4 Spd Shifter Adjustment

[Rob79er]

'79 BW Tranny

I am trying to do a shifter adjustment per the instructions in the manual.
I decided to try this:
Instead of trying to insert the adjustment tool into the notch while the shifter was mounted, I decided to take the shifter out. I then aligned the gates perfectly as if I was going to install the alignment tool. I then painted a white line going all the way across all the levers on the back side of the shifter so that I could view the levers orientation to this line when installed. I installed the shifter - aligned all the levers onto the white line and then tightened down the nuts on the shifter rods.
Result:
Not too good. The shifter SOMETIMES feels good and other times feels terrible- meaning it won't go into a gear some of the time. Keep in mind this is all with the engine off and disconnected- (the car is not running presently). Sometimes I will go from Neutral to first and back 10 times in a row and it feels smooth and then as soon as I go to 2nd and then back to first I can 't get it into gear or it is very difficult. It seems that 2nd and 4th feel better than 1st and 3rd. Reverse feels great.
I had also read on another post that the shifter bracket wears by expanding- creating small gaps between the levers riding on the shaft. I had small gaps on mine so I used a press to ever so slightly narrow the gaps on the shifter bracket. I don't know if this has anything to do with it.
The tranny was just rebuilt and the shifter was removed, cleaned and lubed.
Any ideas out there?

 

[waterboy1976]

Ive tried to adjust mine before with the shifter off and the rods detached and then with the rods attached, however I found after 4 attempts you need to do it connected to the trans, for some reason something changes when you dont do it attached to the trans.....I know its a pain especailly if the car is up on jackstands but thats the ultimate correct way.... have one of these, put onsome tunes in the garage and go fer it....

Git R Done

 

[Yoda]

Rob,

The shifter on my 81 was getting harder and harder to shift, I tried several times to adjust it. Each time it seemed to help & hurt the shifting. By the time it started bending the reverse lock rod, I gave up and bought a new shifter and that ended ALL my troubles.

The new shifter doesn't rattle or bounce around and it shifts as smooth as it did back in 1981

I took the old shifter to a transmission shop and they told me the center hole for the linkage was oblong and never would have adjusted properly, I also found out the spring was weak... I found a NOS at Voenteer Corvette for $215.00 considering the difference and the wasted time on the old one, I feel it was money well spent :dance

You can buy parts and rebuild them, but I opted for the new one Here is a break down photo for ya

Bud

 

[glen242]

Hurst Comp/Plus shifter is the answer. Put an aftermarket stock appearing shifter handle on it and no one is the wiser (except NCRS judges).

 

[Rob79er]

Hurst Comp/Plus shifter is the answer. Put an aftermarket stock appearing shifter handle on it and no one is the wiser (except NCRS judges).

Nice, but these are way too expensive for my blood.

There are only so many mechanical parts on a shifter so I figure it has to be something incorrect with one or more of them.
I did find that my Reverse Lever Lockout PIN (mounted on the side of the shifter bracket was loose). This would allow the shifter lever (stick) to travel too far towards the reverse lever when I wanted to go back into 1st. When I tightened this up it stopped the lever right on top of the first gear lever- making shifting better.

 

[mvftw]

Mmm... My car shifts fine, all gears ('78). The problem is when I go into reverse, the car bogs down. I was told here that reverse might be hung up on first... When I looked into putting the adjusting tool in the shifter (I put dual exhaust in already), it didn't look the ez on your back. Maybe it has something to do with the reverse lock out pin you described. Was that accessed from under the car or by removing the boot? And could that cause reverse and first to mate?

 

[Rob79er]

I accessed it from the console inside the car - removing both shifter boots. It sticks out the right side of the shifter bracket.

 

[mvftw]

Here?

 

[Rob79er]

Yes, the little triangular piece that you see right in front of the hole for the shaft. Mine looks like that too . It is actually a Pin (stop) threaded into that hole. The replacement part on Volunteer Vettes web site looks a little different because it is not smooshed at the back like this one in the picture.

 

[glen242]

Nice, but these are way too expensive for my blood.

There are only so many mechanical parts on a shifter so I figure it has to be something incorrect with one or more of them.
I did find that my Reverse Lever Lockout PIN (mounted on the side of the shifter bracket was loose). This would allow the shifter lever (stick) to travel too far towards the reverse lever when I wanted to go back into 1st. When I tightened this up it stopped the lever right on top of the first gear lever- making shifting better.

Less than $400 for Hurst AND look alike stock shift lever. Look alike lever about $100, Hurst stuff less than $300.

Drive a Hurst equipped C3 before you say it is not worth it.