Topic: Ford 4 speed reverse

[deaconhp]

This may be covered somewhere BUT

Have just installed a newly (correctly) rebuilt 1969 Ford shifter and getting the  blasted shifter past the lockout to reverse is like near impossible. The linkage is aligned so do not need to go there...

Anyone have useful ideas on how to "break" in the lockout spring???

Not the tranny or the linkage, it is the shifter.


Other than buy a Hurst setup

Thanks all

[Brian Conway]

Correctly rebuilt and the linkage is aligned.  Yes it should go into reverse but it doesn't ?  So it would seem one of the two is not functioning correctly.  I think if you follow the directions given in the 69 Shop Manual pg.  06-03-02 IN-VEHICLE ADJUSTMENTSAND REPAIRS.  Pay particular attention to the sequence and step 2.  It is an easy fix.   Brian

[CharlesTurner]

Make sure the reverse lever on the trans is all the way to one side before adjusting the rod.  It's not centered like the other 2 levers.

[deaconhp]

Thanks for getting responses started....

The issue is not with "going into" reverse....it is getting the shifter past the lockout gate, the spring if you will that the shifter must "slip" by.

I took several pics before the tranny went in....it is the "V" shaped "spring" that the lever must pass to get to the reverse lever.

[deaconhp]

And I have the blue books so saw all the detail on installation. It is just the dag gum "spring"...... have put some lube on it and if you pull left hard enough it goes but geez it is a hard pull...

[Brian Conway]

OK.  It is possible to install the 3-4 selector and the reverse selector incorrectly.  From the bottom does yours look like this ?  Brian

[Brian Conway]

Thanks for getting responses started....

The issue is not with "going into" reverse....it is getting the shifter past the lockout gate, the spring if you will that the shifter must "slip" by.

I took several pics before the tranny went in....it is the "V" shaped "spring" that the lever must pass to get to the reverse lever.

Not familiar with that ' v ' shaped piece and don't have it on my shifter.  Brian

[deaconhp]

Brian, yes, my shifter arms are as in your first picture.

[Kiwi428]

I went through some similar problems as you have outlined. I did a complete rebuild on my 69 shifter and thought everything was OK so installed it on the box only to find I could get the reverse properly through the shifter, ie getting it to work properly. I then proceeded to remove the shifter and mad up a dummy mount in the vice so I could see what was going on and make sure it moved through all the gears before going on the box. It was Brian's comments  that prompted me to check out the shifter movement before installing. In my case  I had a washer in the wrong place which hindered the movement into reverse properly.

The bench test gives you a good chance to see everything as it moves.

Hope this helps