I've got a three speed on the column and occassionally it all jams up going from first to second where it moves through neutral. I can free it up easy enough under the hood but I'm looking for a permanent fix.

sounds like the nylon bushings in the linkage. Start by checking for wear on the joints at the external links going from the column to the trans and fixing them as necessary, that's the simple part. But I am told the three on the tree column is prone to jamming due to internal wear.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

The other thing to check is the tension adjustor at the base of the column. There are two or three bolts around the outside of the lower end of the steering column jacket (in the engine compartment). These bolts go through angle-slotted holes and into a nylon or metal internal "crown". You loosen the bolts, grab the "crown" and rotate it so that the bolts move upward (towards the firewall) in their angled slots. This moves the crown upward as well, which puts more tension on the gearshift components in the column and helps prevent jamming. After twenty or thirty years they sometimes need adjustment.

But yeah, eventually the 3tree linkages can get worn to the point where they really can't be made to work reliably without complete disassembly and restoration.

well so can anything... maybe all these ppl who villefy the column shift just arent aware of the adjustment procedure. Maybe I should take another look at hacking that 3spd column and making it a 4spd...

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Or just change the 3 speed to a floor shift. Hurst makes a really nice three on the floor shifter. My Duster used to have on in it and you could really bang the gears with that shifter until my clutch burned out.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

Doesnt the trans hump have to be modified for a floor shifter? not to mention cutting a hole...

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Some aftermarket companies sell tranny humps to convert to a floor shifter.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

If I remember correctly, my brothers 68 Dart had the same problem. "fixed" it with a large zip tie pulled to the right tension, holding the shift levers in position. It held up good, better than the motor did when he ran it without oil.

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