JWest Engineering has been busy

[JWest]

Last year we got a good handle on improving our response times, so most Pelican orders go out the same or next day.

We've had a lot of product ideas and working prototypes that have been languishing - this year was a push to get those into production. We now have plenty of our current and new offerings available and ready to ship.

Look for these new products to be hitting Pelican's catalog soon!

Here are some teaser pics:

[mepstein]

Awesome!

[MARISOL78sc]

Nice, Can't wait!

[JWest]

The first item is the "Race" lockout for the RennShift. It can be retrofitted to RennShift models back to 2004 or ordered as an option on new shifter purchases.

The Race lockout uses a "Flipper" to block access to either the full gate or just reverse.

It is offset and reversible, so you can either block 5th and Reverse on 915 or 1st and Reverse on 901, or just block reverse on either one.

The handle can also be reversed to point in right direction for each setup.

The Flipper and the added stick sleeve are nylon, so the blocking action is super smooth.

There is a ramp in the neutral zone that guides the stick in and out of 5th (or 1st) rather than a straight edge that can result in hanging up in the corner when being blocked.

The red handle and contrasting black on aluminum makes the lockout position very obvious at a glance. Just flip it up and over for full access and flip it inward for safe gear selection.

[SoCalSK8r]

I want that reverse lock out for an upgrade on my existing JWest shifter….i have had a few near misses into 4th gear lately which definitely is not good..

When will it be available?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JWest]

Everything I'm showing is available for purchase now.

[Matt Monson]

Nice stuff.

[JWest]

The next item I'd like to describe can also be seen in the first teaser pic, the new ProtoStick shifter lever.

A stylish complement to the classic Italian Prototipo steering wheel that has been a wildly popular upgrade for the 911 for over 50 years, the ProtoStick combines the sporting look of drilled lightening holes with rigid I-beam function.

The top of the ProtoStick has internal M8-1.25 threads compatible with JWest flat-bottom knobs. An adapter is available for stock (crush sleeve) and recessed type knobs.

Milled from a solid block of 6061-T6 aluminum, the ProtoStick is as functional as it is beautiful.

Can be used to upgrade your existing RennShift (from about 2004 to present) to the new Legacy shifter look.






You will also see in these pictures the new Soft Satin finish available on all RennShifters. This is an elegant bead-blasted and waxed finish that will acquire a beautiful patina with use.

The ProtoStick (and all RennShifters) are available in anodized black, machined aluminum, and the aforementioned Soft Satin finishes.

Below is the standard RennShift in the Soft Satin finish. Also shown is the matured, rounded features of the current design and the slot for SWB heater lever or hand throttle.

[JWest]

The next item is a problem solver. We're not looking to gain you any style points with this upgrade, since it is literally on the very bottom of your car.

The shift fork inside the 915 transmission has a very common issue of the tiny M6 nuts/studs loosening. This has a direct and large impact on shifting, as it provides a pivot point for the shift linkage moving forward and back inside the gearbox. Checking that the nuts are tight is a pain, since you have to drain the gear oil to remove the plate to access them. The problem can be threads pulled out of the soft magnesium or aluminum, so then you're off looking for a replacement while your car drips smelly gear oil.

Our billet aluminum plate replaces the original cast part (the magnesium versions have especially weak threads). We tap threads all the way through and install long bolts from the inside backing them up with locknuts on the outside of the plate. This adds considerable strength and locks everything in place with the nuts.

This pic shows the method of attachment of the stock stud. Next to it is the new JWest plate with threads passing all the way through the plate.


This pic shows the damage the steel fork can inflict on the aluminum plate when a little loosening occurs.


Here you can see the fork attached with the bolts facing down. When installed on the car, the nuts are visible for inspection on the outside, not hidden from view. They serve as jam nuts since the bolt has already been tightened to the threads in the plate.

[mikedsilva]

Originally Posted by JWest

Willwood caliper upgrades for older cars?? !! ??

[JWest]

Originally Posted by mikedsilva

Willwood caliper upgrades for older cars?? !! ??

Yes! As can you can imagine (and probably hope), this one has been in development for quite a while, with plenty of real-world use.

We call it the "Perfect Balance" Brake System.

Fits 911 up to '89. We have a kit for both 3.5 and 3 inch front strut mounts, and it works with LWB steel trailing arms and aluminum arms. Does not fit SWB, '78 and newer Turbo, or M491 Turbo Look.

Using factory rotors (951 front, Carrera rear) we designed a brake upgrade that gives increased brake heatsink with minimal hydraulic change along with the looks and weight reduction of 4-pot alloy calipers.

A large number of the brake "upgrades" available put much larger hydraulic pistons on a smaller rotor than they were designed for, and they often don't have good matching components so they really mess up the front/rear bias. The beauty of the "Perfect Balance" system is that we upgrade the front rotor (24 increased to 28mm wide, 282 increased to 298mm diameter). The piston size is the same as stock, so the original master cylinder is retained. The larger diameter front rotor increases mechanical brake torque, so around back, we slightly enlarge the caliper pistons to restore factory bias.

Since we use factory rotors, there is a plethora of brands to choose from so you don't get stuck with a single-source rotor.

The kit is extremely complete. It comes with all required hardware, brackets, lines, templates, and highly detailed instructions. The rear calipers do require being lifted off the mounts to bleed, but we include special tools to accomplish that easily. We even supply a bleeder wrench and tool pouch!

[JWest]

In conjunction with the development of the Perfect Balance Brake system, we decided to make some ancillary items more broadly available.

One item is the metal brake line that goes from the master cylinder to the elbow heading to the rear brakes. The factory discontinued this line (911.355.607.03) with the update to the Carrera in 1984. The line was split into two sections to add the pressure regulator. Most upgrades to the brake system on an '84-'89 will desire/require removal of the regulator.

There are a number of ways to remove the regulator, but the best is to simply revert to the earlier one-piece line. Since it is not available new, we are reproducing this line in nicopp with the proper 11mm wrench size and exact bends for a perfect and simple fitment. Also replaces the factory line on '77-'83 if yours is damaged.

[SpeedracerIndy]

That brake package sure looks nice. I'm in the middle of swapping my front calipers to Boxster calipers and the rears to wide M Carreras. I just couldn't stomach the $$$$ for 930 brakes. Wish I would have seen this kit before I bought all of my parts.

Looks like those calipers don't have dust seals. Is that an issue for street driving, or is this kit intended for track only?

I have your Rennshift and precision coupler in my SC. Amazing quality and one of the best things I've done on my SC.

[Anjizkit]

wow! the brakes are super cool. are y'all based in DFW by any chance?

[JWest]

Good observation. There could be a long rabbit-trail debate about the lack of dust seals. The pistons are stainless and the cylinders are hard anodized. Can you conceive of scenarios where dust seals would be better? Certainly. Are there many cars of all different types running on the street with these calipers? Certainly.

Bottom line, you could end up needing to replace your caliper fluid seals more often on these calipers due to the lack of dust seals, and you should pay a little more attention than a stock setup as to brake component condition.

[JWest]

Originally Posted by Anjizkit

wow! the brakes are super cool. are y'all based in DFW by any chance?

Yes, near Fort Worth.

[JWest]

Ok, shifting gears back to the 901/915 RennShift.

The standard kit now includes a metal tin to hold the extra gate springs, shims, and lockout parts. Inside the cover is a spring load table and a card showing the installation of the auto and manual lockouts. I thought it would be nice for you to have these all in one place.


Shift knobs:
We've always tried to make it easy to fit knobs - the top of the RennShift stick is the same diameter as the original shifter so the factory knob with crush sleeve can be used. We internally thread the top of the stick so it can accept an M8 stud for a threaded stud.

I don't love crush sleeves though. Porsche has upped the support for older cars and have made new replacement knobs available.

JWest is modifying the factory knobs with a threaded stud so you can just screw them onto the RennShift. We supply a pack of shims with various thicknesses so you can get the shift pattern straight. Unfortunately, the 915 and 930 knobs coming from Porsche have an issue with coming apart at the seam. Lucky for you, JWest is fixing this as part of our upgrade. Combine with a factory 915 boot for great shifting with stock appearance.




The ProtoStick has an available adapter to convert to the cylindrical stick top for crush sleeve or M8 threads, just like the regular RennShift.

We have also added to our selection of knobs, including 917 wood knobs, shift pattern ball knobs, and adapting the (now) classic golf ball knobs for some crossover German heritage.

[MrBonus]

Do you have the Protostick in the 2" extended length yet? It looks great.

[JWest]

Originally Posted by MrBonus

Do you have the Protostick in the 2" extended length yet? It looks great.

Thanks! The ProtoStick is 1 inch longer than stock. Stock length did not work for me aesthetically.

The knob adapter is 2 inches long, and could be cut down (it is threaded from both ends) to customize the final length.

You can see the knob adapter on the black ProtoStick in the above pictures.

[dwelle]

good stuff!

i have 2 rennshifters, and i have two of joshy robots' 917 style knobs i haven't gotten around to solving the crush sleeve/M8 issue to be able to install them. any chance you have the bits available to help me solve this issue?

love the shifters, btw...