Backstory:
I put a 225 motor with headers from an early barracuda in my '73 swinger. The collector for the headers sits exactly in the spot where the linkage to the trans' shift lever comes off the z-bar, so as a temporary fix I massaged it outboard with a torch and hammer. Several million trips from under the car to inside to shift it later it worked, but the smaller radius of the linkage gave me a shorter throw- I lost either 1st or park, depending on how I set it up.

I ended up setting it up so that I can get 1st but park only engages enough to remove the key and lock the wheel, not enough to lock the trans.

The fix:
A cable shifter seemed to be the answer to my problems so I splurged and bought a hurst v-matic ratchet/standard dual shifter. Overkill- yes! I hope it is as fun as it looks. I just got home from starting the installation. So far I got the shifter located and bolted to the floor. I still have to drill a hole for the cable and install the conversion brackets, then beat the hell out of my exhaust pipe so that it will clear the trans cable bracket. That part seems pretty straight foreward.

My question:
The hurst manual wants me to do something with the kickdown (they call it the throttle lever) but I don't know which bracket to use or what. Did anyone here do this before? My kickdown is already homemade from two stock ones with a section of round stock to clear my headers. I wonder if the kickdown needs to be moved to clear the cable?

Thanks

Kevin

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madam im adam

I say check and see if the cable interferes with your kickdown linkage or not. If not, then no need to fuss with it. The kickdown linkage is affected by the position of the throttle, and you're only changing the primary shift linkage on the transmission.

Oh the subject of Hurst shifters, I'm planning to install a Pro-Matic while my interior's all torn apart, so I'm curious to see how you like the ratchet aspect of your new shifter. I like Hurst stuff, and never liked the appearance of a column shifter, so this was an easy choice for me. With my front bench though, I'm still not sure if I'm going to want the 5.5" or the 15.5" stick.

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'74 Duster w/ HEI ignition, beat to snot suspension, A904, 8.25" 3.55 SG rear, still being tuned up and gets 17 MPG

Know how they always build a better idiot? That's me

I already got the shifter bolted to the floor and it is the car one- not the truck one. I kind of have monkey arms, but it is not a stretch. I sat in the car and ran through the gears regular and ratchet without the cable installed yet and the shifter feels good. It comes kind of close to the bench seat in maximum pull-back, so that there is definitely no chance of busting my knuckles on the ashtray. It is not awkward- it feels very natural. Of course, take that with a grain of salt- I have a 6" shifter with a T-handle on my a833 car...

I read up online on the hurst and the b&m before I got one and even though there were a few people that didn't love the hurst when I went to buy it the fit and finish on the hurst was much better. The 2 finger handle for R lockout is substantial and well made, where the b&m looked kind of cheezy.

I'll let you know how it goes- I'm on my way back to the garage now!

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madam im adam

Im home now. I got the cable ran through the floor (easy) and routed it to the bracket that bolts to the trans pan. My headers made that a big chore involving a big vice and a hand sledge and lots of fitting and re-fitting.

I finally got it to where the cable wasn't touching the headers, and the pipe even has room to bolt up to the collector. I removed the stock linkage and set up the cable. It took me far too long to realize that the stock shift arm on the trans is too long- its throw is far longer than the throw of the shifter from P to 1. That must be what the leftover brackets I left at home are for!

So I will re-read the instructions, but I was obviously confused- it isn't the kickdown that needs to be swapped out- it is the shift lever on the trans. The kickdown lever just has to come off first. Man it is kinda tight in there.

Hopefully this will help anybody else that tries to do one of these. I couldn't find any info anywhere. If I didn't have early 60's headers on my '73 I think this would have been a lot easier. Wish me luck wrapping this up.

radar

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madam im adam

Hello radars,

I used a Promatic 2 ratchet shifter on my truck and got it because of the long handle, truck seat being higher than car. I used the BPE cable kit. Both the kit and the shifter work perfectly and easilyl Look at the good pictures on the BPE site, they will h elp you see the hookups. And I like you really like the ratchet once I got used to going for park.

rock
'64d100

I had to bend up the kickdown up so that the linkages don't interfere. Other than that it was pretty easy. Thanks.

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madam im adam