Tradução de "Sucker" (shift lever?)

Contexto:

"Come to a complete stop before shifting. Be kind to your tranny, and it will give you many years of service. When shifting from forward to reverse and back, make sure the car has come to a complete stop. Also, don't race the engine in neutral and then drop the sucker into drive. Common sense, but you'd be amazed at the way some people treat their cars."

O texto fala da transmissão automática dos carros. Pensei que "sucker" se traduzisse por "alavanca", mas posso estar redondamente enganado. Se traduziria por "engate"?