I have an old Lokar shifter in a truck I put together about 20 years ago, and the shifter*****on is really hard to push down, and then once you do, it stays down, which defeats the purpose of the lockout shifter. The grease is super gummy inside. I found that if you heat up the lower end of the shifter handle with a heat gun, it loosens up the grease a little. I have to pull the whole thing apart I guess and clean everything and re-lube it. It's not so obvious how you take the whole handle all apart though. There's a cable that attaches to the pushbutton. What's the secret to taking the whole handle apart?
Loosen the nut under the knob, back off the set screw in the knob. Turn the knob back and forth until the*****on moves up and down easily. It should slip into park and stay there.
Try adjusting the allen set screw that keeps the*****on in. If its just a little to tight it will make it seem "sticky". I had that problem with mine. If thats O K go online or get the tech people on the phone, because the set up is really important to these working properly. After setting up mine and adjusting the linkage rod I've had a very good and positive action in all gears including park. Gennie makes a good product but I think you'll be very happy with the Lokar once it's adjusted. Mine's on a TH 350. If you do decide to trash it throw it my way!!!
Thanks. I've done stuff like that, and the top end seems to be free, but the bottom end is all gummed up. Instead of turning the cable inside the handle, when you turn the pushbutton, it feels like it's just twisting the cable up like a big clockspring, like it's anchored solid at the bottom. It must be some really old dried up grease down near the bottom end of the handle. When I heat up the lower end with a heat gun, it starts to slowly work right, but then gets gummed up again as soon as it cools down. I need to figure out how to pull the whole entire handle apart I think.
wow i just ordered a lokar for the truck today i am gonna cancel my order now and get something elts. prob a gennie
dont fool your self into thinking a gennie cant have problems too..its all in the adjustment like has been said from the begining.. if it gets gummy..(down in the lower mechanicals) shoot it with some carb cleaner or de greaser and re -lube it.
I don't think it's "even with" stock shifters but BECAUSE of stock shifters. Old sloppy ones. At least partly. And it's not exactly slip out, either, more like violently slam into reverse. I had one like that, 67 Fairlane wagon, as I recall. Really creamed a brand new something or other while parallel parked one time. Banged hard into a light pole another time. Ford's position on this was that you're not supposed to leave it idling without the parking brake on. Which is true enough. As for Lokar, mine on my new C-4 works okay now that it's adjusted--it used to downshift out of drive anytime you hit a bump. Adjustments are to be expected with almost anything. But the Lokar instructions***** beyond belief. If I hadn't seen one installed I'd never have been able to put it together from that bunch of chickenshit junk. I remember half-English half-Japanese Honda manuals from the 60s that were easier to follow. And for as much as a Lokar costs, it'd be nice to get instructions you could read. I have a real long-stemmed one and the knob rattles like Vegas dice, too. Like to see that eliminated. Bottom line, I wont go Lokar again.
I've had two and no problems with either one. One was on a T-350 the other a 700R. As far as the directions I had no problem reading them either. If any of you are throwing out your Lokar because you feel it's junk pm me a price
Gennie has been in business a long time. The owner used to be an auto shop teacher in So Cal. I've used their products since '82 and worn out a brake lever. Was easy to rebuild it with replacement parts from Gennie. There's an old rumor that the Lokar people copied Gennie's designs but didn't improve the product. I don't know if that is true but certainly is possible. The FOGGER
No doubt!..can i get on this list of people wanting to throw these out..Ive had no issues and really could use another one for my A..I'll even pay for the shipping!
Thank you for all that posted. Alot of value able info I think this thread is done. I will have to contact LOKAR.
I sent a nice email to Lokar last Friday,March 6,2009 requesting****istance and a spec sheet for mine,been having shifter problems for a while. No word yet,been four(4) business days.... Looks like that Gennie Shifter I've been wanting for my transmission swap is in my near future. Good service and good products don't always hold hands?
I have a lokar that i've had no trouble with, 12,000 miles. Getting the neutral switch set was the biggest pain. I think I had to make a different thickness shim for the switch to get it set right. Haven't touched it since. I was going to try a Gennie for another car once, But everytime I tried one out at a venders display I couldn't get it to shift gears smoothly, felt like*****! They look cool, but , at least the ones I tried, Dont work as smooth as the lokars.
HOTROD GUY has it almost right. Remove the shift nob. spray brake cleaner down the inside of the shifter post until what runs out the bottom is clear. It seems they lubed the*****on w/grease that was to thick. Get some White Grease, the kind they use on disc brakes. It worked for me. Bob
Saturdays are where I am.I bought and paid for my shifter on a Saturday(and installed it on a Saturday-and a friend and I adjusted and rechecked it on a Saturday...) You see the common theme? Still,any company worth their salt checks their "Contact" emails on their website any day of the week? I'll give them Sunday.
There was a Lokar thread on here a while ago and the consensus was that they*****. Mine was a piece of garbage right out of the box. Nothing lined up. None of the bracketry holes lined up. what a piece of garbage! Now I'm wary of the entire product line.
Depending on how old your shifter is might be a problem.I had a Lokar that i bought in 1992.It worked great except the*****on would stick especially when cold outside.I bought a new handle with a new knob and cable.The new ones are made different than the original.Worked smooth as silk with the newer design knob and cable.
There's been a c-4 in my 59 Ford for more than 22 years and it's never had a problem like that. It is connected, via adjustable rod, to the stock '59 column and you must pull back on the gear selection lever to disengage park.
sorry I must have to qualify my statement..Some of the newer C-4s seem to have this problem..didnt intend to upset you there are threads on this subject..so im not the only one who feels this way
Not upset in the least. I think the problems reported concerning Fords unexpectedly dropping into gear, were caused by the quadrant****embly on the steering column, rather than the trans. itself.
I pulled the botton and knob off thinking I could get the post out but the damn thing is too long, I pulled it all the way back to 1st and still I could not it turn the post out. I will try your brake clean idea and let you know.
I've had a few problems with mine over the years but have found that minor adjustments at the trans connection usually fixes the problem. For all of you guys who are trashing your Lokars and buying Gennies, stop throwing them away and start sending them to me. I'll fix them and re-sell them at your expense and my profit.
Sorry, when I buy a Gennie I'm going to chop the Lokar up, stick it in a box, take a***** in it, then mail it back to them. unless u want me to mail it to you??..........ha ha
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