3 on the tree trouble shifting

[Jason Banks]

SC1969C10 I tell you what...as many times as i think I have everything sorted out on my truck it seems like there is always something else.

I have done tons of preventative maintenance and beautifying and it seems like there is always something else...

[SC1969c10]

Good to know on shifting. I drove a 4 speed m-22 years ago in a nova. My neighbor has a chevelle and suggested powershifting. Im glad to hear to just clutch it in and stop then first gear.

Jason, super clean engine bay, and thanks for the words.
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[SC1969c10]

Well messed with the alignment again and it just wont shift 2nd and 3rd now. Did it last night, and again when I got home. I just cant win here. It went 1, 2, 3 smootgly one time. Then got hung up, several times it just went up and dien between arms and never grabbed anything. Seriously thinking of finding a used floor 3 speed.

[oldgold70c10]

Are all the bushings tight? If there is any lost motion, it will not shift right. When you move the levers on the column, the levers on the transmission should move, with no slack in the linkage.

[SC1969c10]

They still wiggle, Ive got the nuts tightened as much as I can without feeling like Im over doing it. The thing that gets me the most is the actual shift lever on the column is flimsy as all get out. What I dont get is how I just did this last week, rode fine for 5 minutes, then now Im back at square one. I also dont have it greased up like a fast food burger as I was waiting till I knew it was good to go or else Id have my hands back in globs of grease.
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[Grumpy old man]

I've got a few of them in the garage ,I'll take some pictures tonight . It's a standard H pattern shifter , Once adjusted with the Trans levers in Neutral you have to pull back to shift into Reverse or first then push forward when shifting up to second and down to third .

[oldgold70c10]

Originally Posted by SC1969c10

They still wiggle, Ive got the nuts tightened as much as I can without feeling like Im over doing it. The thing that gets me the most is the actual shift lever on the column is flimsy as all get out. What I dont get is how I just did this last week, rode fine for 5 minutes, then now Im back at square one. I also dont have it greased up like a fast food burger as I was waiting till I knew it was good to go or else Id have my hands back in globs of grease.
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Having the nuts tightened up won't help, its slack from the worn rubber bushings that is your enemy here. The other point to look after is the metal sleeves that go thru the bushings. Make sure they are there, if not, when you tighten everything up, it will just make it feel tight until you cycle thru the gears, then it loosens up and you are back to square one.
What would probably give you the most bang and allow you to keep the three-on-the-tree would be this link rod that Lokar sells. I used one in my burb to connect a factory column to the transmission. The auto transmission linkage between the column and transmission is the same as it is on the 3 speed, and is the weakest link in both.
If you disconnect the linkage from the transmission and shift the two levers at the tans bv hand, you will feel the detent inside the trans. Can you feel the detents when shifting inside the cab?

[SC1969c10]

Originally Posted by oldgold70c10

Having the nuts tightened up won't help, its slack from the worn rubber bushings that is your enemy here. The other point to look after is the metal sleeves that go thru the bushings. Make sure they are there, if not, when you tighten everything up, it will just make it feel tight until you cycle thru the gears, then it loosens up and you are back to square one.
What would probably give you the most bang and allow you to keep the three-on-the-tree would be this link rod that Lokar sells. I used one in my burb to connect a factory column to the transmission. The auto transmission linkage between the column and transmission is the same as it is on the 3 speed, and is the weakest link in both.
If you disconnect the linkage from the transmission and shift the two levers at the tans bv hand, you will feel the detent inside the trans. Can you feel the detents when shifting inside the cab?

Is this what your talking about?
https://www.jegs.com/p/Lokar/Lokar-Column-Shift-Billet-Linkage-Kit/749836/10002/-1

I have to be brutally honest, without being more experienced with transmissions, I wouldnt know if I was feeling it or not.

Metal sleeves are in bushings, didnt seem worn or in any way damaged
Is it possible to have over tightened the cam? Started to tinker today only to have same results so I just walked away.
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[oldgold70c10]

Originally Posted by SC1969c10

Is this what your talking about?
https://www.jegs.com/p/Lokar/Lokar-C...49836/10002/-1

I have to be brutally honest, without being more experienced with transmissions, I wouldnt know if I was feeling it or not.

Metal sleeves are in bushings, didnt seem worn or in any way damaged
Is it possible to have over tightened the cam? Started to tinker today only to have same results so I just walked away.
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Yes, that is it. For a manual, use 2 kits and do not use the lever that comes with the kit, just the rods. The rods will have to be bent to match the originals for clearance. A low-buck alternative is to go to the hardware store and use bronze bushing sleeves in place of the rubber and plastic bushings that the factory used. Will probably cost less than $15.

Yes, it is possible to over tighten the cam. You want to adjust it so that the part in between the two levers can engage only one lever, and then when you pull the shift handle towards you it will engage the other lever. Also make sure that when one lever is engaged and moved from the neutral point, that the middle part is blocked from disengaging the lever it is engaged with. It might be that when you have this all adjusted, you can hold the lever halfway while everything is in neutral and the middle part will engage on both levers, but as long as it cannot disengage one lever until both levers are in neutral position, this is OK.
At this point you should take the rods off the the transmission and operate the two levers by hand to make sure they work correctly and that the problem isn't actually at the transmission. One lever is the 1st/reverse, the other is the 2nd/3rd. Move one lever from neutral to a gear, you should feel the detent inside the transmission cause the lever to snap into position. The other lever still in neutral should be locked into the neutral position now, an interlock mechanism inside the transmission prevents being in 2 gears at once. Check both levers this way in all combinations.
Once you have that, adjust the neutral point, using the 3/16" drill bit as others have mentioned. This is the tricky part, and is where the bushings need to be tight, no slop, because the column and transmission work together to perform the shifting action. Every time you operate the shifter, when you return the transmission to neutral, the levers on the column should always return to where you adjusted them, and not be off, if they are off, it means the bushings are worn or the pinch bolts are not holding.

[Jason Banks]

Take the pin out that holds the shift lever in...pull out the shift lever and spray a ton of WD40 in the hole. Put the lever back on and run the shifter through the gears as best you can. I would follow this up at another time with some 'light oil' of some type that will stick around better than the WD40.

I also still wonder about the fluid level in the trans, since having low fluid can make it difficult to get into gear sometimes.

[SC1969c10]

Thats the only thing left that I havent done, check that actual fluid level in the tranny. Sprayed the shift lever real good last week when I took the column apart. Watched a handful of youtube videos on these things for both repairing and driving to see if Im missing something

Adjusting/aligning
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2TCHzIvAvRQ

Lubing shifter in cab
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M2QzaV2S0Gg

Both pretty helpful videos

Tried the aligning 4 times tonight with no success.

[SC1969c10]

Is it possible to convert to a floor shifter without swamping the entire transmission out?
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[SC1969c10]

Originally Posted by SC1969c10

Is it possible to convert to a floor shifter without swamping the entire transmission out?
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I think I just answered my own question

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/huu-3670006?seid=srese1&cm_mmc=pla-google-_-shopping-_-srese1-_-hurst-shifters&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr6ipzMPr3AIVCLnACh15nAe0EAQYAiABEgJy2_D_BwE
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[Grumpy old man]

That's just the install kit ,You need to add another $225.00 for the shifter so about $400.00 to convert to floor shift .

[slowcpe]

Good info in this thread. While mine's not this bad 1-2 shift can be a bit difficult and on a couple of occasions I've had to pop the hood and re-align the levers. Looks like I need to order some new bushings!

[BCOWANWHEELS]

Yep the top and bottom bushings are bad. Common........ You can change em out in 10 minutes

[SC1969c10]

Can someone snap a picture of theirs? I just noticed while re-watching this youtube video
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2TCHzIvAvRQ

The nut holding his 2nd/3rd gear arm is on the inside of the lever, where mine is outside.
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[Jason Banks]

My rods are on like you have pictured in this post:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...2&postcount=32

The rods are toward the front of truck on the arms and the nuts are towards the firewall.

This picture is before my underhood cleanup: