I recently purchased my dream car, a 1968 Corvette convertible. While it is in great shape, I have been going through repairing some small items & learning more about the car along the way. To check out an issue with the heat vent cable/lever I removed the shift console. To do so I had to removed the shift **** & reverse lock out rod (t shaped with spring at the top). I (thought I) carefully labeled all parts & documented the order or removal. However, when I put the reverse lock out & shift **** back on I can only shift into reverse, even when not pulling up on the reverse lever... Before removing it was shifting great, the car was just sitting in my garage while I worked on it and I didn't mess with the linkage at all. I feel like I am missing something incredibly simple, but have been searching previous posts & google like crazy and can't figure it out.

I can put the car up on jacks and start checking for linkage issues, but it seems incredible strange that something would have gone wonky with the linkage just sitting in the garage.

I assume it is something to do with the reverse rod not installed or adjusted correctly since I can shift into reverse without pulling on the lever, but for the life of me haven't been able to figure it out. It is super simple: t-shaped rod slides down in the shifter, can only go in one way to set down, spring goes on top of that, **** screws on.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

I did find this diagram online and noticed that I don't seem to have the bushing shown (#33258), but I sure as heck don't remember seeing them when I pulled out the **** & reverse rod...

 

those bushings should be in the handle and normally do not come out.
If you remove the T handle can you shift into every gear?

 

Hey Mel,

I can only get in and out of reverse with the shift (t handle off, t handle on both with and without pulling the reverse handle), can't get to any of the other gears. I just put the car up on jacks and crawled underneath, I am able to grab the linkage arms and shift gears from under there, but the shift handle feels like it is blocked from anything but reverse (trying to push right & up/right & down doesn't do anything/feels frozen).

 

Will it roll when you put it in neutral? All I can think is that your clutch may need a little adjustment. If you leave the shifter apart and just put the **** on it, then start it and see if you get it to roll back under power. Then try getting it into a forward gear with the motor running. I've had that issue before and it might just need a little more clutch possibly

 

Thanks @Rescue Rogers ,

Rolls fine in neutral, the shifting issue occurs even when the motor is off, which I believe would take the clutch out the mix. I can also go in/out of gear by grabbing the linkage and moving it by hand from under the car while the motor is off. Seems to be something with the shifter that I managed to screw up, likely some little thing but for the life of me I haven't been able to pin it down. Something to do with reverse locking out the other gears it seems to me, but that is a guess...

 

When you say you can go into gear from under neath do you mean 1 thru 4? While you are under the car disconnect the linkage from the tranny and then try and move the shift lever from above. THeres just not that much to a shifter, If you can move it left and right in nuetral then it should move. There is a gap under the shift linkage that is used to line up the linkage while in nuetral to align the shifter linkage with the tranny but it would be difficult for something to fall into it, but I guess anything is possible

 

I t is possible something like a spacer slid down into the shifter and it holding it. If it is the shifter after the suggestion I made you can pull the assembly out and check it out on a bench. Then you can rebuild it as well. It has some shims in between the linkage that keeps it operating smooth

 

Thanks @Rescue Rogers , I don't exactly know what I did but it appears sorted now (or at least can run through all the gears properly and in/out of reverse with the motor off). I am going to change the diff oil while it is in the air and then will drive it a bit to ensure it shifts fine while driving. Hate these type of "fixes"... I took the t handle off, made sure it wasn't in reverse (verified the lever on the trans was forward), went back and forth a number of times with 1/2, 3/4 lever by grabbing under the car, then worked the shifter a bit and was able to get into 1,2,3,4. But the t bar back on and was able to pull up to get in into reverse, and then could still run through 1,2,3,4 after pulling it out of reverse.

 

Good job! Heres my shifter rebuild thread. Like I said theres not much to it. It would make an easy winter project. While our under there check you clutch for how much throw you have just incase it needs a small adjustment
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...d-shifter.html

 

You did place the spring on top of the T-handle before screwing on the ****?

 

Yep, that wasn't the culprit - I always put the spring on top of the t-handle and screwed down the **** on top of that.

 

I rebuild my Muncie last winter.I got all help and knowledge from Paul Cangialosi who runs 5speeds.comHis videos are just the best. If you need to buy anything he answers questions.Checkout his videos:https://www.youtube.com/c/GearBoxVideo

 

For anyone that is having similar issues here is the wrap up for the issue with shifter only going into reverse (engine off or on, t-handle pulled or not):

- Lifted the car on jacks and ensured that the can shift gears using the rods by hand
- After playing with the rods and shifter a bit was able to get out of reverse, into 1,2,3,4
- Happened once more, was able to apply a bit more pressure right & up and pop it out of reverse & into normal gears
- Likely culprit is the shifter assembly due to wear & tear- could use a rebuild, @Rescue Ranger thanks for the helpful write up in case I want to take that on
- I sprayed into the plates (?) at the bottom of the shifter with white grease while working in and out of all gears including reverse - that seemed to help a lot

For now I am going to drive as-is, if it reoccurs too often I will take on the rebuild.