Patent ID: 7665567

Claim:
A method of assembling a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a shift mechanism, the shift mechanism comprising a plurality of gear combinations, a shift actuator comprising a drive shaft, a housing for rotatably supporting the drive shaft, and a position sensor supported by the housing, the position sensor being adapted to detect a rotational position of the drive shaft for driving the shift mechanism and the shift mechanism further comprising a shift power transmitting mechanism, the shift power transmitting mechanism adapted to connect the shift mechanism and the shift actuator, at least a portion of the shift power transmitting mechanism having an adjustable length, the method of assembling comprising: fixing the drive shaft to the housing with a fixing member that secures the drive shaft to the housing at a location offset from an axis of the driveshaft such that the drive shaft is generally unable to rotate relative to the housing; attaching the position sensor to the housing while the drive shaft is unable to rotate relative to the housing; and adjusting the adjustable length of the portion of the shift power transmitting mechanism while the drive shaft is unable to rotate relative to the housing.