does anyone know how to adjust the shifter on a 48 chevy? I paid to get the tranny rebuilt and installed it again but when i try to shift it will barely go into reverse, itll go into first and third gear just fine but not in first. baisically the top two gears it wont go into the reverse and second but the two bottom gears it will the first and third. it feels like it has to travel just a bit higher on the top two gears to shift into them but it wont. its a chevy fleetmaster 216 engine synchromesh 3 speed column shift transmission the original one. thanks guys
Sounds to me it does need a simple linkage adjustment, If I understand what you're saying. (I'm not certain I do exactly...) If it was working OK, then suddenly not working right, you might have collapsed a rubber trans or engine mount. If the engine or trans can move around just a trifle, it throws the linkage out of adjustment.
Go on this site and you can check out the repair manual online. The one they have is for 47 but it's also good for 48s http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/
I seem to recall a series of holes that a bolt or dowel had to be run threw to align the linkage.. Does that sound familiar? Posted using my chicken and 2 cigs
If you disconnect the linkage at the trans arms, can you shift the gears normally from the trans arms, and feel them "click" into place? If not the trans might have a worn/bent shift fork.
their is a hole in the 2 levers in engine compartment to line up shifter. use a drill bit or bolt to line them up and adjust rods going to transmission arms.
thanks for all the info guys, I knew Id find the answer here like I have for all the other questions ive posted in the past. well you guys helped, I got the links and levers adjusted, tomorrow I test drive after I set the distributor and timing hopefully I got the problem fixed. if not ill post a video of exactly what its doing wrong so you guys can see and hear the problem. but hopefully what you guys had me do fixed it thanks again if so =)
There should be an adjustment on the rods under the car. The usual procedure is to loosen or disconnect the adjusters, put the gearshift in neutral and the transmission in neutral then set the adjusters. The hole in the levers is to hold them in the correct position, which I think is neutral.
This video might help: And check the bushings in your linkage to make sure there isn't excessive slop. That can cause it to hang up or be hard to shift. Now for our movie:
Most of you guys that replied to this thread failed to remember that he is working on an early chev WHICH IS A "SELECTOR" type tranny..One arm shifts all the gears with the selector arm selecting which to shift...