mquinn Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 I have been searching various sights and this team of forumers seam to be quite helpful and friendly. Appologies in advance as I have a P10 (1940 Plymouth Deluxe) but my experience many things carry over same until mid 50s - early 60's. I use to have 1st and reverse but something shifted in my linkage. All the bushings are new and there are no worn out spots in any of the linkage rod ends. I think I just need a tallented person to teach me the way to get this rigged right. It feels like the shift lever does not come forward enough and when it is full forward I cannot shift up or down. When I "relax" it a bit - it goes up and down - but then only into 2nd or 3rd (have it up on a lift). Same thing happens on the gruond. I disengaged the front linkage and attempted to find 1st or Reverse by moving it forward or back - and was unsucsessful. If anyone wants me to tell them how to do a mid 60's 3 on the tree manual - I can walk them thru that with one eye tied behind my back... But this 3 in the tree manual has got me scratching my head! Suggestions? Happy Friday!!! M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mquinn Posted October 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 I have checked the transmission side as well - it does not appear to have any slop in the linkages and no worn spots on the linkages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 how does thing look at the column connection points? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Davey Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 mquin - if your trans is like the 50's I'm kind of familiar with, it is a "selector" transmission - the levers on the side of the trans don't work like the '60s three speeds you're familiar with. Have someone move the shift lever while you carefully observe what happens under the hood. One lever only moves a little bit and it only moves when you pull up on the lever - this is the selector that determines whether the other lever operates 1st & reverse (when you pull up on the selector) or 2nd and 3rd (when the selector is not pulled). My suspicion is that your selector is not pulling far enough when you pull up on the shift lever. Try shortening the selector rod, or push the selector lever on the trans by hand and see if you can get 1st & reverse. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plyroadking Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 My '40 does the same thing occasionally, the 1st and Rev lift mechanism starts to back out of its threaded hole in the shaft. I usually just tighten it back up. I have circled what comes loose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soth122003 Posted October 17, 2015 Report Share Posted October 17, 2015 You might also want to check your rear motor mounts i.e. transmission mount and see if they are compressed. That will give you shifting problems as well. Mine went flat/worn out and I lost 1st and reverse. Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darbone85737 Posted October 17, 2015 Report Share Posted October 17, 2015 (edited) I had the same issue when I put the newly rebuilt engine back into my car. The adjustment for 1st and R is very finicky . There is a thread from the past with more detailed information and illustration. I looked for the thread but couldn't find it. If I recall correctly the vertical lever needs to move forward just far enough to allow the horizontal lever to "click" into place. I removed the shift rods and moved the selector by hand underneath the car to find the approximate positions and then adjusted the rods accordingly. It was a slow process. It doesn't take much to have them out of adjustment. Sorry I couldn't be of more help Edited October 17, 2015 by Darbone85737 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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