The C4 I put in my 68 came from a 79 LTD. The LTD had a column shift so the shift lever on the side of the C4 is pointing downward as needed (as opposed to upward for a floor shift). But the LTD had a bellcrank style of linkage that I couldn't use so I tossed it. I have a column installed that came from a 76 F100. The one piece rod from the column down to the lever on the tranny came from the 76 F100 that had a c6. I was pretty pleased with myself that I got it hooked up without much trouble BUT, the throw is out of proper ratio. With park lined up on the shift indicator on the column and the tranny in park I can shift down through the gears but when the tranny's in low the indicator goes barely past drive. I get the impression that there is a multitude of choices when it comes to the shift levers on the C4. I should probably try to get one off a vehicle that had a column shift with a single rod down to the C4. Did any dents come with a C4? Any idea where I could source a better lever?

 

When I put the '78 tilt column in my '69 F100 (240/C4), I wasn't sure I would be able to reuse my original column-to-transmission linkage.

I thought I might have to take some 3/8" rod and some Heim joints and make a linkage. As it turned out, my stock linkage worked.

It has several inches of threaded length, on the upper end of the linkage rod, to adjust the position of the selector out with.

The length of the shift lever on the side of the (car) C-4 is probably shorter than what would have been on a C-4 from a truck.

This is a (step case, also known as a case fill) transmission shift lever that I took from passenger car C-4.





This is what the shift lever looks like on the side of my (flare case, also known as a pan fill) truck C-4. --notice the arm is longer than the lever from the passenger car.

 

I suspect there's been several different levers over the years. The shift lever on this 79 C4 doesn't look like either of those. It's probably in between those two in terms of length. I think if I had that short one it would work better. The shorter one would require more throw from the column shifter so my gear indicator would be more accurate. I'm going to have to get an accurate measurement of mine so I know what I have and then look for a shorter one. Not an easy part to shop around for. Not many transmissions still in the wrecker vehicles around here and if there is a tranny it'll be hard to see the part or remove it.

 

There are aftermarket linkages, as I am sure you know. I am looking at Lokar when the time comes to install the C4 in my f100. They have the shift linkage and transmission kickdown components they say are needed.
Lokar: GM & Ford C-4/C-6 Adjustable Column Shift Linkage

 

C6 first offered as an option in 1978 F100/250 with 300 I-6 & F100/150 302. But the C4 was also available in 1978/79.

None of the car related linkage parts will be the same as the trucks.

Cars have the NSS mounted on the trans, as do 1978/79 F100/350's. 1967/77 F100/350's have the NSS mounted on the steering column.

1967/77 F100/350: NSS is the same C4/C6 / 1978/79: F100/250 C4 uses a different NSS than F100/350 C6.

D3TZ-7A256-A .. C4 Manual Control Selector Lever / Obsolete ~ No Ford dealer or obsolete parts vendor has any.

Applications: 1973/77 F100/250 240/300 & F100/150 302.

 

Yep. When I converted my '69 fixed steering column to a '78 tilt column, this left me without a NSS at the lower end of the steering column, inside the truck.

All I could find was a transmission shift lever designed for a NSS from a passenger car C-4. I got it and brought it home. I already knew before I got it that it was different from my existing C-4 lever but, I figured I could, A) weld a piece of metal to the forward end of the passenger car transmission lever to extend it out to the same length as my existing lever or, B) take my existing lever out of my C-4 and have two slots machined into the shoulder (just like on the passenger car lever) and then I would be able to install the NSS I bought (new) for a '78 model pickup.

The shoulder diameter of my truck's transmission lever is the same diameter as the shoulder on the passenger car lever. My truck's lever just doesn't (presently) have the two machined slots in it. If they were there, the transmission-mounted NSS could be installed onto the original lever on the side of my C-4 transmission.

From that point, all I would have to do is run four wires from the NSS on the transmission, back into the truck, and then plug them into the original four-slot bullet terminal harness connector that's under the dash.