull]

All confirmed by Bill Piggott (I did find the book) but he does not mention a commission number, just an early and late style. Below is the one from TS73117 that I put on my driver for the picture. The knob is definitely rubber, quite deteriorated and showing it's age at 60. It is the one that came with the car when I bought it in 1964. I can't be sure it's original but chances are pretty good that it is. So now I'm sure the one I ordered from Moss will fit and work well although I'm still not sure that it is incorrect (not that I really care but at least it looks original).
It is curious that the rubber one is available and the plastic one is not. You'd think it would be the other war round. It is also curious that Moss doesn't say "can use" or "will fit" if the material is the only difference. I actually like the feel of the rubber too.
And one more piece of useless trivia sorted out.

Apologies to John for putting my car on the same page as his.
Tom

 

[mrv8q]

FWIW, I have TS58370 and got my shift knob from TRF 15 years ago. Whatever I ordered way back then works; it’s a leather/cloisonné knob. My original knob was the very desiccated rubber type.

Maybe try TRF?

 

[PeterK]

Joe Alexander sells an aluminum copy of the original shape TR3 to fit the 3's. I have on my 3A. https://gasketinnovations.com/shop/

 

[TomMull]

FWIW, I have TS58370 and got my shift knob from TRF 15 years ago. Whatever I ordered way back then works; it’s a leather/cloisonné knob. My original knob was the very desiccated rubber type.

Maybe try TRF?

Interestingly, TRF's catalog does not even mention the hard plastic one.
Tom

 

[groupdeville]

Not even the original Triumph parts book mentioned the change in knob materials. I spoke with Moss (Goleta HQ) a few years ago, and they said that their catalog information was correct. Information from Moss was that part number 848-250 is the rubber knob and 848-260 is the plastic knob, both with the very fine 7/16 x 32 thread. 848-235 is the round TR4 knob with 5/16-18 thread. I've been looking for a new or used hard plastic knob for my TR3 for over five years now, and have yet to find one.

There's a an MG/AH "Spridget" knob that's hard black plastic, with the correct (TR-like) shift pattern on it, but it's not quite the same shape as the Triumph knob. The Spridget knob is a little bit shorter and rounder. The thread is also different from the Triumph, but the the knob can be modified to work on the TR gear lever.

As others have suggested above, I'll keep using a replacement wood knob until the correct original or Moss reproduction hard plastic Triumph knob turns up.

 

[CJD]

We’ll, since we’re still going...my TR3A had a mahogany wood knob that I really wish I had. It felt right and looked right. Like you expect a British sports car shifter to look IMHO.

 

[2long]

Try finding the early TR2 knob that is a push on, for the non-threaded 2 piece shifter. Just not possible. I am even wondering if some kind of snap-on tool mechanism might be used for a McGuyver approach.

Dan

 

[pdplot]

When I substituted a hefty doorknob for the skinny rubber TR3 stock knob, I had to solder a nut on the bottom of the knob to fit the gear shaft. It helped especially when racing to have a hand-sized knob to grab onto.

 

[groupdeville]

For the early TR2 knob, might it be possible to purchase a later TR2/TR3 knob (with threads) and making a threaded insert our of polyethylene or some other soft-ish plastic with a suitably-sized hole in the center to fit the early lever as a push-on knob? AFAIK, the push-on knob has the same external appearance as the screw-on knob. There's a grainy photo of the early knob in the Road and Track April 1954 road test of a TR2 (which has the early taillights marking it as an early-production model).

 

[2long]

I think drilling out the threads of a standard knob and finding some kind of insert to epoxy in there, with a snap on feature, is the only way, but the shape and size of the shift lever top is weird. It’s a challenge and any suggestions are welcome!

Dan