I'm a little stumped here. I installed the shifter conversion kit from ecklers. After looking at the R4 I counted that it has 6 positions. So why then does the shifter only shift into 5 positions in the console? It doesn't make sense to me but maybe you guys can help :confused:

 

6? I dunno how its setup, but I'd think it would need 7....

P
R
N
D
3
2
1

but anyway, back to the origional question. perhaps you have missadjusted something between the shifter and the tranny(I forgot what you call that little rod thingy)

Daniel
PS. If your only missing one then its probably 1'st gear...if you don't plan to manually shift the tranny, then thats really no biggie I don't think. But its still good to fix it before you put everything back togetehr.

 

I find it very strange that it would do something like this. But I'm gonna wait and see what the other guys who have done this conversion say about it. I tried to put it in another way and it only seems to fit in one spot...so I'm a little confused. Top that with the fact that I lost my instructions. :D

 

If I could just rank for a minute. I'm installing the cooling lines in the trans now. If any of you who are reading this are going to put in a 700R4 in the future do yourself a favor and install the lines while you are raising up the trans. If not you will be in the same royal nightmare that I am in. :mad Becuase after the trans is up in position the lines are THE biggest pain in the butt to install.

 

I haven't done it in a C-3, but I swapped one into my 69 Chevelle. I used a B&M Megashifter, but the concept should still be the same. I ended up (TIRES BLOCKED FULLY OR ON JACKSTANDS!!!) putting the tranny into neutral from under the car with the shifter disconnected, then I put the shifter into neutral, and saw if the 2 settings jived or not. If I set the shifter in park and the tranny in park, I often was not able to get all my gears. Using the neutral method was always a sure shot considering I had the tranny out 4 times.

About the 6 detents instead of 7...some Camaro's that had a non-performance axle ratio were not able to pass federal noise regulations in the lowest detent gear under WOT. The Camaro's that had the performance ratio had already shifted by the time they got to the recording instrument, so they were allowed to have 1st gear detent, but the ones with the non-performance hadn't shifted yet and the noise was too loud, so no 1st detent for them on the console. Maybe Ecklers went that route.

I also had a $200 T-bird with headers. On that one, the linkage hit the header. In order to get in park from drive, you had to pull the shifter to 1, then as far up as it would go, then back to neutral, and finally in park :D -Matt-

 

I talked to a guy who had done a conversion on a 79 a few weeks ago. He mentioned that he had to cut a notch in the console shift plate in order for the shifter to go into 1. He also said that 82s, which were originally equipped with the 700r4, wouldn't shift into first unless you cut the notch. Whether that's true about the 82s I don't know. Maybe somebody with an 82 would chime in here and let us know. Maybe that's what's keeping yours from selecting first.
Just a thought
Jason :chevy :flag

 

I think that you guys are on to something here. I'm sure that the trans will shift into the first gear, it's just that the detent just doesn't have enough travel available to it. I'm wondering if any of the guys who did the conversion in their C3 cut the detent? If they did, I'm wondering if the shifter had enough room to shift that far down.

 

Found this place and it seems pretty informative.
http://www.bowtieoverdrives.com/Corvette'sIntro.htm

 

You dont need a new shifter! I havent seen the conversion from ecklers. Take the one you have and grind another click in it for first gear. The 82 uses the same shifter as 69 up, when pull back for first gear it is really in 2nd gear. The indicator will be the same as the 400 or the 350.
Also a couple of other thing you are going to run into- the shift cable bracket where it bolts on trans is going to have to be modified and adjusted for proper gear selection.
Another if your vett has a 400 in it you are going to need an outputshaftfrom a 76 or newer i thinkat least one that had a turbo350, and it has to be a vett outputshaft.

 

I did that, but wouldn't you know, the lines came a bit loose, so I just cut a 4 3/8ths inch hole in the tunnel so I could get a wrench on them, then re-sealed with a bathroom drain plastic housing glued and covered with duct tape, put carpet back and forgetaboutit.....makes it easier in future too....
I did the same sort of thing to the driver's side near shifter too....only used original glass with metal strips and screws and ton's of RTV to seal....works fine....

sometimes it just ain't worth fighting, take the easy way....

GENE

 

Thanks guys. It's too bad I've already spent $125 at Ecklers (eh RIPOFF!). I should've just ground another click into the old one.