3 on the tree won't shift.

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63farmbox
Posts: 1
Joined: December 18, 2012, 10:30 pm

3 on the tree won't shift.

Post by 63farmbox »

Could use some help with this. I put anew steering gear in my 63 F100. Dropped the gear and shaft out the bottom. Left steering column in truck. Slid new gear and shaft back in from the bottom. Put everything back together and do not have reverse and 1st. I tried adjusting shift rods as suggested in other post. I have taken the steering wheel off a couple of times to make sure I have the shifter in the shift tubes. Everything looks good, but when I get it back together, same thing. It worked just fine before I pulled the old steering gear. It acts like maybe the reverse-1st gear maybe isn't moving? Pickup has new floor pans in it. Appreciate any suggestions.
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foodstick
Posts: 3364
Joined: March 15, 2006, 6:45 pm

Re: 3 on the tree won't shift.

Post by foodstick »

Does your cab set lower than it used to? Because shifting was always the problem when the cab sags.. Possibly its just low enough you can't adjust the linkages enough?

I am also trying to recall if there were some buchings you could have pushed out of place in there.. Its been a LONG time since I have torn into a column.
oldsmiley
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Re: 3 on the tree won't shift.

Post by oldsmiley »

I've rebuilt quite a few of these columns from 1961's to 1977's, and with my eyes closed and playing it all out in my head (about what you just described), I can only think of 1 thing that it may be. But 1st, can you even put the shifter into neutral, and pull it towards you like you are going to go to 1st or reverse, or does it NOT even pull back towards you? If that's the case, sliding the steering shaft back up into the column could have hung on the shift tube and pushed it back up into the top collar slightly further than it should be.
A lot of the shift collars are a little loose in the top where the side tab on the top of the shift tube CAN slide past it's original stopping point. If it does that, then the tube won't even go down far enough to engage with the 1st & reverse linkage arm. Pulling the steering wheel AND the turn signal switch housing, would let you see how the top of the shift tube is fitting into the collar.
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