Broke the shifter again!!!

[SSC's76]

I'm still kinda mad since this is the second shift coulmb Ive busted in 3 months. We all went to the track last night and I broke it on the 1st run on the 1st shift. I staged, cut a .014 light went for second heard a pop, shifter went all the way up and over then nothing. I still ran a 22.054 @ 61.44 just from the initial take off and breaking before the 60ft mark it was still impressive but dang I was ready for a nice 12.4 run.

Anyone have any suggestions on where I can dig up another 3 speed manual shift coulmb? All my local sources are tapped out.

[Walts_restoration]

I suggest dumping the shift column, they arent very strong.

But if you really wanna keep with it, do some custom fabrication on the weak spots, and make it stronger, otherwise youlls till have the same problems.

[Srubydo1986]

yea those clomn shifter are not ment to be used as a drag column.

[piecesparts]

Go to a floor shifter and save the column, as well as the chance of hitting REVERSE at a speed greater than zero.

[SSC's76]

I swore to myself I wouldent put a floor shifter in ever again but my options are limited time wise. Theres only 2 more times until next spring I can run the truck. Yes..... I pulled out the old 3 speed floor shifter and started the install. I just dont like the vibration these floor shifters have and they shift like crap even though this one I have is a factory 69 hurst from a camaro I still dont like it.

[Zoomad75]

Your kind of between a rock and hard place. I've hit just about every boneyard in town (i'm in Pueblo too) and I've yet to see a three on the tree column out there. West 29th st might have one stashed away, but most of thier trucks are picked over pretty well.

I'd have to say the last one I saw at the boneyard would have been up in greeley at Andersons. They keep moving older iron in there, but it gets picked over quickly and crushed. Last time I was there was late June. It might be gone. That being said, if you went up to greeley to hit andersons and strike out, there is one more place to try. It's not nearly as organized as any other yard in the world, but this place has some quite a few 73-80 trucks scattered about his grounds. I don't remember the name except we always called it Crazy Russ's. It's in Evans just south of greeley off of 85. I don't have an address, but ask around to the locals and they can get you there. He's got stuff stacked 3 high and junk filling in the spaces between the cars/trucks. It's so crammed with crap you mostly have thin footpaths to walk on between the piles. It's old school like Sanford and Son, but with 5 times the junk and old fat white guy sitting out front.

I'd bet part of the problem is the engine movement when it's under power, causing the shift linkage to bind up when the engine is twisted on it's mounts. Throw in you trying to make the 1-2 shift under power with it bound up and it's only a matter of time before it breaks something. Even if you find another column, the engine torquing over on it's mounts will continue to cause the shift linkage to get bound up. You need to make sure the engine can't rock that much, either by changing to solid or poly motor mounts or Putting a limiting strap on the driver side of the engine. The strap will keep the counter clockwise rotation of the engine from happening when you stand on it. GM actually had a couple of service Bulletins on installing a limiting strap back in the mid to late 60's. My Dad's big block 65 Impala was supposed to get one (he never installed it) and I've found them for my 69 Nova and DirtyLarry's Big Block GMC. You don't need to hunt down the GM style cable kits, but you can replicate the effect by using some chain or a cut length of cable with eyes crimped on both ends. Some of the Gm kits used the cable to wrap around the upper control arm shaft of the drivers side and then bolted to the head/exhaust manifold area. If you stop the movement you might be able to keep the column shifter linkage from getting bound up. Otherwise, it's proably time to step back up to a floor shifter. I'm betting you camaro shifter might be a stock version with a hurst handle based on the sloppy feeling. if it was a real Competition plus Hurst shifter, you wouldn't be complaining about the sloppy feeling. Chances are if you had one, you probably wouldn't have gone back to the column shifter.

My Dad has Competition plus 4 speed shifters from hurst in both his 57's and his 65 and they each feel the same. Nice tight, crisp movements with a very narrow pattern allowing short throws. I'm just not sure if hurst still makes a competition plus version for 3 speed trannies anymore.