Column to floor shift help

Topic: Column to floor shift help (Read 1939 times) previous topic - next topic

Column to floor shift help

January 14, 2009, 11:37:24 PM

While changing the heater core I dropped the steering wheel and figured it was a good time to remove the column shifter which was left from my engine swap.

I have removed the 3 hex screws on the back of it so the shifter and rod going out to the engine bay are seperate from the steering column. How do I remove the gear shift lever from this now? I can't seem to figure out what I should do. I'td be happy leaving the rod going to the engine bay, just connecting it again if I can remove the column shifter. Besides cutting it, what can/should I do. Any suggestions?

I posed pictures, essentially I want to remove the Black gear shift selector rod from the brown rod which goes out of the picture frame and to the engine bay. How do I do this?

Column to floor shift help

Reply #1 – January 15, 2009, 12:00:41 AM

Get a small punch (nail set punch works fine) and drive the pin out of the lever, where the black shifter handle joins the shifter shaft. The pin is grooved so it'll be in there tight. I can't remember if the pin comes out from the top or bottom...probably the bottom. Anyway, that gets the shifter lever out of the main shifter shaft.

See the green plastic grommet on the end of the shifter shaft? That's where it will pop out of the bracket. Get a large punch and drive the shaft out of the bracket. You'll deform and destroy the grommet but that's alright.

From there you should be able to pull the entire shifter shaft out from the engine bay.

Column to floor shift help

Reply #2 – January 15, 2009, 12:05:19 AM

on my 83 i could not remove the shifter..... i punched the handle going down to remove it, but i had to leave the actual shifter column attached (i think it was a clearance issue because the engine/ headers got in the way.... anyway, 15,000 miles later and no issue :)

tried to take a pic under the dash, but i'd have to take a bunch of stuff off and it's late, but here's a pic under the hood..... i think when i took the lever off, the shifter rod was loose, so i pushed it up more from the engine bay and it wedged in there tight.... but like i said, it's been 15,000 miles and it's still there :)

p.s. don't mind the nasty brake booster :)

Column to floor shift help

Reply #3 – January 15, 2009, 12:15:42 AM

I thought that little pin was what kept it in. I just couldn't seem to get it to come lose, although I washiznitting it with a punch bottom to the top. I'll try going the other way tomorow. Thanks guys.

Column to floor shift help

Reply #4 – January 15, 2009, 12:47:32 AM

How about a drill and a good sharp bit.

Column to floor shift help

Reply #5 – January 20, 2009, 08:22:00 PM

For me the pin came out quite easily, with a punch. If I remember correct it can be taken out in either direction (up or down).
Don't forget to take off the plastic lever which was used for the gear selection indicator.
The hardest part I had was to break off the shifter linkage in the engine compartment.

Column to floor shift help

Reply #6 – January 20, 2009, 08:24:09 PM

I wasn't able to. I just left it there, there doesn't seem to be any issue with it staying there.

Column to floor shift help

Reply #7 – January 20, 2009, 08:29:28 PM

I'm 90% sure the bar is still in my column too. Doesn't hurt anything.

Column to floor shift help

Reply #8 – January 20, 2009, 08:34:03 PM

Yeah, I didn't think it would. I left the linkage stuff under the engine bay for now too. I wanted to drive the car a little bit and its not hurting anything. I'll deal with it in the summertime, maybe.

Column to floor shift help

Reply #9 – May 05, 2010, 06:11:20 PM

hey guys this thread is a little old but anyways my column shift lever is kinda loose wiggles front to back is there a way to tighten it up

thanx alot

Column to floor shift help

Reply #10 – May 05, 2010, 08:36:07 PM

I pulled one out of another column and placed it in a floor shifter column. There is something that makes it bind up. I ended up breaking the shifter off. I remember pulling the whole column out to get the shaft to pop out.