Column Shift Linkage Adjustment (2 Viewers)

[martymart]

I am finally finishing up my frame off, but ran into a problem that I thought would be a simple adjustment. I cannot seem to adjust the column linkage correctly. I have slid the bracket up and down the column shaft and rotated it left and right and still no luck. This is starting to sound a little dirty...get your head out of the gutter. What happens is I will adjust it and I can shift between reverse and first and unable to get to second and third. The shifting rod will slide towards and away from the driver, but only able to shift into those two gears. I will adjust again and the opposite happens where I can shift between second and third, but not reverse and first. I am unable to find the right spot.

It is embarrassing and humbling that I have gotten this far and this is preventing me from getting the FJ40 out on the road. I have cursed at the linkage multiple times, but it just doesn't get phased by my frustrated anger.

 

[Rock40]

Any pics for clarification? If it helps, I have a bunch of photos which may be a good reference of what I think you're talking about. I took them before disassembling the column shift on a 66'

 

[Landpimp]

If i remember right, there are also some adjustments on the rest of the linkage under the cruiser.

I can try to take some pics, both my 45's still have the 3 on the tree and they are both working.

 

[BretwithoneT]

@Rock40 just asking for the rest of us planning on keeping the 3 on the tree, please post up those pics.

 

[Rock40]

I'll get them posted up this morning, I have to run into town right now. All the linkage rods are threaded left/right hand threads so there is a lot of possible adjustment in the system.

 

[Rock40]

Here are several pics that hopefully help with orientation.

Shift rod with pivot attached

Lower portion (steering box side) showing alignment on steering shaft cover and additional linkage pivot

 

[Rock40]

@martymart, let me know if this does any good. All the linkages are adjustable (quite a bit) with the left/right linkage ends. I have stock measurements on all the linkages if necessary.

 

[PaxtonRestos]

@martymart, let me know if this does any good. All the linkages are adjustable (quite a bit) with the left/right linkage ends. I have stock measurements on all the linkages if necessary.

Hi Rock40 do you still have these measurements I am at this point of getting a ‘67 LV on the road and all I pretty much have left is adjusting the 3 on the tree linkage and the linkage down to the transfer case. If you have all those measurements that would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance, Brett

 

[Mark Jennings]

Maybe this will help….

 

[Mark Jennings]

And make sure the selectors on the transmission are both in neutral….Side arm straight down, top arm straight to the left.

 

[Mark Jennings]

I wrote this for Mud Members trying to salvage your ‘3 on the tree’ shifters…..it may help you once the pin is replaced. At the end of the article, there is a paragraph or 2 on ‘how to adjust’ that in the turn signal housing.

FJ40 3 Speed Column Shift Rebuild
Our 68 FJ40, that we have owned since 1992, still sports the 3 speed column shift. My wife and I decided to keep the nostalgia of ‘3 on the tree’ when we resurrected the beast after a 17 year respite. And after the restoration, shifting through the gears, it was as loose and sloppy as we remembered. And because I updated the Saginaw power steering (fixing a 70’s vintage upgrade by the PO), slightly changing steering column geometry, it was enough to exacerbate sloppy shifting into missed gears, partial engagements (popping out of gear) and at least on one occasion, bent linkage.

During the restoration, my only attempt at sorting out the sloppy linkage was installation of spherical rod ends instead of the original ball and sockets. There are quite a few manufactures, all offer metric and ends that are right and left hand thread. On the 3 speed column, there are a total of six, 8mm ends, 3 right hand and 3 left hand thread. The ones I ordered all included a grease fittings. My logic here....‘loose and sloppy’ equated to take up at the rod end....and found it...‘not the case’.

View attachment 3609524

Another issue causing the sloppy shifting was the original nylon bushing located at the lower end of the column, it was worn to the point of no less than a 1/4” of play....not rigid enough of a structure to push/pull the remainder of the linkage and shift forks into or out of the detents that lock the transmission in gear.

View attachment 3609525

In the picture, you can see light between the shaft and the original bushing. Yep, pretty worn out.

I decided to go with an aluminum bushing, with a grease fitting. A friend of mine with a lathe and a small versa-mill helped me out here.

We bored out the lower shaft housing, cleaned up the end of the column shaft, and fabricated an aluminum bushing....pressed it all together then drilled and taped a hole for a grease fitting.

View attachment 3609526

View attachment 3609527

Then reassembly and adjustment. The truck shifted so much smoother. However, it still wasn’t right.

View attachment 3609528

The next problem to solve....the pin that screws into the turn signal bezel and supports the upper end of the shaft was loose and wobbly. There are no instructions for assembly here.....or adjustment....other than the obvious...but not so obvious. The big question, should the pin be threaded in tightly so it doesn’t move (rigid structure) and shimmed into the correct orientation for the shift lever or left a bit loose, able to rotate as the shift lever is moved up or down, between 1st and reverse and, 2nd and 3rd.

Initially, I left it loose, but continuously worried that its floppiness would eventually shear the pin or strip the threads. This is one of those pieces that you want to be careful with, they are no longer available and as 3 on the trees are generally discarded in favor of a floor mount shifters...piece parts are getting harder to find in the used bins of our FJ40 suppliers.

So I stacked several different thicknesses of washers under it and boy oh boy. What a difference. What’s goofy, no matter where I position the hole in the shift selector it still rotates a tad. Reverse and 2nd tighten and 1st and 3rd loosen. So the procedure is...shim as required to get the orientation close. Run through the gears and if you see any rotation (loosening especially) add (or subtract) another shim....to keep the pin from rotating.

So anyway, I hope this helps any of you trying to salvage your ‘3 on the tree’...there aren’t many left...and people are always in awe...when they see you ‘row through the gears’. And those of you that can double clutch into that straight tooth non-synchro 1st...you have a skill that very very few possess. It’s a lost...art?....become one with machine.

Bee Good.

MMJennings

I wrote this for mud members trying to keep 3 on the trees alive.

Good luck

 

[Rock40]

Hi Rock40 do you still have these measurements I am at this point of getting a ‘67 LV on the road and all I pretty much have left is adjusting the 3 on the tree linkage and the linkage down to the transfer case. If you have all those measurements that would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks in advance, Brett

Sorry, that was WAY long ago

 

[mtn biker]

I will adjust again and the opposite happens where I can shift between second and third, but not reverse and first. I am unable to find the right spot.

So instead of starting a new thread i decided to see if anyone has had similar issues to me. After a long ( much longer then I would have liked) engine rebuild and refresh, the other night I was able to test drive it for a couple of miles. It is verry hard to shift into 1st and reverse, almost impossible, and second and third are easy enough. I went from a 1F to a 2F in my 69. So any clarification on the adjustments would be greatly appreciated. @Mark Jennings I took a picture of your service manual pages so that i can have them readily available.

 

[65swb45]

So instead of starting a new thread i decided to see if anyone has had similar issues to me. After a long ( much longer then I would have liked) engine rebuild and refresh, the other night I was able to test drive it for a couple of miles. It is verry hard to shift into 1st and reverse, almost impossible, and second and third are easy enough. I went from a 1F to a 2F in my 69. So any clarification on the adjustments would be greatly appreciated. @Mark Jennings I took a picture of your service manual pages so that i can have them readily available.

The throw between second and third is shorter than the throw between first and reverse, so I would expect that you have excessive freeplay in the linkage. You need to have someone move the lever while you inspect each of the pivot points.

Think of it like a miniature version of a steering center arm and tie rod ends.