Shift lever/crossmember issue

by RossK73 Thu Oct 27, 2016 11:26 am

Anyone run into an issue like this before.....73 car with a 4 speed, the reverse lever on the ITM shifter rubs and binds on the top of the crossmember. I always wondered why it bound up the shifter occasionally and now I know. What would be the cause and remedy for this? I have already ground off some of the lever but don't want to take it down too far but it still rubs.
Thanks, Ross

by Joe73 Thu Oct 27, 2016 11:30 am

Did it always.do that? Is the granny mount in good shape and the coerect one? Does it hit just sitting there or only when in reverse?

by RossK73 Thu Oct 27, 2016 12:42 pm

I think it has done it somewhat ever since I've had it.(2001) The shifter was always sloppy and bound up once in a while and I thought the issue was just normal wear, so I took it apart and rebuilt some of the levers where there was a lot of wear and had a new control pivot shaft built. It is now nice and tight and works well on the bench. The tranny mount seems to look good but not sure how to check it and if a new one would change the height enough to clear the lever. It jams every time the lever moves to reverse so I can't use it until this is resolved. Any suggestions? Thanx

by Joe73 Thu Oct 27, 2016 1:23 pm

put a Jack under the trans close to the.shifter. Jack up the trans slightly and watch the.mount. see if it separates.or elongated at all. If it does it's.defective. Do you have the mount with the metal tab that hangs off the edge of the mount at the edge of the crossmember? Also try to measure the overall height of your mount and I'll do the same and.let you know.

by RossK73 Thu Oct 27, 2016 3:55 pm

Joe - the mount was bottomed out so that is my issue. Thanks much! I will have to try and find a new one...looks to be pretty standard with the rectangular box type. Another thing that I noticed when putting the shifter back together after the parts rebuild was that the spring plate shown in the 73 Chev service manual says it goes between the 1-2 and 3-4 levers. I couldn't get it to shift into 1-2 on the bench without changing that spring plate to the outside of the 3-4 lever. Is it possible that their service manual diagram is incorrect? Can you check your manual to verify?
Cheers,
Ross

by Joe73 Thu Oct 27, 2016 4:55 pm

Cool you found the problem. I thought it would be the mount.
My service manual, page 7M-38, shows the "spring plate" going between the 1-2 and 3-4 levers same as yours. Interesting.

This is what the tranny mount should look like. Although that small tab in the pic behind the threads has a hole in it. Never seen one with that hole but it shouldnt effect anything.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Auto-Trans-Mount-For-Chevrolet-Caprice-Impala-Chevelle-Malibu-Bel-Air-Laguna-/401204688898?hash=item5d69a9b802:g:v-wAAOSwzaJX~Loq&vxp=mtr

by RossK73 Thu Oct 27, 2016 5:02 pm

Thanks again Joe - can you also look at the underside of your shifter (if you have an ITM) as the spring plate would be visable as to where it is located, to verify the manual?

by Joe73 Thu Oct 27, 2016 5:03 pm

My shifter is long boxed away and buried. I've been running a hurst (actually several hursts) over the years.

by Joe73 Thu Oct 27, 2016 5:11 pm

Hold on. I got it, forgot I was digging in my tranny box stuff. The plate is like you said, on the outside of 3-4. Basically between 3-4 and reverse. Like in this pic. http://nastyz28.com/forum/threads/super-t10-shifter.111437/

I took a pic of mine with my phone. If you want to see my pic, PM me your cell number and I'll text it to you. But mine is the same as the link above.

by RossK73 Thu Oct 27, 2016 6:57 pm

That's great Joe - That's probably not the only mistake that GM printed in that manual....haha

by Joe73 Thu Oct 27, 2016 7:05 pm

Glad it worked out !!!

by clanceman427 Sat Oct 29, 2016 8:07 am

Hi Ross. Just wanted to say mine has the spring plate on the outside of the 3-4 lever as well. I also added a washer in the shifter to tighten things up to prevent the possibility of the shifter being able to go from 2nd to third while leaving the trans in 2nd thus jamming. It's in my rebiiulding my ITM shifter thread

by RossK73 Sat Oct 29, 2016 10:12 am

Kevin - that's great I will check out your thread - Cheers!

by clanceman427 Sat Oct 29, 2016 6:42 pm

Here is the link in case you couldn't find it:

http://www.g3gm.com/t9754-how-i-improved-my-itm-4-speed-shifter

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