[Guest]

I have a strange problem with the shifter on my 65 4 spd. The T handle for the reverse lockout is jammed in the down position. However, it goes into reverse or any other gear freely. Obviously it would typically only go into reverse when the T handle is pulled up, as it did until this happened today.

I've never seen a 4 speed shifter apart, so I'm not too familiar with it. I did unbolt it from the tranny enough that I could see up in there a bit.

Any ideas?

Thank you...
darren

 

[FordDude]

Sounds like the reverse lockout is broken. IIRC there is a cable that connects the "Tee" to lockout and spring at the bottom of the shifter. Sounds like the lockout pin is jammed in the up position. That would allow you to shift into reverse. If that were the case the "Tee" would just move around freely. Maybe the cable broke and jammed them both. I just looked in my NPD catalog and they do sell rebuild kits. That or like when mine broke back in '76 I just replaced it with a Hurst shifter. fd

 

[Guest]

That's what was strange about this is that the T is locked. I even tried to tap it lightly and it wouldn't dislodge. I would have thought that if the cable broke, it would be completely free. From underneath, I could see something that looked like a ball release coming out of each end of the shifter, and that was above a curved slot that was cut into the shifter mount. Maybe that was part of the problem, but I'm not familiar enough with it to know.

I'll dig further tonight, and maybe if someone here knows more about it I can go off of that info too.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[Guest]

Well, I found the problem. The u-bolt cap that holds the shifter in place cracked. This left an extra gap in the control box and allowed the trans to go into reverse without pulling the T handle. The T was locked because the end of the cable spun 90 degrees and would retract back up into the slot.

Based on recommendations here, I called toploaderheaven.com and have a new u-bolt cap on its way. Mark was as helpful as everyone has said.