Well, I finally got the new clutch installed in my '78 truck, but now I can't get the shifter linkage right. The first time I tried moving it, the only gear that actually moved the truck was reverse, the others either did nothing or stalled the engine out without even trying to move the vehicle. My dad told me this is because the gears are locked up due to the shift rods being on the wrong pivot-thingies.

The problem is that I have no idea how to fix that... when I took them off, I didn't have a working camera, but it seemed like they only went on one way anyway. When I put them back on, it seemed again like they only went on one way. And just now when I took them all back off and tried AGAIN, seems the same way.

Unless my memory is totally wrong, the rod that's adjustable goes on the bottom-most pivot, which is reverse, so that only leaves the other two to screw up on, and it really doesn't seem to me like they can go on any other way. But I must be wrong, so I really need a pic or some instructions or something on how to do this...

Can anyone help?

Put all the levers on the trans in neutral position (disengaged, you will be able to rotate the output shaft with the wheels in the air) and then place the shift lever in neutral. Assemble the rods to the transmission in this position.

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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.

Step gave you about 75% of what to do...the best way to go is:

Block the truck so it doesn't roll. pull the rods, put the tranny levers in neutral, you'll need a scatch awl or a nail that's 3/16" or so in diameter...
Line all the shift levers up so they are together and in the center of the pivot on the shifter. On the body of the shifter there is a little indent at the center of the bottom of the body, when you have all the levers lined up with the indent, you will be able to put the nail or awl through and keep everything lined up in neutral. Install the rods and adjust as necessary for proper length. once everything is in place, pull your 'pin/nail/awl' and try it again.

Sounds like you finally got the tranny out, now you're having fun putting is all back in...good luck.

-D.Idiot

Yeah, "fun", blah

I just went back out and screwed with the levers more. I actually got it to shift into all the forward gears fine, but now when I try to put it into reverse it grinds, like if I were driving it and tried to shift into reverse at ~3mph. My only guess would be that the clutch is still engaged a little, but that isn't the case obviously... I tried flipping the reverse lever around, but it only wants to go on the way I've got it.

Big M, gimme a holler if you can't get da juice straightened out and i'll tighten you up with one for the truck/van shifter setups i have.
Good luck ese!

-JYH

I'm just about ready to give up on this thing, it seems like I've tried every possible combination and at this point the only thing I can think of that could be wrong is that the shift rods SOMEHOW got way out of adjustment, but I don't know how they could have. I even managed to find a pic in the Haynes manual...



I've got it hooked up exactly like that. I actually had it this way last night too when I got all 4 forward gears working, but it kept grinding when I tried to put it in reverse. So today I tried flipping the reverse rod around, which didn't help at all, but when I put it back on the way I had it it wouldn't shift into ANY gear at ALL. It's like it's stuck in 1st gear now or something, the "neutral" position on the shifter does not put it in neutral.

Unless someone has a better idea, I'm going to take the entire shifter out again and try taking it apart and putting it back together...

It sounds like the clutch is not fully dis-engaging and the $#!+ linkage rods need correct adjustment. I would bet that it is not a shifter problem.

Again, remove all the shift rods and put the trans and shifter in nautural. Carefully align each rod so they slip right into the mounting eyes with-out moving the levers.
Get back to where the 4 forward gears are working and drive the truck, let the clutch disk break-in and adjust the clutch peddel "freeplay" to get full release.
New clutches are "sticky" until you get a few miles on them, that will make reverse grind.
Keep working at it and asking questions, you are learning new stuff!
DD

I finally got it going yesterday (whew). I readjusted all the rods, I guess I must have screwed one up when I was mucking with it because that got it going in all 4 forward gears again. The problem with reverse definitely was that the clutch was still engaging just a little, it occurred to me to try putting it in reverse with the engine OFF, which worked.

Thanks for all the help!