The aluminium (sp) broke out of my 3 speed colum so i converted it with a B&M conversion to floor shift. I have always wanted to put it back to colum shift but have been unable to afford or find a colum. Anyone have any suggestions about how much one would cost and where to look? oh... 1981 F100 300cid bored (not sure how much but i saw the reciepts when I bought the motor) Drive it everyday. pic at http://Amortis.yolasite.com

 

The 3 speed column shift was a somewhat rare thing to find in a truck by the time the 1980 models came out, unlike 5-10 years earlier. This makes finding a good used column rather hard 30 years later. Repair parts for the column are *almost* non-existant, partly due to the rather limited time frame in which the 3 speed was offered as the "base" transmission. Sometime around 84-85 it was dropped completely from the offering in favor of a 3 speed with OD (4th) for improved MPG ratings.
I wish you luck in locating the desired parts, just be aware that there are 3-4 new threads every month from someone looking for this stuff. Most just give up and go with a floor shift or trans swap.......

 

Is it the collar on the column? If I recall, I thought I had seen them at LMC or NPD.

 

The Shifting collar on the column, is the most comon thing broken on these transmissions. They are obsolete and very hard to come by for the 3-speed column shift manual transmission. One person on this forum, is having his welded back together as it's his only option to repair, other than converting to floor shift kit.

The 3-speed manual transmission was dropped in 1988. 1987 was the last year it was offered.

The 3-speed was more comon in the econoline, and the shifting collar on it is compatible. But even on the econoline, it was rare in the 80's. 1978-1987 should be compatible for the collar, if you are junk yard diving. The closer you get to 87, the more rare it will be though.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the replys LMC does have some parts but the catalog is hard to determine ifit is the parts i need. page 118 in the new Fall 2010 catalog has column parts except the parts i actually need :-(

 

E0TZ7228D .. Shift Collar / Use w/3 Speed Manual / Obsolete

Fits: 1980/87 F100/150 & Econoline only / 1978/79 F100/150 & Econoline (D9TZ7228C, replaced D8TZ7228A) is not the same.

No Ford Dealer or obsolete parts vendor has any. AFAIK, no one reproduces it, used collars are very hard to find.

 

Thanks for the correction on the above.

And no one at all reproduces it. One guy on here is having to weld his old one back together, as he can't even find a good used one.

 

That's prolly one a the two members I previously searched for one a the lil darlin's for. This thread makes three. And...as Scarlett said, tomorrow is another day.