'79 Shifter Adjustment
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,583
Likes: 5
From: Richardson Tx.
'79 Shifter Adjustment
I have read the archived posts on this topic and it seems, in a nutshell, the way to do this adjustment is to loosen the 2 nuts on each lever at the tranny and then begin moving the levers at the base of the shifter so that the alignment tool can go through the rectangular notch of all 3 levers at the shifter base.
I don't have the official alignment tool so I used a small hex wrench to start inside of the notch. I have since made more of a flat object by cutting up a small flat putty knife piece.
The question is: how can you tell when the notch is aligned on all 3 levers? Should the tool go straight through the notch in all 3 in a fairly easy fashion?
I guess that you have to wiggle each lever until you feel the tool going in farther?
I don't have the official alignment tool so I used a small hex wrench to start inside of the notch. I have since made more of a flat object by cutting up a small flat putty knife piece.
The question is: how can you tell when the notch is aligned on all 3 levers? Should the tool go straight through the notch in all 3 in a fairly easy fashion?
I guess that you have to wiggle each lever until you feel the tool going in farther?
Last edited by 79vetter; Jun 7, 2006 at 08:43 PM.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,583
Likes: 5
From: Richardson Tx.
Anyone else do this?
I was thinking about taking a hammer to the shifter bracket so that there would not be any gap between the levers on the control lever shaft. I have heard that over time the shifter bracket expands making shifting sloppy. I also considered putting a washer in between the levers to make it tigher.
I was thinking about taking a hammer to the shifter bracket so that there would not be any gap between the levers on the control lever shaft. I have heard that over time the shifter bracket expands making shifting sloppy. I also considered putting a washer in between the levers to make it tigher.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 2
From: Sherwood Park AB
Not sure, but I know what the recommended tool is.
Make a tool out of a scraper, cut the end 5/8" wide and 1 inch long. Bend this portion at a 35 degree angle. Chamfer the ends to 45 degrees.
Make a tool out of a scraper, cut the end 5/8" wide and 1 inch long. Bend this portion at a 35 degree angle. Chamfer the ends to 45 degrees.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,583
Likes: 5
From: Richardson Tx.
I decided to this:
Instead of trying to insert the tool into the notch while the shifter was mounted, I decided to take it out. I then aligned the gates perfectly as if I was going to install the alignment tool. I then painted a white line going all the way across all the levers on the back side of the shifter so that I could view the levers orientation to this line when installed. I installed lever - aligned all the levers onto the white line and then tightened down the nuts on the shifter rods.
Result:
Not too good. The shifter SOMETIMES feels good and other times feels terrible- meaning it won't go into a gear some of the time. Keep in mind this is all with the engine off and disconnected- (the car is not running presently). Sometimes I will go from Neutral to first and back 10 times and it feels smooth and then as soon as I go to 2nd and then back to first I can 't get it into gear or it is very difficult. It seems that 2nd and 4th feel better than 1st and 3rd. Reverse feels great.
I had also read on another post that the shifter bracket wears by expanding- creating small gaps between the levers riding on the shaft. I had small gaps so I used a press to ever so slightly narrow the gaps on the shifter bracket.
Any ideas out there?
Instead of trying to insert the tool into the notch while the shifter was mounted, I decided to take it out. I then aligned the gates perfectly as if I was going to install the alignment tool. I then painted a white line going all the way across all the levers on the back side of the shifter so that I could view the levers orientation to this line when installed. I installed lever - aligned all the levers onto the white line and then tightened down the nuts on the shifter rods.
Result:
Not too good. The shifter SOMETIMES feels good and other times feels terrible- meaning it won't go into a gear some of the time. Keep in mind this is all with the engine off and disconnected- (the car is not running presently). Sometimes I will go from Neutral to first and back 10 times and it feels smooth and then as soon as I go to 2nd and then back to first I can 't get it into gear or it is very difficult. It seems that 2nd and 4th feel better than 1st and 3rd. Reverse feels great.
I had also read on another post that the shifter bracket wears by expanding- creating small gaps between the levers riding on the shaft. I had small gaps so I used a press to ever so slightly narrow the gaps on the shifter bracket.
Any ideas out there?
