Remote clutch control.

George

Goblin Guru
I have had my right leg amputated just above the keen. Trying to design and build a hand operated clutch (manual). Current path is a linear actuator to operate clutch slave cylinder. Going to remove clutch pedal and install left gas pedal. Do not have any actuator experience.
Thought is to use actuator to operate clutch master and a potentiometer to control actuator.
Any insight would be appreciated
Brad
 

socaljeff3798

Well-Known Member
Look at hand controls for a Racing go kart.
I know Sodi makes them I dont know if the master cylinder is big enough for a clutch but worth looking at. Maybe mount something like that on the gear shifter lever.
 

JBINTX

Goblin Guru
George. I am sorry to hear about your situation. Sounds like your love of driving will not be extinguished, though.

Here is a guy who did some related mods. You may get some ideas there.

 
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ctuinstra

Goblin Guru
Not real clear on what you are thinking so far. Could you use the current master and just build a hand-operated lever to operate it? Or do you think it will be too hard to depress and release by hand?

If you find and actuator that can be put into any position between 0-100 using various voltages or PWM, Kaleb and I can help to program an microprocessor to control it using a variable resistor on a hand-operated control. But I feel that this has been already created for others and just haven't found it.
 
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George

Goblin Guru
I want to put a hand lever on the shift lever. It needs some power assist. Started working on a brake booster but need more travel from the actuation lever and less effort. Which has led me to a linear actuator to operate the stock clutch master and a potentiometer to control it. My knowledge on what parts to use and how to program.

Brad
 

jamesm

Goblin Guru
I'd probably look at something like this. I'd also consider removing the clutch master cylinder from its normal location and building a custom housing for it and the actuator. That would let you have a cantilever arm between the two. Short, fast stroke on the actuator should give you smooth operation of the clutch cylinder. It'd also make room for relocating the gas pedal.

As others have mentioned, go-kart parts might work as well. There are also clutch conversions that commercial offerings, although I assume they are expensive and generally require manufacturer installation.

Another option might be to look at one of the paddle shift automatics. Might not be as fun as grinding gears, but it would be less engineering/custom work.
 

George

Goblin Guru
I have looked into the Duck clutch. They seem to have I high failure rate. Cost for a Duck clutch is about $2000.00 One idea I have been working on is a brake booster with a clutch master adapted to it. Just need to lower the amount of effort required to operate the booster or use a linear actuator to control.
As for automatic a SAAB 5 or 6 speed can be installed, all of that is available to me.
Brad
 

k.rollin

Goblin Guru
Maybe @Torchandregdoc can offer some insight on hand controls. I believe their build uses the 4T45e transmission common to the Cobalt and HHR, but that plus an aftermarket transmission controller could be an option.
 

Torchandregdoc

Goblin Guru
Well...... that just sucks. Sorry to hear this news.

I've used several home made systems to operate clutches. Everything from baseball bat's to flex air valves. You can find stuff that's already engineered, but it's all expensive. If I drive an manual, I just use the clutch to get rolling, but this won't work well in the Goblin. To slow. I only use it on easy drives in the dune buggy. It would be easy to hook up paraplegic style hand controls for the clutch, but you still need that extra limb to really make it work. Best idea is either a linear actuator or flex air valve imo, on the shift lever.

There is also the automatic method, but I totally get that that's not the preferred method. I loved shifting gears. I loved coming into a corner just barely drifting in, grabbing the next hole down and coming out slightly loose. I finally gave up on it for myself. I believe with just one missing limb, you can pull this off though.
 

Torchandregdoc

Goblin Guru
20 years ago, when I got hurt, I was a crane operator and guys that I had worked with just took one from work and we played with it. It took a lot of custom bracketry and never really worked well, but it could have if we would have stuck with it. We used the flex air valve from a conventional 90 ton. American (Amhoist, now owned by Terex) crane. One down side was that the valve we were using was larger than the shift lever. Only way I'd know to find one is call a crane company near you, or just drop in and talk to a mechanic.
 

ah.b.normal

Goblin Guru
Are you still working on this? I saw a rather wild system for clutch actuation in a rat rod. The designer says he got the idea from an old 1970's Cadillac tilt/telescoping column system. HIS steering column/system when pushed down disengaged the clutch and extending engaged. He found that the 1994? Mitsubishi 3000GT used a small vac booster for the clutch master cyl(like a tiny brake booster). The designer used the splined tube and splined shaft off a small tractor PTO drive shaft as his steering column shaft with a steering wheel hub welded on top! On the upper(tube) half of the steering shaft he welded a throw out bearing. Then he used the clutch fork and pivot ball off a Toyota manual trans to actuate a push rod(the same system used in the bell housing) going into the 3000GT clutch vac booster and clutch master cyl. (He wore a 5 point seat belt to hold himself securely into his seat! He said it made the pushing and pulling of the steering wheel smoother.) Total movement of the steering wheel(in/out) was less than 3". I wish I could claim I thought of this!, but I only witnessed it.
Where there's a will (or a wheel?) there's a way!
Also FDR,(yes, that FDR) had a 40(?)Ford convertible that was modded for him to drive. It had a lever arm about 3' long that pivoted on the floor just inside the driver's door. It was usually up by the dash. As he pulled it back it eased off the brake pedal and sequentully let off the clutch pedal. I saw his car at his Little White House Museum in Warm Springs, GA.
I've taught many people to drive manual trans and I always told them "Don't Cry! It's just that we live in a fickle universe, If we were shaped like octopi with 8 appendages Cars would have 9 Pedals!"
 

Ark :D

Goblin Guru
Are you still working on this? I saw a rather wild system for clutch actuation in a rat rod. The designer says he got the idea from an old 1970's Cadillac tilt/telescoping column system. HIS steering column/system when pushed down disengaged the clutch and extending engaged. He found that the 1994? Mitsubishi 3000GT used a small vac booster for the clutch master cyl(like a tiny brake booster). The designer used the splined tube and splined shaft off a small tractor PTO drive shaft as his steering column shaft with a steering wheel hub welded on top! On the upper(tube) half of the steering shaft he welded a throw out bearing. Then he used the clutch fork and pivot ball off a Toyota manual trans to actuate a push rod(the same system used in the bell housing) going into the 3000GT clutch vac booster and clutch master cyl. (He wore a 5 point seat belt to hold himself securely into his seat! He said it made the pushing and pulling of the steering wheel smoother.) Total movement of the steering wheel(in/out) was less than 3". I wish I could claim I thought of this!, but I only witnessed it.
Where there's a will (or a wheel?) there's a way!
Also FDR,(yes, that FDR) had a 40(?)Ford convertible that was modded for him to drive. It had a lever arm about 3' long that pivoted on the floor just inside the driver's door. It was usually up by the dash. As he pulled it back it eased off the brake pedal and sequentully let off the clutch pedal. I saw his car at his Little White House Museum in Warm Springs, GA.
I've taught many people to drive manual trans and I always told them "Don't Cry! It's just that we live in a fickle universe, If we were shaped like octopi with 8 appendages Cars would have 9 Pedals!"
Unfortunately not. :(:(:(
 

ah.b.normal

Goblin Guru
Well put this in your list of "How to do what everybody said is Impossible!" You are more likely to meet someone to apply this idea than I am.
I'm not in the biz of handicap mods but I have fixed a few and installed a few RHD kits in Cherokees for a postal route friend. Once I installed an aux remote brake pedal kit for a friend teaching driving. I also put the gas pedal and cable out of a 80 chevy van(mounted to the left of the brake) in a friend's 69 chevy truck. He was born with a messed up right hip and knee, but drove right foot anyhow for years. He claimed he would never figure out how to drive with only his left foot!, learning took almost 30 minutes and he was hooked! He wanted to pay me but his howls of laughter and burnouts were all the payment I wanted!
I love these boards, they prove the saying, "If you get enough different brains looking at a problem someone will have the answer!" Thus sayeth A. B. Normal
 

comegetjoe

Goblin Guru
I remember seeing a member who was making his goblin out of an HHR automatic donor. Not sure if this may help.
 
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