my mechanic cant fix my car, can you guys help? *shifter and linkage*

yea i have the return spring, and kickdown lever as well.... and i had an idea for not using the hole throttle linkage mounts for the 292, but still able to use the kickdown. lets see if i can explain this so you guys can see what i mean haha....


its basically this. use the rod that i got on the original pedal setup right now, and run it to the carb. then... get a cable, attatch it to the bottom of the carb, and run it down to the lever on the transmission for the kickdown. when i accelerate, it lifts the kickdown cable up... would this work??

 

Yes ,BUT !! For a cable to work both ends of the housing MUST be firmly held by some form of bracket/mount. With your limited tools and fab. skills I don't know if you can do it. Hook up the throttle and get it driving and see how things work,the kick down is nice to have but it will not stop you from going down the road.

 

well i did buy a cable throttle linkage bracket. and since i can use a rod for my carb linkage, i figured why not mount the cable bracket, and use it for the kickdown? i messed with it for a few minutes and now thinking about it, it MIGHT could work... i would have to check tomorrow to see if it would or not.

but yea it looks like i can get the shifting...
and maybe even the carb linkage with the rod if i straighten it out just a little bit so it fits flush with it.

all that leaves now is the kickdown.... i'll see what me and my dad can do

so far this seems good.... hopefully its not to good to be true

 

I'd go for the offer fomocochoptop just made you above.
It will make it right.

 

He's in California. They don't allow junk yards there and they surely wouldn't have one with a 50 year old car in it. Is the column shifter linkage still there? If so it's amazing what you can do with some threaded stock rod from Home Depot. You can heat it with MAP gas and bend it and there should be all kinds of rod links you can get. Graingers has the ball bearing rod ends in any size. I would think you could "rig" something to work until you get into some dough. Wouldn't matter if it had a kickdown switch or not, just bring the shifter back into 2nd gear. I just rigged a throttle linkage that way and it looks like it came from the factory that way. Good luck ...

 

i know, but what he offered me is what i have exactly. that rod is off of a 57 ford tranny. i dont think my mechanic even tried looking at that to see if it'd work. figures

 

Ya know, you really know how to piss on a kids parade .. He ain't got a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of, workin' 2 jobs and goin' to school but still he's messin' with a 50 year old car instead of some 80's Honda POS.. give him a friggin' break .. !

 

No...It can't be true .....No junkyards in Cali???? WTF??? Carl

 

Naw, we still got them only the hazardous waste management laws are killing them and you won't see any news ones opening up.

 

There's more to the workings of the Ford-O-matic kick down than a simple linkage moving up and down. To really understand how it works, you need to see the factory transmission manual. It's not nuclear reactor complicated, but it is a bit involved. So, no, I honestly don't think your cable idea is going to work.

 

I really can't imagine having any around San Fran with Polosi, Boxer and that gang anywhere around there ... Maybe some over on the other side of the mountains around Barstow etc ...

 

There are plenty of junk yards here but they are exactly that..JUNK!!! In Bakersield, Ca we have quite a few but the oldest car I have seen was 63-64's. They are all already torn to just the frame and body. For us (me and luv) we would have to either travel to fresno or LA, or order our stuff online or from some HAMBer selling what we need.

 

find a 64 5 6 mustang shifter used somewhere. they used a shifter that bolts to the floor and one linkage rod that runs to the transmission. you will have to remark the gear locations on the shifter but i know this will be the easiest way out and it will work great. hopes this helps!

 

Get a copy of a manual for it and put it all back together if you got all the stock parts! Hit up a guy named shoprag on here.. hes in bakersfield and might be able to help you out!

 

i have a copy of the manual, and i've been using and so did that mechanic i took it to. but i think i need to modify some of these stock parts in order to get it going again. we'll see what happens tomorrow i guess. ill take some pics and update you guys.
and i sent a PM to shoprag, maybe he could help out, thanks

 

Its not that tough, just go out there with your manual and your stock linkage. If the 58' is anything like the 55' model you will figure it out and you should be able to piece it back together and then you get to say you did it. The answers have already been posted above. I'd advise against any mods to the stock stuff, play with the levers on the column as well as on the trans taking note where the column lever indicates each gear and then on the trans "feel" each position the lever moves to, assemble and adjust.

The cable idea should also work but it'll likely look ugly and why would you do that if you have the stock stuff?

Good thing your "mechanic" didn't charge you, and honestly if he can't figure this out I'd also advise against letting him ever touch your car again. That 58 is a great looking car! Have some confidence and patience you'll get it.

 

oh yea i know all the answers have been answered in these pages. im definatley printing them out, taking them to my grandmas and reading them while i work on it. so you guys are helping me out a lot. and i appreciate it a lot.

i cant really use some of the stock stuff because i am missing some of it. i need a stock pedal setup for a v8, not the i6. i dont know where to get one, so if i rig up something, it will only be temporary until i can get that. THEN i'll be able to put the v8 mounting plate on the manifold and run all the stock stuff.

and yea i messed with the column today actually. i found a wire and put it in the holes to temporarily hold it, i was able to put it in park, then move it down to reverse, neutral, drive, and low. so i was able to do it! i gotta put some washers on it and a roach clip now and it'll be pretty sturdy i imagine. i just wont have the indicator to let me know which gear im in, but i'll count and i can get it.

.... i HONESTLY believe that tomorrow i can take this out for a spin. if i spend all morning and afternoon working on it, i think i can do it.... cuz i gotta work all day friday at both jobs and its gonna kill me if i cant get it before then!

 

You will need to get a foot feed from an auto equipped car, or modify the one you have.
You seem to have most of the other parts to hook everything up in the correct manor, its just oriented wrong.
First disconnect the modulator/passing gear rod from the linkage. If you look at the picture you posted you will see a 1/8 hole just below your thumb. Rotate the linkage until that hole lines up with the other two 1/8 holes in the sides of the main body of the bell crank. Put a rod [drill bit] through these three holes to hold it all in place. This is your starting point. Remove the threaded adjustable piece of linkage from the front of the bell crank [it goes on the rear] and get or make a rod to connect the front of the bell crank to the carb. The correct or modified foot feed will have a short piece pointing forward close to where it comes through the firewall. This will be connected to the rear of the bell crank with the afore mentioned threaded piece of linkage. Remove the locating rod.
Pressing down on the gas pedal will move the rear of the bell crank in an upward motion. The front of the bell crank will move down, pulling open the carb butterfly's.
When all this is adjusted correctly and moving smoothly, and not until then, you can connect and adjust the modulator rod. To do this pull up on the rod until the holes in the clevis line up with the short forward facing arm on the bell crank. Once the holes line up you will need to turn the clevis a further one and a half turns out, effectively making the rod a little longer, put the pin in and tighten the lock nut. This sets the line pressure and controls the shift points. If you like a firmer shift, lengthen the rod by another turn or two. The early Ford-o-matics and Cruise-o-matics do not have a vacuum modulator, and rely on this rod position for shift information.
I don't think you could duplicate this system with cables, so I believe it would be in your best interest to do what it takes to get the correct parts.

 

I have the stock v8 pedal stuff, I'll send it up with the lens.

On these cars, you need to change the mast jacket, which is the outer tube that covers the steering column. I have that as well.
It has the stuff to shift it from the column. I know I have the main shift rod on one of my cars.

As for the kickdown stuff, PM Vonparkhur (or something like that) and ask him for Fred's #.
Fred is in Bako and has a back yard full of 57-58 Fords.
He is a cool old dude and will help you.

 

you ALWAYS come through for me man. seriously. well, if you can, could i get some pics of the pedal setup and the mast jacket? and you mentioned the lens to right? i figure you seen my 'wanted' ad for a parking lens. how much would you want for all that stuff?

and i did a search for Vonparkhur but didnt come up.. but yea if there is a guy here in bakersfield with a backyard full of 57-58 fords, i neeeed to see this. hell i might buy one haha. but yea thanks so much dude you always help with the parts

 

J: Looks like you are getting there. Great to see Hambers helping you out. I agree that you should use the manual along with the V8 linkages and pedal. Follow Dominick Hides alignment post and you should be good to go soon.

 

Summit racing and Jegs have kits for throttle,s dont know if this is what you want but looking at them might give you some ideas,good luck......................YG

 

This thread has been dead for a year and a half. I'd imagine it's either been solved by the owner or given up on by now.

 

Maybe a contender for a barn find in 2020.

 

;-0

 

From your description of the situation, any 'mechanic' could take that job and run with it. He don't want to, or he ain't a mechanic.

Do yourself a favor, bring the car home and work it out by yourself. You'll enjoy the challenge.

 

Exactly my thoughts. Too many run for the catalog these days and call themselves hotrodders.

 

And please quit re ferring to this guy as your mechanic,hes your parts changer!

 

LUVZCCR
Last Activity: 12-25-2009 02:15 AM

Santa brought him a new shifter and throttle for Christmas....
this is an old post.

 

use any 3 speed shifter..standard shift pattern....fire yer mechanic

M.