The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 3 speed linkage jamming in first

Hello everyone I just bought 65 stepside partially restored as the body goes and in need of a little mechanical work.

Right now when we shift from 1rst to 2nd the linkage gets jammed and will not go to 2nd. We have to stop and yank it into first to get going again. It appears to work better when we shift it up very slowly and wait for the pop at the neutral point before going up to second. I plan on simply cleaning it very good first and then regreasing it.

Any other suggestion as to the cause?
Any "new" solutions as far as parts?
Can I expect to find pins and springs worn out?

Very mechanical here just looking for a little info before I dive in.

1965 6 cyl 3 speed on column
O Blue
[email protected]

you need to take apart the box on the lower column and after cleaning everything well, you'll prolly find that the fork thingies in there are worn so the action is sloppy - can be fixed by building up some weld and reshaping w/ a grinder - very common problem, and in my experience more on the 60-66 than any other series - rest of the linkage will be ok

Bill

Hey Red,
Is this considered a big project? I am very limited on time down here (Louisiana). Will all of this come off without completely disassembling all of steering column. I was going to give it a wirl this saturday. It is very sloppy and some tighter performance would be great.

not a major job - if you look under the hood it's the little box bolted to the column tube where the rods from the trans connect - just taking the cover off [4 screws] and dunging it out should let you see what's what - there's two "forks" that make the H pattern happen, that'll prolly be worn rounded on the open ends - need to be very squared and an even thickness, and the 2 need to line up perfectly when the lever is in neutral - check it out, I can take some pics of one I've got loose if you need it

Bill

With all due respect to red58, I would start at the rod linkages from the tranny up to the steering column. They're basically rods bent at 90 degrees stuck in a hole. These of course round out over time and the slop is added with each successive joint upto your next shift.

I am in the process of rebuilding my 3 speed linkage with what I believe are called Heim Joints. They are articulating ball and socket joints that will reduce slop to near zero. One other IMHO problem area is the pivot of the adjoining rods off the bell housing. I plan on finding a steel tube to insert in the space between the two holes punched in the steel and weld it in complete with a zerk to both reduce slop (one side of mine is really ovalled-out) and grease to keep it articulating smoothly.

All this will come to light as you wish your arms were longer and skinnier finding your way to dis- and re- assembly.

Gentlemen before we start tearing things apart and rebuilding them let's find out just what condition the column is in.

SHOR, Inside the engine compartment below where the shifting rods come up too the column levers there are two 3/8 head screws opposite each other. These screws are in slots that are angled. You need to loosen the screws and rotate them in the slots. There should be 5-20 thou clearence between the bottom lever and the ring below it. If there is no adjustment left then proceed with red58 and cosmo suggestions. I would suggest buying a shop manual.

Larry

Csomo - those ovaled holes on the trans arms will cause shift problems, but I've never seen'em cause the jam between 1 & 2 - there are bronze/oilite bushings that fix that problem up quick and easy

Larry - the adjustments shown in the shop manual are important, but also do not cause or cure the jamming - may have to be fiddled with after rebuilding the shift box, but mostly only a problem if the shifter has been off the column and apart

of the 6+ 60's trucks I've had, every one did that gear jam, always at the worst times, and every one was due to problems in the shift box - start there shor, fine-tune the rest after you cure the locking up problem!

Bill

my 64 would only go into second occasionally- I felt I needed that gear(& 3rd), tried everything-linkage bushings, cab mounts, adjustment, total column disassembly to remove 40 y/o baked lithium grease-still had trouble. I ended up welding up the worn out shifter "ears" on the lower column, pic here also here I did one ear w/column out of truck, worked great so I did the other ear for GP,disconnect linkage & pull shifter arm up as far as poss,, just bent the electrode to the correct angle & zzzap,just a bead on the end, replaces 40 yrs of worn off metal-(clamp your ground to shifter arm not column or the truck) You can grind to shape w/Dremel tool/file or mine was fine as was,reasssemble & re-adjust,,,drove it over a year 15,000+ miles before its untimely demise-never had a shift problem, drove like a new one. brian p.s., in pic one rearward "ear" is welded up but forward ear has worn edges

Gentlemen First I agree with 64fleetside on this and have to Dis Agree on most of the rest simply because there Is No Shiftbox on 1960 and newer trucks,
Its Built INTO the column as a quadrant and 1st/rev selector and 2nd/3rd selector.
These parts used to be available from GM, but can be fixed as Brian has stated by welding up the tab that fits in the slot on the quadrant.
regards Steve Sr.

First of all thanks for all the great info.
Second of all I have very long arms..HA..Im 6'6"
Third I do have a shop manual for what it worth, not much.

You guys have given me just what I wanted to hear. I make my living around welders so I think I will give the H pattern patch a whirl first.

I did suspect that the transmission may have been the culprit because when I look at the linkage under the hood, while it was jammed, I saw nothing that looked unusual but I had not pulled the cover down.

I also thought about the universal ball joints with screw on adjustments as a probable solution.
When I was a kid, 40 years ago, I had these on my go kart steering linkage.

I will take the path of least resistance at this time and keep you posted on what the end results are.

I find these trucks frustrating only from the point that I don't have time to do what I want to do with them. I have a 2 year plan that will include a personal shop for all my toys. Hopefully this will allow me a better enviornment in which to tinker.


Thanks again guys.
O BLUE....<--- pictures coming soon.

I got under he hood during my lunch hour and cleaned things up. I see the little square knob/bump/tit on each of the lever. The one for second gear is worn very badly. I got it to stick or skip second and had a look. The key slot had jumped out on top of this knob and I can see that it needs to be re-shaped and perhaps even lengthened a little.

I am going to get after it this weekend.

Thanks again guys for your help.
I can see I am going to really enjoy being a member of Stovebolt.

Steve
O BLUE
65 chevy stepside.

Old black truck's former owner retired in 1975, & died last year, he was 95+y/o. I guess he had trouble w/shifting, as there was one shift rod under the hood mushroomed from a hammer & there were Vise-grip marks on the shifter knob. let us know how you make out,,I think folks try to grease them up, then dirt attracts to the grease & it shifts worse later. brian

I am going to have to post my pictures some sort of way. The problem is identical to what fleetside 64 describes on 8/1/06. I have that same shift assembly. I am in the process of repairing it now. I can't wait to have that problem fixed. It's I a pain in the rear to drive.

It shifts perfect. I disconnected linkage and rolled up shift levers to where I could get to them with a mig. It took about 10 seconds of welding and 30 minuutes of grinding and checking. I estimate I made each key about 1/16 - 1/8 (max) longer. This was the key I feel because all of the slack between the 1 & reverse lever and the 2nd and 3rd lever were the real cause of it missing. Each key on the lever was very worn and rounded but it really did seem to be to short. When it was engaged it appeared to grab only about a maximum of 50% of the "selector lever". So if anyone is considering it make sure to add a little length to each key.

O BLUE
No more surprises on the highway.