Help - Adjusting ‘67 904 console floor shifter

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Bobacuda

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This thing is driving me nuts. The trans is professionally rebuilt (‘76 Volare), originally a floor shifter and the shifting mechanisms are all new.

I put it in Park, shove the lever on the trans all the way back to Park position and tighten the linkage rod. Park works fine, move lever to Reverse - it’s still in Park. Move lever into Neutral and it goes into Reverse. You can the partially select Reverse and it stays in Reverse. Neutral is Drive, push it back a little over half way back, it’s finally in Neutral.

It will only start in Park and in trans (not shifter indicator) Neutral.

Does the Volare 904 require different floor shifter mechanisms, is my problem a product of the trans rooster combo (the newer style safety switch is wired and works), or is there some linkage adjusting method I have not discovered? Putting everything in Park and tightening it down is not working.

Does anyone have a better method to adjust linkage? Do I need a Volare linkage?

Thanks in advance.
 
Sounds to me that the mechanical advantage of the shifter mechanism is a different ratio than the transmission needs.

In other words if you move the shifter rod 1 inch (just a number) the transmission needs it to move 1.5 inches.

The length of the shift arm on the trans needs to be correct to the needs of the floor shifter.

A way to measure this...

With shifter linkage disconnected put the trans in park. Measure from a fixed point on the car to the center of the shift lever on the trans hole. Then put shift lever into low and measure again.

The difference between the measurements is the travel.

Do the same for the shifter

That gives you the travel the shifter is looking for

Modify the trans shifter lever to get the same travel as the shifter.
 
I know it's a pain but got pics of linkage setup? Could be a couple pieces are "mixed up"? 727/904 pieces are different. Not sure what all is different between 67/76 904, but pretty sure the NSS is unique for 67.
Also there is a bracket that has a white plastic insert the vertical linkage rod goes thru. I believe those can be installed 2 ways...right and wrong lol.
Good luck
 
See the piece, top left...with white plastic? (Not piece circled in red) I believe it could be flipped and be incorrect....not sure.

lower rod - kinked.png
 
Can’t get to it for several days, but at least I now have one ideas.
 
The shifter in an F-body is different, so I think that the description by Dana67Dart is correct. Are you trying to use the shift arm on the transmission post for an A body, or the one from the Volare? If they are different lengths then the problem that Dana describes would occur.
 
str12-340 said:
The shifter in an F-body is different, so I think that the description by Dana67Dart is correct. Are you trying to use the shift arm on the transmission post for an A body, or the one from the Volare? If they are different lengths then the problem that Dana describes would occur.
Click to expand...
When I bought the car, it had not run in years. It had the full A body console shifter setup, with some junkyard patchwork. To the best of my knowledge, the only thing Volare about the trans and shifter is that the trans is from a Volare.

When I got it, the selector mechanism appeared unmolested. The “tree” from the selector to the the trans had a weird bend - its long center axis was not straight. The shifter rod from the trans to the “tree” was a poorly welded splice that fell apart and lost a portion. Length and shape unknown.

I bought new shifter components, which includes an adjustable shifter rod.
 
Post #6 is worth a try - adjust it with the shifter and trans at neutral. It's easy to try...
 
Shifter woes continue. I tried adjusting in neutral, then I could not get Park. I tried adjusting in every position on the trans - no luck.

When I adjust in Park, it will start. Put the shifter in Reverse, feels like the “edge” of Park. Neutral is Reverse, Drive is Neutral. Will start there.

I dug through the parts I replaced. The repop A body floor shifter shaft I bought is straight from console to trans. The old shaft has a bend (see attached photos). Anyone familiar with the shaft with a bend? Factory or junkyard engineering?

Next time I have a block of time I guess I’ll have to pull the console (PITA) and put the original shaft in and see if that works.

As usual, all ideas are welcome.
IMG_8188.jpeg


IMG_8187.jpeg
 
Tried, did not work. In fact, I tried adjusting it in every gear. That’s why i asked if anyone was familiar with the shaft with the bend.

Thanks for the input.
 
That shaft should NOT be bent. It works because the adjust was probably adjusted with it bent.


Alan
 
I thought it should be straight, but it is not adjusting with the repop shaft and repop adjustable shifter rod.

That made me wonder if the bent shaft is required to adjust the shifter rod for the Volare trans in the car.

Does a Volare floor shift use a bent shaft? I have no info on Volares.
 
All I know about automatics is that I wish my car was a 4spd.

Reading what I have available, I am starting to wonder if the problem is internal in the rebuilt transmission.

Could the valve body or rooster comb cause my problem? When I manually move the shifter on the trans, it clicks into the gears. 1, 2, and D and Park are solid clicks. Reverse and Neutral seem to be less solid. Is this normal?
 
Shaft should not be bent,lower arm when installed should be level.

From what you are describing the case shift lever is to long, they do have different lengths, you need one that rod hole is closer to selecting shaft of valve body!
Linkage adjusts in neutral position.
Lon
 
Sorry, this is not rocket science

Set it up like this photo.

Check that blue arms are parallel at some point in the travel, photo looks like drive or neutral.

Green shows the adjustment points

Red A - with the linkage removed from the trans arm MEASURE from a fixed point on the body how far the trans shift lever moves from park to low

Do the same for Red B

They should have the same travel.

Also note that the lever on the top (circled in green) is a bit less than parallel to the lower levels in this position


Yours do not have the same travel

Screenshot_20240105-221839.png



This is all a mechanical advantage problem
 
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Being a conversion, someone either used the wrong shaft or installed it in the wrong location.


Alan
 
You need the lever that was on the trans the shifter came from.
As mentioned, there are different lengths of lever, and I agree you need a shorter one.
If you have the old trans, or know where it is, go get the lever .
Sorry for the delay, I had to take a few weeks off .

IMG_20240105_202618.jpg
 
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