shifter linkage??
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 857
Likes: 1
From: Morrisonville Illinios
shifter linkage??
My 19yr old son is a little sad trying to get the coupe ready for Funfest and have a little set back. WE have gotten all the interior back in on our 71 coupe, Now the shifter linkage will not lets us go into reverse, 1st/2nd. The only way we could get it to work was to remove the trim plate from the center console and the stick still hits the side of the center console when we go into reverse still. When we bought this car the interior was out but it would shift ok. It is a 350 4spd with ac nothing fancy. Could the linkage be out of adjustment?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated
Thanks gang wro87
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated
Thanks gang wro87
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,729
Likes: 267
From: Austin Texas
Corvette of the Year Winner 2017
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
Yes the linkage may be out of adjustment, either it is not aligned or the trigger pull pin is not releasing properly. you might also remove the reverse arm from underneath, to verify the Tranny is not jamming up. There is an aligment procedure,
my best guess is the reverse pin is not releasing if everything else seems ok.
one other thing, if you still have the Reverse interlock cable connected, if it is frozen/rusred, this also may prevent shifting into reverse.
good luck...69VETT
my best guess is the reverse pin is not releasing if everything else seems ok.
one other thing, if you still have the Reverse interlock cable connected, if it is frozen/rusred, this also may prevent shifting into reverse.
good luck...69VETT
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,139
Likes: 4,156
From: Kannapolis NC
Re read the original post. There's no way the linkage adjustment can cause the shifter to hit the side of the console. Something isn't bolted up right or the transmission is shifted toward the driver's side of the car somehow. If it shifts fine with the console out, the linkage is ok. Is it possible the shifter is bent?
Maybe the lever at the bottom of the shifter that actually engages the linkage levers to move them back and forth is bent sharply to the driver's side, forcing you to have to move it too far to the left to engage the linkage below.
Maybe the lever at the bottom of the shifter that actually engages the linkage levers to move them back and forth is bent sharply to the driver's side, forcing you to have to move it too far to the left to engage the linkage below.
Last edited by 65GGvert; Sep 20, 2008 at 12:16 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 857
Likes: 1
From: Morrisonville Illinios
Yes the linkage may be out of adjustment, either it is not aligned or the trigger pull pin is not releasing properly. you might also remove the reverse arm from underneath, to verify the Tranny is not jamming up. There is an aligment procedure,
my best guess is the reverse pin is not releasing if everything else seems ok.
one other thing, if you still have the Reverse interlock cable connected, if it is frozen/rusred, this also may prevent shifting into reverse.
good luck...69VETT
my best guess is the reverse pin is not releasing if everything else seems ok.
one other thing, if you still have the Reverse interlock cable connected, if it is frozen/rusred, this also may prevent shifting into reverse.
good luck...69VETT
Thanks wro87
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,970
Likes: 45
From: Cameron Park CA
The shift lever bolts into the shifter "pivot assembly" for lack of a better term. Check that it's bolted together properly. My '69 shifter has always rubbed against the console in reverse since I bought it at 2,500 miles. So it's tight even when assembled correctly.Cheers,
Pete
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,729
Likes: 267
From: Austin Texas
Corvette of the Year Winner 2017
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
also the 2 attachment points where the shifter bolts to the mount,
frequently breaks loose, make sure the bolts will tighten down good and tight,
you are referreing to a stock shifter ? Correct, ? not a Hurst or another type.
you might loosen the bolts for the shifter mount and see if you can get some extra space distance, by shifting the mount over slightly.
The corvette shifter does not mount to the tranny, but is is close to it.
I just looked at mine, there is a space of app. 1/4 -3/8 between the shifter mount and the transmmission. good luck ...69VETT
frequently breaks loose, make sure the bolts will tighten down good and tight,
you are referreing to a stock shifter ? Correct, ? not a Hurst or another type.
you might loosen the bolts for the shifter mount and see if you can get some extra space distance, by shifting the mount over slightly.
The corvette shifter does not mount to the tranny, but is is close to it.
I just looked at mine, there is a space of app. 1/4 -3/8 between the shifter mount and the transmmission. good luck ...69VETT
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 857
Likes: 1
From: Morrisonville Illinios
GOOD throught it is a stock shifter now and it looks like the PO might had installed it for we found a OLD HURST shifter with the White shift **** but no linkage. Could he possiblly removed the shifter and bolted the t-handle in place of the Hurst stuff. Tring to bolt a GM to the hurst linkage I would not have thought it would work will start to look into that also. Thanks wro87
wro87
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
Also check the E-clip at the left side of the pin that holds the shifter assembly together. The shifter on my 72 was really sloppy and I found that the E-clip was mangled and almost falling off. You have to squeeze the bracket together with a vice grip to get a new clip in but a little effort and $.24 at the hardware store resulted in a much tighter shifter.
Rick B.
Rick B.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 857
Likes: 1
From: Morrisonville Illinios
OK Gang Heres an Update!!
Got the Car up on the Lift last night and finally able to look up to see whats going on. The rear trany mount is pretty well shot is craked and about 1/2 as thick as the new poly one we have for replacement. On the linkage it seems that most of the holddown pins have been replaced with cotter keys and some of the shimes are missing on both side of the linkage.
Now where can I buy some shimes and tranny clips? Can I just use some SS shim material and better cotter keys and can I really change them out with out pulling the tranny (Looks to be a real PIA some of the exhaust is welded) or can I change them all out with out pulling it.
Thanks again Gang WRO87
PS on the fornt of the tranny there seems to be some type of switch I found a smashed spad on a wire hangin but would the swith have a slip on spad or a bolt on is this the TRC switch?
Got the Car up on the Lift last night and finally able to look up to see whats going on. The rear trany mount is pretty well shot is craked and about 1/2 as thick as the new poly one we have for replacement. On the linkage it seems that most of the holddown pins have been replaced with cotter keys and some of the shimes are missing on both side of the linkage.
Now where can I buy some shimes and tranny clips? Can I just use some SS shim material and better cotter keys and can I really change them out with out pulling the tranny (Looks to be a real PIA some of the exhaust is welded) or can I change them all out with out pulling it.
Thanks again Gang WRO87
PS on the fornt of the tranny there seems to be some type of switch I found a smashed spad on a wire hangin but would the swith have a slip on spad or a bolt on is this the TRC switch?
Last edited by wro87; Sep 26, 2008 at 01:42 PM.
