The tree of three

Alright, I've looked everywhere to prevent myself from annoying you guys with questions, but I have failed. Vehicle: 63 Valiant Signet, 170cid, A903. Got the car in pieces, so I have no idea what this thing drove like prior to disassembly. I've built the engine, runs like a champ (I think) and replaced all of the tranny seals. Assembly time comes around, and I managed to figure out the Z bar clutch, and I hooked up the two shift rods to the tranny in the orientation specified by the manual. Go to shift via the column and only the 2/3 gear rod moves. The 1st/rev rod (which was replaced due to being bent) sits limp in its neutral position. I also have no idea what positions of the stick are what gears. Thank you for any help given, pictures will be posted as soon as I get off work.

I have a 66 Valiant with the same setup, a slant with three-on-the-tree. I can get photos of the linkage arrangement if it helps.

For the shift pattern, when you are sitting at the wheel, reverse is towards yourself and up. First gear is towards yourself and down. Second is away from yourself and up, third is away and down.

ValiantAlves said:

Alright, I've looked everywhere to prevent myself from annoying you guys with questions, but I have failed. Vehicle: 63 Valiant Signet, 170cid, A903. Got the car in pieces, so I have no idea what this thing drove like prior to disassembly. I've built the engine, runs like a champ (I think) and replaced all of the tranny seals. Assembly time comes around, and I managed to figure out the Z bar clutch, and I hooked up the two shift rods to the tranny in the orientation specified by the manual. Go to shift via the column and only the 2/3 gear rod moves. The 1st/rev rod (which was replaced due to being bent) sits limp in its neutral position. I also have no idea what positions of the stick are what gears. Thank you for any help given, pictures will be posted as soon as I get off work.

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As well as what halfafish mentioned, there are Detents, Lockout's, or Interlocks (people use different names for them)

They keep one shift fork from moving unless all the others for each gear are in neutral. (one not quite in neutral can stop another from moving)
I think the first thing I would do in your case is to remove all the rods from the trans and make sure all the levers for each gear move and engage a gear like they should.

TrailBeast treed me. I was going to suggest removing the linkage arms, then make sure the internal levers on the column are working as a first step.

Also, the bottom of the steering column has a rotatable adjustment collar to take out some slop. Look at a FSM for the procedure to adjust ALL the linkage.

Got to mess with it for a few seconds between thunderstorms, and the selector rod does not want to go forward and engage the 1st/,rev rod. I can move the interlock manually at the rod base, but the selector will not do it. Doing this without the rods attached

ValiantAlves said:

the selector rod does not want to go forward and engage the 1st/,rev rod

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Are you checking this at the lever arms on the tranny, or on the column? The first step is to see what moves and what does not. With the shifter rods removed, have someone move the shifter lever inside the car while you watch the steering column under the hood. There are two tabs for the shifter rods, about halfway down the steering column. Does each tab move up and down to correspond with movement of the shifter lever at the wheel? Each tab should have three obvious positions, up, center, and down.

Next, get the car up in the air and manually move the shifter tabs on the tranny. They also should move to three positions each. Start with each lever in the neutral (center) position, then see if they each move forward and backward to engage a gear.

All of this will help figure out where the problem is.

I'm thinking you might have things "locked up" due to misadustment, mis-installation, or even the incorrect rods....Stand by....LOL

Just looked over at MyMopar. You'll have to "diddle". They have a service manual for a '60 Dodge seems to be the closest..........or 65 Plymouth

MyMopar - Mopar Forums & Information - Service Manuals

I'd start by unhooking the linkage and with a helper, see if the column part works. You will have to "massage" the levers while someone manipulates the shift lever. These are basically an "H" pattern, if you look down the shift lever as if it were a rifle barrel. Left and Up is "R", left and down is 1st. Both those functions should engage 1 lever in the engine bay with the lever pulled towards the steering wheel and moved up/ down.

With the shifter relaxed towards the dash, the linkage should engage the opposite lever in the bay but will only do so when the two are centered so that the 'gate' allows the column internals to go through the "gate.'

Then with the shifter moved up and down, the opposite lever should move

Generally, the front lever on a transmission is high gear and the next lower, IE 3 and 2. usually, rotating the shaft/ lever CCW from the neutral will engage high gear, and CW should engage 2nd

I don't remember which way the rear shaft works, but same deal, one direction should engage reverse, opposite retation should engage 1st

The transmission itself shifts perfectly, pops in and out of all gears. The "gate" that 273 mentioned does not move forward when using the shifter, even when both pins are perfectly. But if I go to the column and move the gate manually, it moves, albeit not very well.

That the tranny is smooth and shifts well is good. They are expensive to fix. It sounds like there is something out of place in the column. Others that know more may chime in, but I believe you will have to pull out the steering column to go through it. It's a 50+ year old car, a rebuild might be on your agenda.

When you do get it moving, which I am confident you will. There is no syncro going into first while moving. At least on my 66 A903 there isn't. So its gonna sound horrid if you're not expecting that.
These trannies are bullet proof. My 16 yr old learned to drive a manual on my 66 Valiant. It was more forgiving with his learning to shift than my 99 Wrangler.
Good luck!

Three on a tree or three by the knee. 4 on the floor with a 5th. under the seat.

That's how I learned it. My first car was the three by the knee. Second was four on the floor, but a fifth wouldn't fit. Had to settle on a pint.