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Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
https://slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=68737		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Daddiojoe [ Wed Aug 26, 2026 5:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
I live on a dirt road in SE MI and even the paved roads are terrible. At the beginning of this summer I bought a new shift cable and got it adjusted, but now the buttons don't want to go in and it is a general PITA.

I have a B&M cable shifter on my truck, and it doesn't seem too tricky to just hook the shift cable up to the B&M floor shifter instead of the pushbutton mechanism.

I know I would lose a lot of cool factor, but there's something to be said for reliability.

So has anybody done that with their pushbutton?

Thanks,
Joe
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Wed Aug 26, 2026 6:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
Why not just…fix the pushbuttons so they work correctly? It won't be difficult, but even if it were, it will be a whole hell of a lot less difficult than hacking in a floor shifter, and with a better result. First hint: the pushbutton cars use two cables, not just one. One for R-N-D-2-1, and one for Park/not-Park. If you've ever seen the factory '65 lever shifters (also w/2 cables) you might get an inkling of how not-at-all-simple it is to have a single lever operate the two cables properly. And then there're the modifications you'd need to make in the transmission, swapping in a '65 valve body or at least '65 manual valve with overtravel provisions – the pushbutton manual valve is R-N-D-2-1; the button box mechanism self-pushes the Neutral button when you throw the Park lever. The lever-type manual valve is N-R-N-D-2-1.

If you'll tell us what you mean by "the buttons don't want to go in", it should be pretty quick and easy to home in on what's wrong so you can fix it.
Author:  Charrlie_S [ Fri Aug 28, 2026 10:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
I agree with Dan
Author:  Daddiojoe [ Fri Aug 28, 2026 11:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
Thanks for your responses. I didn't know about needing a new valve body if I switched it out. The post was made in exasperation and desperation. Glad that I asked.

The reason I am so frustrated is that I spent a lot of time making three of the pushbutton mechanisms into one that worked. Adjusted the new cable with the pan off so I could watch the shifter and correlate to buttons pushed and placement.

I am aware that there are two separate cables. Still need to install a new parking cable, as the covering is torn and it leaks.

"The buttons don't want to go in" means that when I press the shift buttons they won't stay in. The car will move forward, but the DRIVE button won't stay in. I can put it in neutral, and it still moves backwards.

Going to mess around with adjustments this afternoon. A week ago things worked fine. The adjuster wheel and the bolt that holds it in all look to be okay.

Joe
Author:  Daddiojoe [ Fri Aug 28, 2026 3:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
Also for clarification, my plan was to use a B&M Cable-Style shifter, which works in the typical PRNDL style. I realize I wouldn't have park, but plan on figuring that out eventually.
NOT planning on using a shifter from Chryco.

Joe
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Fri Aug 28, 2026 4:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
Quote:
my plan was to use a B&M Cable-Style shifter, NOT planning on using a shifter from Chryco.
Yes, that was clear from the start, and was the basis for my advice. I still think it's an unwise idea for the reasons I stated up above.
Quote:
I spent a lot of time making three of the pushbutton mechanisms into one that worked.
Can you give us some detail on what you did? What was broken about it that you fixed, and how did you fix it?
Quote:
"The buttons don't want to go in" means that when I press the shift buttons they won't stay in. The car will move forward, but the DRIVE button won't stay in. I can put it in neutral, and it still moves backwards.
Sounds like the buttons aren't fixed and/or the cable isn't correctly adjusted.
Quote:
Adjusted the new cable with the pan off so I could watch the shifter and correlate to buttons pushed and placement.
Okeh, and while you were doing that, did the buttons stay pushed?
Author:  Daddiojoe [ Fri Aug 28, 2026 4:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
Dan--

I don't remember everything I did to make one unit out of the three. I think some levers were bent, some springs not as springy as others, etc.
I know how it should work and was able to get it to work correctly up until fairly recently.

Yes, the buttons stayed in when I adjusted it in April.

I get it that it looks like something is wrong. If something wasn't wrong, it would work, right? I have made it work a few months ago and fixed the problem to the best of my ability.

What kind of info are you looking for?

As ever,
Joe
Author:  Charrlie_S [ Fri Aug 28, 2026 8:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
This doesn't help you, but I love the PB shifter. My 66 Barracuda had a 1965 cable shifted 904. It had a 64 style valve body modified for full manual shifting, using the info in the direct performance racing manuals. I used the 1964 PB shifter mounted in a home made console between the bucket seats. People at shows and cruises really thought it was cool, and it worked great.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Sat Aug 29, 2026 12:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
Quote:
I don't remember everything I did to make one unit out of the three. I think some levers were bent, some springs not as springy as others, etc.
Yes, the buttons stayed in when I adjusted it in April.
Okeh, did they stay in only while the box was out the car and the other ends of the cables were open-air? Or did the buttons ever stay pushed while the box was in the dash and the cables fully attached/engaged at the transmission end?
Author:  Daddiojoe [ Sat Aug 29, 2026 1:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
Dan--

The pushbutton transmission worked for me as it was designed to work. Buttons stayed in. Gears shifted. Slide on the side made neutral button go in, etc.
This was all after being installed and adjusted with the new cable.

At the moment I am looking at removing the pan and trying to adjust the cable again. I have a repair manual but the instructions do not attain the desired results.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Sat Aug 29, 2026 7:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
Quote:
The pushbutton transmission worked for me as it was designed to work. Buttons stayed in. Gears shifted. Slide on the side made neutral button go in, etc.
This was all after being installed and adjusted with the new cable.
Okeh, and now that's not the case. What changed? Did it change all at once (suddenly the buttons wouldn't stay pushed and the car did the wrong thing with the wrong buttons) or did it gradually change?
Quote:
At the moment I am looking at removing the pan and trying to adjust the cable again. I have a repair manual
Is it a factory manual?
Author:  Daddiojoe [ Sun Aug 30, 2026 8:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Has anybody switched from pushbutton to cable floor shift?
Yes it is.
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