Broke the doggone shifter

[jkeady]

My '70 C/20 has a TH350 and I've noticed the shift action has been a lot tougher lately. Not moving through the gear range, that's fine, but pulling back the shifter to move between gears has been getting harder. The last time I drove the truck, it was very difficult, and then today... well, something broke.

I yanked back on the shifter, and at the point where I was putting a lot of stress on it, something gave way in the column, and the shift lever just swung all the way forward and hit the steering wheel. Now it just swings free and obviously it's no longer attached to anything in the column.

Tomorrow (Sunday) morning I'm going to go out and pull the steering wheel and see what I can see in there, but before I do: why was it getting so hard to pull back on the shift lever? I've eyeballed the steering column and shift linkage a few times but can't see exactly what is happening when you pull back on the lever.

Someone care to explain how the whole shebang works? The lockout that keeps the shifter from moving unless pulled back: is that all in the column? Easily accessed?

Thanks in advance folks,

Josh

[2tons of fun]

they stick, a little wd40 or such shot down the hole frees them up.

[OhioDan]

Not sure what's wrong, but these might help?

[JimKshortstep4x4]

Sounds like you broke the little ball off of the end of the shifter handle.

Before you pull the steering wheel, knock the drive pin out that holds the shift lever in place. The lever can be removed and you can look inside the opening as well as look at the shifter handle.

If the ball is broken on the end then replacing the handle can be done. Spraying the shift tube with a penetrant through the shift lever hole will help free it up. Also, spray the lower end of the shift tube with penetrant as it slides there when you pull back on the lever.

Jim

[68gmsee]

I agree that it may be the end of the shifter ball.

And, after you find the problem and fix it, you could try spraying some penetrating oil or other type of lubricant in the steering shaft column. Probably broke because of old sticky grease inside. I had to pull mine out to get rid of the old caked up grease and relube it.

[70Custom10Nut]

I had this same issue. The shift tube gets all gummed up with 40 years worth of dust and kinda locks things up. As JimK said before, it sounds like you broke the pivot ball off the end of your shift lever. I didn't break mine, but it was bent when I pulled the column to put in a tilt unit. Make sure you get the broke off piece out before you try to put the new lever on and then PATIENTLY lube and loosen the mech. Good luck. Cnut

[Longhorn Man]

honestly, i would look for a tilt... van ot truck, either one. It's a better shifter tube design and you won't have this shifter problem.
Plus you get a tilt

[jkeady]

Thanks folks, I pulled it apart this morning and the shift lever ball is indeed what snapped. Really wasn't that difficult to disassemble / reassemble. Now to find a new lever or a new column, we'll see how it goes.

Thanks again,

Josh

[57larry]

I'd go for the tilt