I need help removing my shifter. I bought a rebuild kit, and the instructions show a shaft with a c-clip, where I have a threaded bolt. My service manual shows both on the same page (pg 7-9, figure 10-3, 15-4), one with a bolt (acutally 2 bolts) and one with a shaft and a c-clip.

I also have 2 magazine articles, detailing rebuilding of the shifter. None tell you how to remove it from the car, and none show a threaded bolt.

What gives ? Thanks!

 

You've got to get under to car and take it out. Corvette 4 speed shifters bolt to a bracket and not to the tailshaft like some other 4 speed GM products. Anyway, get the car up on jack stands and you can do it two ways:

1. Remove the shifter and bracket as a unit.
2. Remove the shifter from the bracket.

Method 1 - You will need to jack the back of the trans up a little to get the shifter/bracket assembly out(read: unbolt the rear trans mount). You will see what bolts need to be removed from the bracket to get it out.

Method 2 - The shifter is held on the bracket by two bolts. They are hard to get to but not impossible. The heads are on the driver’s side of the shifter.

You'll have to remove your shift rods from either the trans or the shifter. It is easier to remove them at the trans and have them installed on the shifter when you reinstall.

When installing it it helps to have someone in the car to hold the shifter while you get a couple of bolts started. Keep in mind that if you do unbolt the rear of the trans and remove the mount you can do some serious damage to your distributor/firewall if you let the back of the trans fall with nothing to keep it up where it's suppose to be. One other thing is if you install the shifter and it hits the front of the center console opening you'll need to shim the bracket and get it back to the center of the opening.

The last time I had mine out I adjusted it for short throw. One of the best mods I've done. Check your link brackets on the transmission and see if there are two holes instead of one where the links connect. If you have two then you can set it up for short throw too.

Good luck

BTW - If you don't have an AIM get one. It has some great pictures of the shifter installation.

 

: Its a pita job but you can do it so get out those jack stands

 

Hmm. I kind of figured this was going to be a lot more involved than the 2 page article in the magazine. I will start on this tomorrow. Cars on stands already, so I'll get crackin' on it. Thanks for the replies and the instructions. I'll post back here when things progress.

 

That's weird. My shifter doesn't look anything like that. I have a Muncie. What is yours?

 

Two bolts hold the shifter to the bracket. I have found it easier to get to the upper bolt from inside the car. Remove the shift console (with the shift boot) and then the lower shift boot (lots of little screws), then you can use an open end wrench to loosen the upper bolt on the shifter. Also, if the lower boot is ripped or has a hole, this is a major area where heat can enter the passenger compartment. A new lower shift boot will help the issue.

 

I have the M21 Close Ratio trans, and I'm assuming the shifter is a Muncie, also. However, the Service Manual for '70 shows two different configurations: one shifter with two bolts holding it to the trans (like mine), and another with just a machined pin, but it doesn't show how it's mounted. I'll have a better feel for it, when I remove it today. I'll post pics later.

 

Please be sure to follow up, I'm getting ready to rebuild my '68 shifter

 

I got the shifter out of the car. Total time thinking how I'm going to get it out: 1hr. Actual time removing it: about 15 min.

Here's what I did, after following Andies advice...

Why the Service Manual, and two magazines, including Corvette Enthusiast (my favorite) couldn't have spelled that out, is a mystery.

Also, I'm clear now on the parts. I couldn't tell before, that the mounting bolt ran through the shaft pin that is going to be replaced.

Time to let it soak in my parts washer overnight.

More to come...

 

Here's a few more pics from today's disassembly.
One shows the main pin next to the new pin.
The chrome shifter has some play in it. The round part is pressed into the square part (I read this in a mag). It has a little play in it, so I plan on spot welding it to make it solid again.

 

ATC - Here are some pictures of my rebuild. It makes a world of difference just by installing the kit. I also set mine up for short throw (stated above). My first to second shift is about 2 inches.
To setup for short throw you use an alignment tool to get the shifter in N position and it also holds it in place. After this you adjust the rod ends that attach to the trans so that they line up with the holes that you were not using (Holes closest to the trany shift rods shaft that come out of the side of the trans). The dimensions for the tool are in the Haynes Manual. I made mine own. It's almost impossible to get to the slot from under the car. I went through the top since I had the console out.

 

Thank Andies for the pics and instructions.. I had planned on changing it to a short-throw, after reading your post, but I wasn't aware of having to align neutral. I did see that same diagram or instruction in the service manual, I think; I know I've seen it recently...

I'm waiting on getting my shift lever spot welded. Should have that done this week, then I can put it back together and back into the car.

Mark

 

The shifter rebuild kit comes with two shift interlock pieces. These items wear out on the shifter. They give you two - one normal thickness, and the other thicker, in case there's too much lateral slop in the mechanism.

My question is: how tight do you want the shifter to be? I can get the thicker link in the shifter, but it makes for some tight movement with the shift linkage. If I put the normal-sized one in, it feels a little loose, like the old one. Do you think the thicker one will loosen up eventually? I'm kinda on the fence on this one. If I put the thinner one in, I'm afraid it will feel sloppy like before I rebuilt it. But if this thicker one doesn't loosen up, I'm afraid it might end up feeling like a truck shifter.

Any advice, thanks !

 

It's been almost 10 years since I rebuilt mine and I think I ran into the same thing you are as far as the "tightness" with the two different size shims. If I remeber right I used the thin one with one of the originals and it worked out good. I had the same concerns using the thick one and it being tight and the thin one being too loose.

 

I know it’s been long ago since this was written, but can you please let me know how can, the lower bolt that hold the shifter to the bracket, be loosen. I can’t see how the hell access to that one, it’s driving me crazy, no matter whether I try it from the inside or under the car.

Thanks in advance