Lokar tranny cable shifter.

[eagleuh1]

Anybody use one of these on the stock steering housing. This is going on my 68 C20 with 5.3 and 4l60e. There doesn't seem to be enough room to mount this piece on the shaft housing. If you have used this, got any pictures. What do the bolts on the housing hold, can I remove those and put this adapter over that part of the column? Thanks. Jim

[cparman]

I installed one of these in a 55 Chevy wagon. Like your truck, there was not enough room for the mount you show. What I did is to make my own mount. I cannot help with a picture, but what you want to do is to make sure that the cable is pushing the shifter linkage not pulling it. In the kit you have is a curved bracket that will allow the cable to be attached on the left side ( side away from the engine ) of the steering column. This bracket need to be mounted to the factory shift lever. This will allow you to push with the cable not pull. THEN, look at the cable where the two large nuts would tighten up to the bracket with the mount. let the cable relax and 'kind of ' be where you think it should go. Fab up a bracket to hold the cable stationary, leaving some room for adjustment. Between the fabbed bracket and the curved linkage attached the the OE shift lever The cable should be in a straight line. The attachment to the trans should be fairly straight forward. hope this helps. holler at me if you need more. I do not have any pics of what I did.

[cparman]

Just went to Lokar's site, and if you look at the pictures they have I think you will get the idea I tried to explain. The point is you will need to make your own mount. If you installed a 5.3 in your truck, I would think this would be a simple thing for you to do. If I did, I know you can read my avatar

[big_al_71]

I have one in my truck also but if I remember correctly mine looks slightly different and it is a lokar also..let me see I can take a pict for you tonight.

[eagleuh1]

Thanks cparman. Yeh, I already had that running through my mind. I didn't think I was going to be able to use this bracket. Wish I was back in Atlantic Beach. Probably going to try and come down and visit my step mom next summer. The 5.3 went in pretty easy. It's everything you got to do to hook it up thats the hard part. LOL. Workin on it though. Had the engine in an S10 Blazer for 2 years, put 20,000 miles trouble free on it. Gonna love having something that doesn't whack the bumpstops while towing my travel trailer.

[short-t]

Pictures of this installed on a 68 C10 can be seen here in post #8

http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/conver...ng-hauler.html


Ok I'll just add the pic!

[eagleuh1]

Thanks for the pic short-t. But I don't think I have that much room on my shaft where he has that mounted.

[OldCreek]

In order to get mine to fit, I pushed the column down further into the engine bay. It gave me more steering wheel clearance to get into the cab. You'll have to partially collapse the intermediate steering shaft, etc.

Sometimes I wonder if I should have went with the Lokar shift rod instead of the cable.

[short-t]

Originally Posted by OldCreek

In order to get mine to fit, I pushed the column down further into the engine bay. It gave me more steering wheel clearance to get into the cab. You'll have to partially collapse the intermediate steering shaft, etc.

Sometimes I wonder if I should have went with the Lokar shift rod instead of the cable.

Why?

[Hubscrub]

i too have the cable shifter but i haven't got it adjusted to get all the gears just P R OD D but i had to grind on the alum. piece and and remove a bump on the column, i also used the round thing with the holes in it welded it to the piece on the column where the oringinal shifter hooks up if i can't adjust it to get all the gears i am going to make me another mount for the cable maybe that mounts on the firewall

[OldCreek]

Well, it seems that the rod is easier to deal with. The cable bracket needs to be removed anytime I need to manipulate the column to pull it in or out from the firewall....for example, when I need to adjust the intermediate shaft connectors, etc. It barely fits between the 1ton booster and brace. And, as stated above, it takes a bit more time to adjust it to get the shifter pointer to line up, etc.

I don't know, maybe it's just me.

[eagleuh1]

Hey, thanks for all the replies. I should be able to get to work on it on Friday.

[short-t]

Originally Posted by eagleuh1

Hey, thanks for all the replies. I should be able to get to work on it on Friday.

Any luck getting it to work? Post up some pictures so we can see how it turned out.

[eagleuh1]

Yes. Thanks for all the replies. I had to grind the bumps off the column and cut the tang off the bracket that bolts to the brake booster. And sand the billet aluminum to make it fit. The tranny bracket is meant for an older tranny, not a 4l60e with the pnp switch. Its a funky angle to the shifter tang, so I'm going to cut the bracket and modify it to allow straighter approach. Also, the cables alittle short for my setup with the engine back farther than normal. Got to do some minor adjustment to get it to be in the indicated gear and the backup lights to come on in indicated reverse. Here's some pics.

[OldCreek]

Agree with above. I've got the same experiences as Eagleuh1. I dont like the angle at the transmission cable bracket either.

I got it all to work out. I didn't grind the bump stops on the column though. I pushed my column in to give more steering wheel clearance and switch to U-joints on the intermediate shaft.

[eagleuh1]

Thats a good fix also. I guess I'll have to do that also if I keep the truck. I'm slowly expanding toward it( the steering wheel). Was the cable long enough for you with an engine in normal position?

[weircc]

how does this work with the ididit column??

[eagleuh1]

Don't know, anybody. They have 2 different sizes, for stock and aftermarket columns. I think theres a 1/4 inch difference in diameter of the adapter.

[Hubscrub]

here is mine i am thinking maybe someday makeing a different mount for the cable and have it come off the firewall, but works good can get P R N OD D just not 2 1

[eagleuh1]

Hubscrub, can't tell, but is your extension piece welded to the shifter bracket on the column. That looks like it would be lined up better than the way mine is. I looked at doing it that way, but I think I would have had to push the column out a lot more to clear the aluminum piece on the firewall at the bottom tip. Works good the way you have it though?

[Hubscrub]

Originally Posted by eagleuh1

Hubscrub, can't tell, but is your extension piece welded to the shifter bracket on the column. That looks like it would be lined up better than the way mine is. I looked at doing it that way, but I think I would have had to push the column out a lot more to clear the aluminum piece on the firewall at the bottom tip. Works good the way you have it though?

yes it is welded i didn't want to drill two holes and the weld was so much easier anyways, it does work good i can get P R N OD D i think if i engineer something to mount the cable to the fire wall i could get 2 and 1 because the way the alum. piece is now the cable hits the column while moving to the lower gears but overdrive and drive is really all i need anyways

[OldCreek]

My motor is moved forward a few inches...but the cable seems long enough. The bracket could also be attached a bolt or two forward on the tranny pan...?

[eagleuh1]

If we're not doing something wrong???, this is a fairly poorly engineered piece for our trucks. In my opinion anyways. But it is kind of a fairly universal kit I guess.

[Hubscrub]

yes i am kinda dissapointed with it, and the cost of it too

[Holliday]

I know this is old but it helped me when I installed mine. It works good if you don't want to ever put it in 1st gear but all the others work great.

If you have no other options for your shifter linkage rod and don't want to put in a floor shift then this is the way to go.