Shifter hard to pull back when cold

[Jobe72]

I've been having this issue lately...in the mornings the shift lever is difficult to pull back to shift into Park. I'm afraid I'm going to break it off. After the temperature outside is higher it's a breeze.

Is there a bushing or something somewhere I can lube or check?

Oh yeah...turbo 350 column shifter in a 72 GMC...bone stock.

Thanks

[Livrat]

squirt some lube down the shifter handle where it goes into the column and start working it by pulling it towards you, that should cure your problem

[AirSpeed]

I had the same problem with mine, I tried spraying lube into the column but it didn't help much and it would start to stick again in about a week. I finall decided to simply pulled the steering wheel and pulled the turn signal assembly out and then slid the shift mech out. It was full of old grease and dirt so I cleaned it all up and put a thin layer of grease over all the moving surfaces and now it workems perfect, the lever now moves very smoothly even when its below zero.
Posted via Mobile Device

[68gmsee]

This is a problem with a lot of these old trucks. Mine had that problem many years ago and I actually had to take the whole column off. It had hard caked up chunks of old grease in there.

See if you can get by with the spraying lube down the tube first. Keep working it up and down as you continue. If you have good carpeting you might want to protect that first. Don't forget the garage or driveway concrete.

Last resort is to remove it and flush it or take it apart.

[slikside]

Sounds like most of you were more fortunate than me. Mine did break. Right at the very tip where the lever engages the shaft. But I was able to get away with just shooting some lube down in there. Once the lever was replaced, it has worked fine for many years.

Bottom line though, don't push this one (like I did) because they WILL break.

[Jobe72]

Thanks all, guess I know what I'm doing tonight! Wish I had known this when I had the steering wheel off last week trying to fix my horn.

[AirSpeed]

Originally Posted by Jobe72

Thanks all, guess I know what I'm doing tonight! Wish I had known this when I had the steering wheel off last week trying to fix my horn.

It's well worth the effort, your shifter will work like new after you get all those parts cleaned up and lubed. It's not that bad a job,
Posted via Mobile Device

[1972RedNeck]

Originally Posted by Jobe72

Thanks all, guess I know what I'm doing tonight! Wish I had known this when I had the steering wheel off last week trying to fix my horn.

Me too.

[PanelDeland]

If you're gonna squirt lube into it,you may want to squirt a little WD40 in there first and try to loosen/wash out some of the hardened lube that's in there.

[twouvakind]

My shifter was nearly impossible to pull back. It almost felt as though it was hydraulic(y) dampened. Took the wheel off(without a puller)drilled deeper into the column by removing the turnsignal gear. Not much in the way of chunks of grease but there was old grease none the less. I made a concoction of three parts odorless mineral spirits to one part synthetic motor oil as a lube/cleaner. Works great in this application and also as a chain lube for my bicycle.
Having a syringe with a dull needle(like the inkjet refill syringe)works wonders as a precise luber.

[cdowns]

it is amazin how 40year old moving parts respond to cleaning and lubrication every few decades