The Ford Barn

Jwawhite · 07-29-2019, 04:25 PM

Can anyone give advice as to replacing the parts in the thumbnail? They are worn with too much play. the grommets on the linkage are fine. It's just a dowel pin 1/4 X1 and should come out with a punch.
Looking closer at the parts they do contribute to some play, what other parts wear in this system should I look at? A vagueness about gear selection.
Thanks

Daves55Sedan · 07-29-2019, 09:33 PM

I've actually drove a couple of those out of the gear shift lever at some point in order to replace the rubber insulator.
If you have the right size flat pin-punch it will come out fairly easily. Do not use a center punch.
The way I remember it. I wrapped the rear shift lever in a rubber strip and suck it in the jaws of a workbench vice, the hammered out that split dowel pin with a flat pin-punch.
I can't imagine the dowel pin being worn, but if so, I have seen those types at big-box hardware stores, as long as you can get the right size.

Daves55Sedan · 07-29-2019, 09:40 PM

I've never had any wear in that dowel-pin or elongated holes thru the gear shift lever. Where you are much more likely to experience wear in the system is the rubber grommet thru the shift lever (just in front of the firewall) and the gear shift rod where it connects to the Ford-O-Matic shift lever on the transmission.
The one on my car is about half way worn down right now. I Need to take it off, run a few beads of weld around the end of that shaft, then grind and file it down perfectly round again to fix it.
Also, having that kind of slop messes up your ability to start the engine with a properly adjusted starter neutral switch. You have to jiggle the lever to get it to catch on the contacts.

Jwawhite · 07-29-2019, 09:42 PM

Davs55Sedan
Hi Dave!, is yours auto or manual?
There is play at the pin but now looking more closely there may be something else loose.
I'll check the clamp on the steering stem if it's loose and other parts on the stem.
Have you replaced anything else?
The dowel is just a 1/4 x 1"

Jwawhite · 07-30-2019, 12:30 AM

Thanks Dave, will look over those items.
I have a 302 with AOD. The linkage was slightly modified to work.
I have a neutral safety switch wired at the trans and that's when I first noticed an issue. Needed to shift into neutral to start car.
Issue got worse quickly, I should be able to find it.
There is a Pin that connects the shift tube to the bar/ shift Assy. That may be an area of concern. The part number does not reveal what size this pin is. On the diagram above, it's just below the interior dust cover, on the exterior of the firewall.

KULTULZ · 07-30-2019, 12:45 AM

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The grommet @ the shifter lever is shown below.

The pin is actually a roll pin, 3/8" X 1".

Daves55Sedan · 07-30-2019, 10:39 PM

JW, both my '55 Fairlane and '55 Courier are Ford-O-Matics and with 100% factory parts.
Not sure what you mean about the starter neutral switch at the trans. The factory setup has the starter neutral switch mounted at the base of the steering column with a U-bolt and special bracket. I think all the early thru mid fifty's Fords started in neutral. Later switches allowed starting in park also.
The other roll pin that holds the shift lever at the base of the shift rod just in front of the firewall is a pretty tight fit too. Never experienced a problem with looseness there. Also have removed a couple of those in the past with a flat punch in same way as the split roll-pin at the top (so I could re-finish all the parts). Always used the same roll-pin for re-assembly.
But who knows, maybe a previous owner could have buggered yours up. Would be difficult to determine if the bottom lever on the shift rod was rotating a little bit when shifting since the is no room to hold the shaft while jiggling the lever, unless you had the whole thing out in your hands.

Daves55Sedan · 07-30-2019, 10:44 PM

One thing I have noticed for sure is that at some point when your starter neutral switch is not engaging when the gear select lever is in neutral always seems to be the fault of the rubber bushing that goes thru that shift lever at the base of the steering column. That rubber gets real soft and the hole in the middle of the rubber becomes enlarged, even with the nylon bushing inserted. Last time I checked, that rubber bushing is no longer offered by the repro parts suppliers.

07-29-2019, 09:33 PM	#2
Daves55Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Granite City, Illinois Posts: 3,008	Re: Auto Shift Lever Dowel? Pins I've actually drove a couple of those out of the gear shift lever at some point in order to replace the rubber insulator. If you have the right size flat pin-punch it will come out fairly easily. Do not use a center punch. The way I remember it. I wrapped the rear shift lever in a rubber strip and suck it in the jaws of a workbench vice, the hammered out that split dowel pin with a flat pin-punch. I can't imagine the dowel pin being worn, but if so, I have seen those types at big-box hardware stores, as long as you can get the right size.

07-29-2019, 09:40 PM	#3
Daves55Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Granite City, Illinois Posts: 3,008	Re: Auto Shift Lever Dowel? Pins I've never had any wear in that dowel-pin or elongated holes thru the gear shift lever. Where you are much more likely to experience wear in the system is the rubber grommet thru the shift lever (just in front of the firewall) and the gear shift rod where it connects to the Ford-O-Matic shift lever on the transmission. The one on my car is about half way worn down right now. I Need to take it off, run a few beads of weld around the end of that shaft, then grind and file it down perfectly round again to fix it. Also, having that kind of slop messes up your ability to start the engine with a properly adjusted starter neutral switch. You have to jiggle the lever to get it to catch on the contacts.

07-29-2019, 09:42 PM	#4
Jwawhite Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Now on the Land of Sun City West, AZ Posts: 405	Re: Auto Shift Lever Dowel? Pins Davs55Sedan Hi Dave!, is yours auto or manual? There is play at the pin but now looking more closely there may be something else loose. I'll check the clamp on the steering stem if it's loose and other parts on the stem. Have you replaced anything else? The dowel is just a 1/4 x 1"

07-30-2019, 12:30 AM	#5
Jwawhite Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Now on the Land of Sun City West, AZ Posts: 405	Re: Auto Shift Lever Dowel? Pins Thanks Dave, will look over those items. I have a 302 with AOD. The linkage was slightly modified to work. I have a neutral safety switch wired at the trans and that's when I first noticed an issue. Needed to shift into neutral to start car. Issue got worse quickly, I should be able to find it. There is a Pin that connects the shift tube to the bar/ shift Assy. That may be an area of concern. The part number does not reveal what size this pin is. On the diagram above, it's just below the interior dust cover, on the exterior of the firewall.

07-30-2019, 10:39 PM	#7
Daves55Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Granite City, Illinois Posts: 3,008	Re: Auto Shift Lever Dowel? Pins JW, both my '55 Fairlane and '55 Courier are Ford-O-Matics and with 100% factory parts. Not sure what you mean about the starter neutral switch at the trans. The factory setup has the starter neutral switch mounted at the base of the steering column with a U-bolt and special bracket. I think all the early thru mid fifty's Fords started in neutral. Later switches allowed starting in park also. The other roll pin that holds the shift lever at the base of the shift rod just in front of the firewall is a pretty tight fit too. Never experienced a problem with looseness there. Also have removed a couple of those in the past with a flat punch in same way as the split roll-pin at the top (so I could re-finish all the parts). Always used the same roll-pin for re-assembly. But who knows, maybe a previous owner could have buggered yours up. Would be difficult to determine if the bottom lever on the shift rod was rotating a little bit when shifting since the is no room to hold the shaft while jiggling the lever, unless you had the whole thing out in your hands.

07-30-2019, 10:44 PM	#8
Daves55Sedan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Granite City, Illinois Posts: 3,008	Re: Auto Shift Lever Dowel? Pins One thing I have noticed for sure is that at some point when your starter neutral switch is not engaging when the gear select lever is in neutral always seems to be the fault of the rubber bushing that goes thru that shift lever at the base of the steering column. That rubber gets real soft and the hole in the middle of the rubber becomes enlarged, even with the nylon bushing inserted. Last time I checked, that rubber bushing is no longer offered by the repro parts suppliers.