Hi, I am hopefully nearing the driving stage of my first full parts-to-car build and I have a shifter question. I am running a C4 trans behind a 302 in a highboy '32 roadster and I installed a used $25 shifter of unknown make (hurst, ?) that mounts to the tailshaft of the trans. Everything seemed fine, installed the linkage, cut the hole in the floor, etc. when the body was off the frame and the shifter clicked back & fourth like it should. fast foreward to now with the body bolted down, wired, exhaust, etc and when I went to move the car, I realize it will move in "park". When I crawl underneath, and take the linkage off, I see the problem. When the shifter is in park, the ****** is in 1st. The shifter arm out of the transmission faces down and it looks like I would have to remove and reverse it to point up thus making the correct arc for the shifter. does this sound right? how hard of a job is this? from what I can read on line, the valve body needs to be removed......... damn. If I buy an aftermarket shifter like a Gennie or Lokar would I still need to change the arm? My shifter does not have neutral safety switch so I guess that would be a good upgrade, but I hate the thought of having to modify my hole in the floor or re-cut it/patch the existing one. any ideas?
The C4s had two different shifter arms, one points up and one points down. I forgot which is which but the old Mustangs were different because they used a floor shift. Maybe you need to find one from an old 65 Mustang.I had to do this on my coupe back in the 70s. It just slid in and a nut held it on if I remember correctly.
The Ford C4 neutral safety switch/reverse light switch mounts to the ******. You should be able to get one pretty cheap. Swapping shift arms is easy, but you have to make sure you get the right one for the right year C4, or you can fabricate (remove, cut , weld) a new arm for your existing one.
Yes, you'll need the trans shift arm from a floor shift model like a Mustang. I don't think you can't just "turn it around" as it only mounts one way in the transmission. If you are a good fab person, you can cut the arm off and reweld it the way you need it. But don't try to do that on the trans as you'll burn up the seal behind it. The original Ford linkage had a slot in it where it hooks to that arm for adjustment. The way the shop manual said to adjust it was to put both the shifter and the transmission in "drive" and then tighten the linkage at that point and it should be correct for "Park" and also reach 1st gear on the other end.
So an early mustang shift arm might be what I need? If I buy an aftermarket shifter like a Lokar or Gennie will they work with the arm I have?
I have what I was told is a Gennie shifter on the C4 I have now and the trans appears to be from a column shift car, so I think the aftermarket shifters will work for you. But if I were you I would ask that question when talking to the manufacturer of the shifter you buy.
The Jalopy Journal
