Honestly, you're going to have bad luck with a powerful mechanical actuator hooked to a Bravo shift. A Bravo has to be spinning to shift out of gear, so if you ever stall the motor in gear (backfire, etc) then you will tear the heck out of the linkage if you push the NEUTRAL button and the actuator gives a good hard pull. Or you'll have to set a stall limit on the actuator, which might keep it from breaking the linkage, but may also prevent a necessary shift in a precarious docking situation.

And anybody who has spent much time shifting Bravos in and out of gear knows that they shift better by "feel" than by "force". I think you are asking for problems unless you go with an expensive actuator box that is tuned to the application.

A hydraulic trans is your best option.
A TRS application would indeed lend itself better to what you want to accomplish.
Or add a tranny to your Bravo. Need to move the motor forward and get new rear motor mounts (and a custom driveshaft) but is do-able.

I did not think about all of those scenarios.
looks like I will be using the mechanical shifter
It will be in a slightly awkward spot but definitaly useable
thanks for taking the time to write

Mcollinstn, your reasons above is why I thought a spring type drive for the actuator might be better. The solenoid would pull or push against a spring that does the shifting. The spring weights could be tailored for the desired amount of push or pull. If the spring tension were light enough the drive will shift when it is ready.

Can you move the shifter to the left side of the wheel?

I forget who has left handed controls, but been told they are the best setup.

No room on the left side
I have room on the right side , it will just be back a little far but defenitaly useable
I have the rest of the dash layout exactly the way I want it
If I wanted to I could move the shifter foward but than I would have to move other stuff around.
If there was an easy way to adapt an electronic shift I would be interested
thanks

Hey cooter, I'm in massapequa. Not so far. We are under development for an item such as you desire. Give me a call , maybe we can get together and solve your problem. 516 799 6029.

o.k thanks

Bad,

I think you are definitely on the right track with that idea, but you're gonna have a hard time matching a solenoid to that application. It would take some hero-massive sized solenoid to handle a Bravo shift. Something like a 70 pound pull and 3 inch stroke. With heat overload breaker on it. My guess is a 40 amp unit. Sounds expensive. Maybe not, though.

There's my cue... I raced with a pair of Konrad 540 drives most of last season. A#1 says it, mine show NO signs of internal wear, and need nothing over the winter to prepare for next season. I doubt that many race teams running other brands of drives can say the same thing. Tough stuff.

Now, if Konrad had a Shiftable drive, and better yet one with electric shift capabilities, Cooter would be in biz. Stay tuned...

Brian

PhD,
I bet it could be done with air pressure and a relief valve. Build pressure until the shift point at which time a relief valve stops the pressure build. A reservoir tank could be incorporated to hold a residual quantity of air. Wait, those little Hilti gun loads...

On second thought maybe a mechanical linkage attached to a handle might work.

Probably more fun to build something that will confound you all summer.