Auto Column Shift Lever Pin Repair

[JJH Jimmy]

I wanted to share my shift lever pin repair that i made to my tilt column. I bought my column on the parts board and i took it all apart, glass bead blasted it, replace the bearings and turn signal switch and then i painted it. I think that it tuned out pretty good until i installed it and went to install the shift lever. The shifter pin was really loose in the lower bowl and there was no way that it was going to stay in there for long so. I searched the forum of what others with this problem did other than finding a new lower bowl and i didn't come up with much. Some people used a bolt and nut to hold it on and some used a roll pin. Neither of those ideas appealed to me very much. This is what i did.

I measured the bottom opening for the pin in the shift bowl and decided that a 1/4"-28 bolt would be the closest size that would work with removing the least amount of material.

I then drilled and tapped the bottom side of the pin hole to 1/4-28.

To turn down the top of the bolt (I used a stainless bolt because it is harder than a steel one) i chucked it up in my drill press and held a sanding disc on a grinder on it until it reached the shape i was looking for.

I then cut the pin to length and cut a slit in it for a flat blade screw driver to tighten from the bottom.

I also had to enlarge the hole in the shifter and the top side of the pin hole to 1/4" to accommodate the slightly larger pin. The shifter is hard! Use some good cutting oil on it like Tap Magic.

If the bottom shifter pin hole is already to big for a 1/4-28 tap i think that there is enough material there to install a Helicoil if needed (mine wasn't).

I think that it turned out good and will last. It was a hell of a lot better than taring a freshly painted column apart and trying to find a new shift bowl.

Sorry about the crappy small pictures. I hope that they fix it soon!!!!!!!