The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Column shifter problem

i used to use this site alot, but then had to stop because of more important life stuff (more important than a chevy?!) But i'm back again~ with new and different problems!

ok, so, my problem is that i have a had a piece of my '63s 3-on-the-tree shifting mechanism break, and i dont even know what the name of the thing is. The problem piece is the one that connects the rod from the column to the transmission. It's a piece of flat steel, abt 3/16" wide and abt. 3" long. One end has a hole with a gromet that the rod from the colum goes through and is held in place with a cotter pin. The other end of the "steel thing" has a bowtie-shaped cut in it that mates up to the transmission and is held in place with a large screw that screws into the tranny.

my problem(s) is/are:
1. i dont know what this is called
2. i have taken it to 4 or 5 different fabrication shops in my hometown, and they all say they either cant do it, or they can make something close, but not all the way and charge me over $150 for it.
3. i have checked 7 different junkyards (including 1 owned by some old giezer in an oolllddd house), and they all dont keep vehicles this old or they dont have the right truck.

i'm desperate! No one remanufactures this part (that i know of), and i cant get one used or made localy, so i'm turning to my amigoes of the Stovebolt forum. Can anyone identify this problem piece and tell me where to look for a new one??? All responces are greatly appriciated.

P.S.- i neglected to mention that i have decided to keep my '63 and not sell it. Long live the stovebolts!

I'll see what I have, there's a couple of columns up in my storage shed. I may have an extra that I can rob from. Check back soon,
Scott

63,
Is this the part you need? If so, this is as far as the column will strip down to. If you want it, go to my profile and e-mail me, you can have it for the cost of shipping. Let me know if there's anything else from the column that you may need,
Scott

48bigtrucks-
i'm sorry man, i guess i wasnt very accurate in my description of the part i need. its the other end of the shifter, where the rod from the column connects to the transmission. as soon as i figgure how to put up pix, i will take a picture of the part i need and post it. i need the next to last in the sequence:
1. column shifter to arms on firewall end of column
-goes to-
2. long rod that runs down below the firewall to the transmission
-goes to-
3. little metal piece approx. 3/16" wide and abt. 3" long that connects the long rod to the tranny; the piece kinda is a moving hinge
-goes to-
4. tranny housing and is held in via a screw

i'll get pictures up tomorrow. thanks a million for all the help!

I think you are describing "transmission arms for milled flats". If you go to the Mr. Gasket site and search out 'shifters', you will get a instruction sheet that shows an example of this arm. The other style transmission arm would be "transmission arms for shaft type".

Without a picture, this doesn't mean much. Unless I'm out in left field on this, the fellow at the machine shop was trying to get into your britches!

EDIT. It's funky, but it's a pix!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/66-6...QcategoryZ33736QQitemZ180093852902QQrdZ1

Stuart

atomarc-
not quite it either- i'll post some pics tomorrow of the piece i need. thanks for helping.

try to look in the swap meet section, under parts to sell(when you find out what it's call), there should be guys in there that have what you are looking for, they might be parting a truck, or run a parts service

Sounds like you need the "Z" bar or bell crank. I may have one of those too,
Scott

thanks fellas. i went by another machine shop (been to 7 total now) and they said they couldnt make it. i havent been able to do much on the computer because i'm moving some family and my gradmother is taking alot of my time due to illness. i'll have a pic of the part i need by the weekend, i promise. thanks again.

it sounds like he needs the shift arm that bolts onto the 1st/reverse or 2nd/3rd parts of the side cover. No???
Marty

I think he does need the shifter arm that is on the transmission. There should be 2 of these arms on the trans, on the drivers side about 3-4 inches apart. They may look similar, but won't interchange. Is your arm broken,worn or missing?

y cant it be welded

YYYEEESS!!!! thats the thing!! it's the shifter arm for the reverse/1st gear. mine is broken and can't be welded back, bec it broke from stress(repeated use) and was cracking in a diff place anyway. has anyone else ever had to replace one of these things, or is it just me? no one reproduces it, no one can make it, and none of the local junkyards have it. ya'll are the guys i always turn to. where do i get one of these arms?

Get me a picture, I'll see what I've got.
Scott

63Whoopie sent me a picture of the broken part . I searched but I don't have one. Anyone else have one? I could fix it but I'll be gone for the rest of the week,
Scott

i dont believe it can, because of where it broke and it's starting to show signs of twisting and breaking in other places. i have had a few fellas look at it, and when i pointed that part out, they agreeded. so, i'm back to square one..

there's at least a half dozen machine/welding shops in my small area that could make a new one with that as a pattern, and have it back by the next day

Bill

With a little piece of flat bar, a drill press and a file you could probably make that in an hour or less. Go back to the machine shop and shoot the guy that quoted you $150 clams! That piece looks just like the ones I linked in my previous post...

Stuart

you know, i may just have to try it myself. i just inherited a smallish drill press, but dont know how to use it... but how hard can it be?
and atomarc, which previous post is that?

i'm seeing if any of the people on this web page who part out trucks have the part... cross your fingers.

I'm back. I see there's no one offering up the needed part. If you want, send me the part Whoopie, I'll make it new again,
Scott

well, ive been talking to RJ, who has the part, but he said he wanted to sell it with the transmission it goes with, and he hasn't responded to my latest email. So....

63whoopie,

I THINK I FOUND SOMETHING FOR YOU !!!

I found this on eBay. You may want to take a look at it. Even if this is not exactly what you want, this guy is parting out several 62-66 trucks and my guess is he will have something for you.

Here is eBay Item number: 330103051116

I hope I have helped.

Brian