Our 50 F-3 four speed shifter had so much sloop in it that 3rd gear was some where towards the speaker cover. Left, right or center or where?
The shift lever has a 1/4 inch pin under the big screw in cover that holds the shifter in the transmission. The pin is kind of key shaped on the end that orients the shifter shaft and this pin and the slot it fits into on the shifter are worn.
My fix was to use an end of a 1/4 inch drill bit to replace this pin. It doesn't need the key shape on the end. I used a dremmel to cut the end off the drill bit. I recall that it needs to be about 1/2 inch long. Here is a picture. I did this last year and its working great. My son used to have to pull over sometimes as he couldn't find third gear. All the gears positions are in a much crisper positions shall we say


I had it out today making room to replace the vacuum wiper motor and thought I'd share this simple fix. Patrick


shift lever with slot at top and new pin laying down

 

Clever fix! If you want the real thing, it is p/n B-7221, used forever so easy to find:

32 48 Ford Transmission Shift Tower Lever Lock Pin 1939 Flathead B 7221 | eBay

 

Ross, Using the 1/4 inch drill shaft was better that the real thing. The real thing I think has a key end. The full size drill bit shaft makes up for wear in the hole it fits into and also the slot on the shift shaft.
Unless the real thing when new does not have a keyed end!!! The keyed end looks to be a machined feature though and not just wear. I'll admit that I have not seen a new unworn pin. Patrick

 

A new pin is the prescribed fix. Only potential trouble is with the drill bit is hardness. I guess the original pin was chosen for hardness so it wore instead of the slotted collar into which it fits. In another sixty plus years you may find the collar worn and the pin still good. This is an area that does not get lubrication but should have it. A wad of grease when you assemble it is a good idea.

 

Most all drill bits the shank is soft so chuck jaws can bit into it, hit em with a file you will see.
I was/am looking for thoughts on repairing sloppy **** pin fits into.
How snug is pin in threaded tower?
mine wiggles quite a bit.
Greg

 

The T98 trans has the same pin I and others have used a roller bearing from the counter shaft or in put shaft, I think there are 22 if you rebuild one or have a spare

and they are probably harder than the shifter

 

Gregg (Fishpond) I don't see why the slot couldn't be welded up and the slot filed back to the proper dimension.

 

that would be possible, but not needed. On my shifter the pin was worn in the shape of a coke bottle, the hole it sits in was worn oval and the slot in the shifter worn as well. I drilled out the hole to 5/16” and cut a pin from a piece of steel rod, then filed the slot in the shifter to match. The result is a nice tight shifter. Before the gates were near impossible to find and I’d often hit reverse instead of 4th. Now the gates are nice and clean.

 

When I rebuilt mine, wear was moderate. Sloppy but not impossible to shift. I took a hammer and carefully peened the slot to move some metal back into the groove, squared it up with a file and fitted a new pin. Works well.

The point is, there are a lot of ways to solve this problem and all are satisfactory.

 

Thanks guys for taking the time to share your Ideas, I now have the confidence to move on this,seeing as how the hole for pin, in threaded tower is wallered, and slot is a mess as well, I have milling machines, I am liking the increase size of pin and **** idea,my welding skills suck,so iama gonna mill it to 5/16 and ream the hole as well.
Thanks again guys,
Greg