shifting problem
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Junior User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 63
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From: Roseville
shifting problem
I just bought a 1956 f100. It has a (i believe) a 1995 steering column. I notice that going into each gear is kind of tricky. Explanation: when going from park into reverse if you just barely move it, it will go into another gear. once in place its find...doesnt pop out or anything, just a sensitivity issue. Question, is this something to do with transmission or is adjustment somewhere in column or linkage? this is all kind of new to me, so bear with the non technical jargon! let me know if I need to explain a little clearer..thanks!
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 8,813
Likes: 13
From: Littleton, New Hampshire
My guess is that the linkage where it is attached to the arm on the transmission is traveling in too short of an arc. Lengthening the arm will make the shifting of gears at the steering column further apart which should make shifting less "sensitive". The only problem with that is that you still want the pointer on the column to point to the correct gear so you have to be careful about how much you lengthen the arm. I have had to make a similar change on a car I had years ago. What I did was just weld an extension on to the arm coming off the transmission where the linkage attaches. A little bit goes a long way though. You may need only a 1/2 inch or so of extra length. There might be some kind of adjustment you can do to the linkage to accomplish this other than actually removing the arm and replacing it with one longer or extending the existing one but I doubt it. Is your linkage homemade? Is there any adjustment in it? Usually, the only adjustment you have is in centering the pointer at the column... 
Last edited by GreatNorthWoods; Jan 13, 2007 at 11:20 AM.
Postmaster
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,190
Likes: 2
From: Riverside, So Cal
Just another thought: if lengthening a lever would fix the problem, I would lengthen the tranny shift lever. I would first prototype it with something that clamps on and adjust that until I liked it.
That way, the column pointer would still point correctly, but the tranny selector lever would move farther.
Of course I may have no idea what the problem is. I was just hoping Vern was on to something.
That way, the column pointer would still point correctly, but the tranny selector lever would move farther.
Of course I may have no idea what the problem is. I was just hoping Vern was on to something.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,493
Likes: 7
From: Erie, pa
Without knowing what Steering Column and what Transmission you have, my best guess is that the prevous owner/builder cludged stuff together to make something that was not intended to work in harmony appear to in a effort to prove their mechanical prowess.
