Shift Lever Problem

[Ralph Shealy]

I decided to put a new shift lever in to perhaps allow me to start the car without lifting up the lever. I got the old lever out, but can't get the new one to go in. I've oiled the bushing, but that is not the problem. I've tried to put the lever in without the bushing and can't get it to go in that way either. Everyone else says this is an easy job. What am I doing wrong?

[SCUMDOG]

Have you tried putting the old one back in to see if it still goes in o.k.??
It may be something simple like not aligning the slot the lever fits into.

BTW Going to go through that excercise myself soon, also (off topic here) has anybody adjusted the starter inhibitor switch at the bottom of the column and how hard is it??,

[Ralph Shealy]

Tried putting the old one back, too, to no avail. I wonder if I knocked something out of place when I removed the original?

[boaterbob]

I never did one, Could the trans linkage and coller on the colum be in differnt locations. Maybe everything has to be in park or nuetral position.

[Harley Eaton]

Did you looked in the hole where the shift lever goes to see if there is an obstruction? Seems like that would have been one of the first things to do. There is a spring loaded button in there that you will need to push down with the lever as you install it. See it in there?

[Ralph Shealy]

Turns out the spring button WAS the obstruction. The sucker was so tight it would have held up the Great Wall of China. Finally, after repeated, and I do mean repeated attempts, and some choice words, I got the button to move and got the lever in.

That was the proble, you did not use CHOICE WORDS in the beginning. HE HE

[Donzie]

Ok, I'm having a simular problem but I AM able to reinstall the old lever. But the new one doesn't want to go in far enough for the pin holes to line up. I found that I need to insert the arm and then turn it clockwise, does this push the "button" forward?

[SCUMDOG]

Well, in my '66 I just put the shifter in with the inner tip facing up towards the steering wheel. (i.e. the shifter knob near the dash).

Once I got the shifter in a fair bit I put a 3" nail in where the rolled-pin goes and use it as a lever to help wriggle the shifter far enough to get the pin in place.

BTW I had my cousin build up the worn part of the shifter with weld then ground it back to shape, seems to hold 100% - before it was a 50-50 thing, although I would like to see it engage the 'Park' position even better.

[Donzie]

Thanks Scumdog, I'll give that a try.

[SCUMDOG]

OK, as per my previous post on this thread, I have fitted my repaired shifter and it holds in 'Park" - but only just, if I pull the shifter only about 3/8" or so towards me it will come out of the 'Park' postition.
Is this normal or should it take more movement to get it out of 'Park'?

If it should take more movement does it mean the quadrant in the steering column is worn at the edge of the 'Park' notch??

And if so what is involved in getting the quadrant out??

Help please!!