Good morning, it's me again....'56 f100 with a 302 and AOD trans. I thought after watching some Lokar videos on Utube I knew what shifter combo I needed. Thought I needed the one with the adjustable brackets that go on top. The shifter bolts to the brackets and connects to the trans with a threaded rod. I called Lokar and a tech told me that I needed the shifter that works with the cable. I have recently received conflicting tech advise from the same company so I don't feel very confident in making an investment. What LOKAR shifter option did you choose? How did it turn out? Are you using bench or bucket seats? I will be using a bench seat. Thanks!!!

 

I've got the one with the threaded rod. I heated and bent the rod with a small dog leg in the middle to make it look better to me. (less angled at the tranny and shifter) I'm sure it woud have worked without the bend but it seemed to be asking a lot from the heim joints. I've installed, adjusted the rod and the kickdown cable with a pressure gauge. The truck is on stands but it ran through all gears many times/days just fine. Hope it does as well on the road but so far so good. No problem with the shifter hitting the seat or dash. I have the same engine/tranny with a bench seat

 

Both should work the cable one would be mounted to the floor giving you more options as where to mount it

 

I'm Using the same one as Ringo, and it was a piece of cake to install. I also had to modify the threaded shifter rod. Complete job with bending the rod was under an hour. Good luck.

 

Filthy, did you have to modify your floor boards, firewall, or main crossmember between frame rails to clear motor and tranny? I'm going with Lokar but I have a Y block with Beinstein bell conversion to AOD and its pretty tight if I don't modify main cross member or floorboards.

 

When I got the truck the truck the transmission cross member had already been removed and replaced. I removed the engine cross member. I have seen posts that said maybe it could just be modified. I have the engine as close to the firewall as it can go and the transmission as high as it will go. Didn't have to modify the floor boards. Hope that helps.

 

I've used both the cable type from lokar and the rod type on my 56. I didn't like the cable type because when it was tightened up on the mount to the column it would shift hard and I couldn't feel the detents between when shifting gears. I switched to the rod type, and like above bent a small offset in it and it works just like you would want.


(I forgot to say that when I loosened the mounting screws to try to compensate for the drag on the cable type it would allow the indicator on the column to gradually move off center for which ever gear I was in.)

 

Removing the engine cross member is possibly what allowed you to not have a problem with hitting floorboards or firewall. I was hoping to leave it in and not have to modify it, but with a Y block, I have not come up with the right combo. I'm using the side y block motor mounts and I have some room to wiggle with those, but I think to keep the engine at 3 degrees I'm going to have to do one or the other (raise floor board in that area for more clearance, or modify the stock crossmember to let the transmission come down a little.

 

So many things affect or possibly affect so many other things it often brings the project to a halt. Fortunately for me someone on this site provides information/ inspiration or a photo and gets me over the hump. Sometimes I just have to do SOMETHING even if it's wrong.

 

Yamagrant and Ringo..Can you confirm that this is the model you used. More than one of their units uses the threaded rod. Also, do you remember how far forward on the mount you had to locate the shifter. I think if you go too far forward you have to buy more parts and it uses an additional threaded rod.Matt

 

I hear ya, don't know what I would do if I did not have help here and over on the yblockforever, SPI, and autobodystore.com. Life savers.

 

I am practicing posting photos. This is what I am working with.

 

Nice job on the photos. Clearance looks good. Is the engine mounted in its final resting place and have you set the pinion angle in the rear end?

 

Here Mine:

 

you guys are getting me all stoked to get mine in. Who has the best deal on Lokar Shifters?