The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 3 Speed Column Shifter

Hello everybody.

Has anybody had any experience with adjusting or calibrating the linkages for a 3 speed column shifter? I have a 53 3100. When I tore it apart 16 years ago, the shifter worked fine. I didn't move the adjusters, that attach to the rods and the arms of the column transmission. But, they don't work now. I have read over and over the instructions in the Shop Manual. Been fighting with it for 3 days. Feels as though I am shooting at a moving target. Reverse and 1st, are absoulutly no problem. They work all of the time. It is 2nd and 3rd, that are the issue. Second feels really mushy going in. It will pop out of gear. If I try to put it back, the column shift lever will sometimes travel clear around to 11 o'clock. I can pull it back around, but it sticks in 1st. Other times it get stuck in 3rd. I know some of you are going to suggest, scrapping it and getting a 4 speed. That would be nice. But, I just don't have that option, at this time. I need to make this work. The short linkage, that goes from the bell crank to the 2-3 transmission ear, bumps into the 2 inch round clutch return spring. Anybody have any words of advice? Or know what the problem is? Something else that I thought I would ask about. When transmission is in neutral, the ears on it are at 7 o'clock. Reverse and First, at 12:00 and 2-3 at 7:00. This is looking at is from the side that the ears are on. Is that consistant with everybody elses 3 speed transmissions? I would really appreciate any guidance you have. If you have a picture of your column transmission, that controlls the linkages, that is in working order on your truck, I would really like to see it. Just to make sure it all looks the same.

Thank you in advance.

Rugo

Ended up with a little time today. The lower shots may not be useful- I didn't have time to crawl under or take the trans cover panel off the floor.

I "wrote" the gear on each photo.

Reverse 1

Reverse 2

First 1

First 2

Second 1

Second 2

Third 1

Third 2

EchoBravoSierra,

Thank you taking time to take and post all of the pictures. Not to mention, addressing my question. I really appreciate it. My 53 3100, bell crank is has longer "ears", on it. Perhaps, they changed them somewhere between 1950 and 1953. But other than that, the linkages, column transmission and shift pattern looks the same. The big difference, is that throw from 2nd and 3rd, is much longer on mine. When I attempt to shift into 2nd, it just doesn't have a realy positive feel. I need to figure out why it does that. Along with these pictures, I would also like to see where the ears and linkages are on the actual transmission, when it is in neutral.

If anybody else has any suggestions, other than taking out back an shooting it, I would really appreciate the input.

Thanks again,
Rugo

Pull the cap off the shift box on the steering column and see if the shift fork inside there didn't jump out of place. That happened to my '59. Once I put it back in place, it shifted as it should.

Oops, I think I took a picture of the top half of the linkage in neutral, but forgot to take one of the bottom, and then forgot to upload it. I was in a hurry, had somewhere to be.
Maybe I can get some pictures of the linkages on the side of the trans Sunday when I'm back home if you don't have any yet.

I don't know if this helps. It is a youtube video of a guy adjusting the column shifter on a 68 Chevy. The set up is slightly different but should apply.

3 Speed Shifter Adjustment

Dave,

I have seen that video. It did help to give me a basic idea of what was going on. I had been guilty of not really caring why or how it worked, only that it did work. So, I have been taking a crash course on how and why, since it doesn't. Thank you for taking time to post it though. EchoBravoSierra, I thank you for all of the picutres that you did take and post. I understand that you have a life outside of this forum. If nobody else has posted a picture, before Sunday, I will look forward to seeing what your transmission linkages look like in neutral.

Thanks again,
Rugo

Good news, I now know every conceivable way not to configure the shift linkages and bell crank on an AD truck. The really good news in that I now have a 53 3100, that now shifts like a dream. The bad news is I spent far to many hours of trying figure out what was wrong. The reall bad news, is that I had my bell crank on corretly before I started to hook everything up. I talked myself into turning it around, so the ears were a couple of inches away from the bell housing. Turns out, they are supposed to be right next to it. Thanks for the pictures that EchoBravoSierra posted, I was able to realize my error.

Thank you everybody,
Rugo

I was going to ask if you may have put the bellcrank on wrong, but I figured that I would be the only one to do something like that...

Ad me to the list. I had mine on backwards also. Took me a while to figure it out.

Thanks guys. Makes me feel a little better. Sure nice to be able to shift the gears and drive it, all be it just around the block after starting my restoration 16 years ago.

Rugo

Sweet!!