Tightening up the column shifter?

[Orange '71 GMC]

Is the only way to do this in the linkage?

It has been a few years since I tried, but I know that I took all the slack out of the linkage that I could without it being overly taught.

Thing is my column still moves quite a bit on the shift indicator. And the real pisser is, my reverse lights actually work! But, only when I hold the shifter in it's full upright reverse position.

I'd like to get all this play/slop out of it, but not get it too tight (like when you pull the tranny into gear after parking on a hill with no e-brake).

What's the word?

Thanks.

DLB

[pjmoreland]

If it takes an excessive amount of movement of the shifter lever to move back and forth between two gears, then there isn't really any adjustment you can make to get rid of the slop. If that's the case, odds are that the shifter linkage parts down by the transmission are worn excessively, and may need to be replaced/repaired.

If you don't have excessive slop when shifting between gears, then you should be able to adjust the position of the shifting rod that runs from the column down to the transmission. It's held in place by a bolt on the end of an arm that sticks out of the bottom end of the steering column next to the firewall in the engine compartment. You can loosen up the nut on the end of the bolt and change the position of where the rod is clamped. the easiest way to do this is to move your shifter lever until the shifter indicator is pointing at "P". Then Loosen the clamp and pull up on the rod as hard as you can so it slides up into the hole in the clamp and retighten the clamp. You'll know you have it adjusted properly if you can shift between "N" and "D" without pulling back on the shifter lever. You may have to fine-tune the clamp position on the rod to get it just right.

[Orange '71 GMC]

Well, I can pop it into D from N without pulling back on the lever, so it sounds like my problem may be the first.

The pull from P to R (or D) is fine, it is just the slop in the shifter while in gear that is the problem.

Sort of like I mentioned, when it is in R, it will tend to lean on down toward N, causing the reverse lights to not work, unless I manually hold it up there. Just seems like to me it should hold stiff in the R position, right behind it.

So, if we can safely assume that it is the linkage parts that need replacing/rebuilding, what exactly am I looking at?

[pjmoreland]

I have not seen a source for replacement parts. The fingers on the fork that attaches to the transmssion get pretty worn, as well as the part that the fingers push against. The plastic bushing that the bottom end of the shifter rod rides in gets pretty beat up as well. If you have a welder you might be able to add some material back onto the worn areas. I think this is an extremely common problem, and most people just choose to live with it.

You can adjust the position of your neutral safety/back up switch on the column to help get your back up lights to work more reliably.

[Orange '71 GMC]

Well, I will check into it...
I work at a fab/machine shop, the only problem is, I am in the CAD deisgn side of it.

But I can still get stuff done if I cannot do it with my skills and my own welding abilities.

So hopefully, there isn't anything that isn't fixable, and nothing I can't figure out.

Thanks for your help!

[Orange '71 GMC]

Hello again on this topic...

I still haven't been able to fully delve into this (about 50 projects going, and my current DD is having troubles)...

I did come across this though on Lokars site:


Would that solve this issue possibly?

[oldgold70c10]

There should be a bushing in the hole in the lever arm on the column that the bolt goes thru that connects to that rod that goes down to the transmission. On my truck, it is missing and I have the same slop in the linkages that you describe. You can make a new bushing fairly easy from some metal tubing cut to the right length. Don't ask what size, I don't know. The 3 speed manual column shift system uses the same basic parts here and I fixed a friend's shifter by making new bushing for this spot-we just happened to have some steel tubing of the right size, and cut it to length with a hacksaw. Like pjmoreland said, check the bushing at the bottom of that rod too where it attaches to the tranny.

Hmm maybe a good weekend project for me is to make a bushing for my shifter......

[Orange '71 GMC]

I will have to look at that!
I should be able to get my hands on some tubing fairly easy. Thanks.