The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks swap 3 on tree to floor shift -- questions

I'm having a lot of issues with the column shift linkage getting stuck. Would like to switch to a floor shift for the 3spd but could end up putting a M20 4spd in down the road. Does anyone know if there is a floor shift set up that would work with the 3spd and possibly the 4spd down the road?

Have you tried adjusting the shift rods? I know with mine, it would hang up and I would need to stop, move one of the rods to free it up. After adjusting, it works great without hanging up.

No, there is not. 3 and 4 speed shifters are totally different, since a Muncie M20 4 speed transmission has 3 shift levers and totally different geometry of the shift linkage. Why create another nightmare instead of just fixing the original problem?
Jerry

Jim Carter offers a rebuilt shift box. LINK
I had the 2-3 shift fork in my transmission worn a bit. I fixed it by building up the worn spot with weld and re-machined it. (PIcs below.) But your shift box could easily be your issue, if adjustment doesn't fix it.

Shift boxes are a very poor quality of "pot metal" (aluminum alloy) and are prone to wear and misalignment of the shift rods. The two halves of the box can be file-fitted and shimmed to restore the alignment of everything if they're not allowed to deteriorate too badly or break before being repaired.
Jerry

Years ago, I used a 4 spd shifter (out of a mid 60'Lemans or GTO I think) on a 3 spd car transmission in a '66 C10. The extra reverse shift lever part was easy to overcome. Just pull it back as far as it'll go & wire it in that position. That way the shifter can't engage it. The 1 st gear position on the 4 spd shifter becomes the revere position on the 3spd. After almost 50 years, exactly how I mounted it is a little fuzzy now. I did have the advantage of being young and broke , so throwing money at the solution wasn't an option. And I worked in my fathers garage/junkyard business so I had parts vehicles available and a welder, torches, grinders , etc available. Now days if I were in your shoes, I'd decide if I had some fabrication skills & equipment to work with. If the answer is yes, then find a used 4 spd Hurst shifter including the linkage & any other hardware that might be included.. Then pull the transmission out & set it up on the work bench & fabricate your new mounting bracket . Make sure it's located such that the linkage lengths work out correctly. I'm sure you could find examples of aftermarket 3 spd mounting brackets on the Web to get some ideas on how to proceed.

Having said all that, I currently have a M20 in a '66 C10 with the bench seat. Engine & trans are in the stock location. It was very difficult to locate the shift lever so that it cleared the bench seat in any position. If you've got bucket seats, like my old C 10 from 1975, then the shifter location is not a problem.

I found my M20 including the Hurst shifter for 600 bucks on CL. Maybe that's a better option for you.

The hurst comp shifter moves the handle forward under the cab. The handle is too low.
So I cut off a portion and then I move it over with a longer handle
2 inches to avoid my knee hitting the handle in reverse. Will not hit the seat. Both trucks 58/59 with 4 speeds are this way.

My 3 speed option is much the same . W/O the comp shifter. The angled over Hurst handle
(again too low) with the handle extension. All centered in the cab now. Just one more forward than the other.
It has that SM feel and the handle is closer. Set higher to avoid the bench seat.
Hope this helps.

Nice set up. I’m using the 55 thru 57 car shifter, which really helps but is still too far back ( or, under the seat) I had to fabricate a bracket to move shifter forward about 4 inches. The side to side location is not a problem on the 60 to 66 C10. No photo of bracket I fabbed but here’s one of the finished product

I guess someone could heat that handle up and bend it more straight. Is that the Hurst Comp Plus shifter?

Yes, it is the Hurst Competition shifter. It and the M20 came out of a mid 60’s Corvette. I replaced the straight Vette shifter with the 55/57 car shifter in my photo. It clears the bench seat in any gear and all seat positions