73-87chevytrucks.com
73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Interior & Equipment => Steering Columns => Topic started by: 75chevybakers on September 19, 2010, 10:08:40 pm
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I got a new column today from craigslist and put it in. Everything works great and steering is tight. The shifter arm is very soft though. I seen this spring on a truck website and cannot figure out where it goes...
(http://www.classicparts.com/images/91-131.jpg)
Its called shift handle control spring with tilt...
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hmmmm
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I'm not following what your issue is? That spring is for the tilt
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Are you talking abut a sloppy felling to the shifter? check the linkage. There is a plastic sleeve that goes into the frame mount, Is it missing?
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I think what he’s talking about is the shifter arm is soft ;D like when you have to pull it towards you to take it out of park then for it to find a gear how it kind of slides into place
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soft? Wouldn't that be loose or sloppy?
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Maybe
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Its kinda hard to explain. My other truck you would pull the lever towards you and took a little to pop it down into each gear. This one you pull it towards you and its ready to fall all the way down into 1st gear. Like no resistance to each shift position. The plastic sleeve is on the linkage under the booster but where it ties to the frame mount and trans, no springs. It has like a 1/2" rod that is in a 3/4" hole on the frame, then ties strait to trans with a cotter pin. This is how it was before... Just feels so soft, I always miss reverse and drive cause its so soft and easy to pass gears when selecting.
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Where the rod from the linkage on the side of the trans fits to the frame in that dished bracket, there should be a domed plastic washer and a coil spring about 3" long that goes over that rod and seats in the bracket. What trans do you have? The resistance between gears comes from inside the transmission. If you go underneath with the rod disconnected and manually twist the shift linkage at the side of the trans you should feel resistance and then a positive click as you turn it through the gears.
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Its kinda hard to explain. My other truck you would pull the lever towards you and took a little to pop it down into each gear. This one you pull it towards you and its ready to fall all the way down into 1st gear. Like no resistance to each shift position. The plastic sleeve is on the linkage under the booster but where it ties to the frame mount and trans, no springs. It has like a 1/2" rod that is in a 3/4" hole on the frame, then ties strait to trans with a cotter pin. This is how it was before... Just feels so soft, I always miss reverse and drive cause its so soft and easy to pass gears when selecting.
If it's that easy to shift and actually engages in each gear, the part in the trans is probably broken or worn out... It's easy to get to though, just pull off the pan and have a look. The detent you feel for each gear aren't made by the column but by the part in the trans. The part in the column only prevents you from selecting certain gear selections without pulling the shifter back towards you. its simply a protection from accidentally bumping the shifter from say Drive to Reverse.
Here's the piece. Each valley in it is a gear. the bar with the roller is spring steel and the roller settles in each valley when you are in a gear. maybe that spring bar is loose or broken, or the spiked piece is worn.
(http://www.rowand.net/shop/tech/images/TH700R4InternalShiftLinkage01.jpg)
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If the detents are fine on the trans then it's slop in the linkage or your shift tube is broken.
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The trans is new from jegs, bought it with my tax money this year... But I do not have the dished thing or the spring, its just a rod through a hole, lots of wobble, maybe this is some of the problem. I will get a picture by tonight. Everything shifts smooth, dont think the trans has any problem. Plus I can feel each click.
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Sounds like you are missing the white plastic bushing and the spring.
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yes i am... thank you
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I have a similar problem with my shifter in my truck. It only really "clicks" into Park and then from reverse to neutral you can just slide it down without pulling it toward you. The you have to pull it back to get it into Drive, then it can slide down into 2nd/1st. I took the linkage off the trans and turned the trans piece by hand and it "clicks" into all gears just fine. So to fix my slop do I need to get a new plastic sleeve and spring, or do I need the piece that makes you have to pull the shifter towards you for each gear?
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Determine where the play is. Although there are good replies in this thread the diag is all over the place so don't just start whipping parts at it. Have an assistant move the shift lever and observe where the movement is. Check the pivot points and bushings, make sure the frame mount, spring and bushing are intact. Make sure the linkage adjustments are tight.
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Vile i have the same problem with my pickup. Can you explain more on how you can adjust it? I can see that the spring is there on the frame mount but its oily where the plastic bushing goes. I can clean off that area to check it but is there an adjustment to make it tight again? Also on the trans linkage i can see where the cotter pin is it is wearing part of it down like there is movement there that shouldnt be.
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Chock the wheels and have an assistant wiggle the shifter. Observe from the shift tube on the column all the way down to the trans. It should be visible as to what's worn out.
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The spring goes under the shift lever near the end that is inside the column. I found my spring broken and causing the problem you are having.
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i also am having problems with the shifter also. drive is neutral, neutral reverse and reverse is in park and it just barely clicks in to park on the column. works, but isn't right.
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i also am having problems with the shifter also. drive is neutral, neutral reverse and reverse is in park and it just barely clicks in to park on the column. works, but isn't right.
Simply adjust the linkage from under the truck, easier to have someone put put it in park from up top, loosen the bolt on the shifter linkage under the truck and get a feel for the "middle" of park. Then have the person up top go through the gears amd making sure they can go from p to 1... if all is good, and the needle is off, remove the lower 2 trim pieces of the column and move the clamp with the wire on it.. its clamped on to the shifter plastic sleeve. if you dont understand what im describing, just take a look at your truck...
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i just moved the indicator on the column and seems to function ok right now.
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yes i am... thank you
If you are stil having issues (from over a month ago) definitely get that spring in, if you can't find the bushing just use a washer as a retainer and make sure you have the bolt tightened @ 20lbs with a washer spring.
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20 ft/lbs?
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20 ft/lbs?
Yup. According to Chilton, just crank her down to 20 ft. lbs. with a torque wrench.
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The spring goes under the shift lever near the end that is inside the column. I found my spring broken and causing the problem you are having.
X=2 Most every Car/Truck I have ever seen has has had a broken shifter return spring. It is hard to tell how large the spring is in the picture.. But my guess for what you are dealing with is the little spring that returns the shift lever into the locked position after you pull the shifter out of the park position. If you punch out the rollpin that holds the shift lever on the column and pull the shifter out take a look into the hole and the spring will be on the back side recessed into a small hole.
The only other spring that looks like the one in the picture is the lock spring for the tilt wheel, but it is quite a bit larger.
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I recently had to replace the "little" spring for my shifter.
It was bent and smooshed.
To replace it, you have to rip into the column, like you are gonna fix the "tilt wobble".
Once you get the column torn down, it is easy to grab with needle nose pliers and you pull it off a "knob". Insert the new one and push it onto the "knob".