Hot Rods Hurst shifter funk

Sounds like it could be a similar issue. Mine will drive fine, then after shifting into 2nd it will randomly get stuck in second gear, and can't get it back out again until it decides to on it's own. Putting the engine under load, or coasting with the clutch pushed in won't change it. I'll have to stop, get underneath and manually pull the 1-2 rod back to neutral. I'd suspected that the detent scissors inside the side plate were worn and causing the fork to hang up, so I replaced them and the pin they pivot on. Made sure everything was lined up perfectly after I put the new rods and linkage on, but of course, now I'm back to square one

 

I heard that as well, Napa didn't have it but I got a big jug of that same StaLube on Amazon for cheap, has GL4 in it now.

 

Summit so far is being cool about it, as they should be, since I told them my application and they sold me the wrong part. They sent me a return slip and when it makes it back, they're going to send out the new kit.

 

Summit has treated me fairly, too. After a few questions, Service Tech on phone directed me to 'the bay', and I headed to the computer.

I had a problem with an 833 MOPAR box with Hurst Comp plus linkage. Reverse link was 2" too short...came in a box that way, but was reasonable.
Hurst on eBay was cooperative, sent me a reverse rod with adjusting nut and fastener for $30? Thereabouts, but was the right one and shifts correctly now.
I can only presume that this 'bay' was the one he was referring to. This...or jumping into the ocean...

 

Always read the label. The GL4 protects the brass parts, GL5 doesn't and GL4/GL5 blends may not. My speed shop has a good, last ones I got were Brad Penn. Which is now Penn Grade.

 

I'd still stay with the shifter and look at the bushings, I never use the nylon ones and the steel ones I've broken them too. Drop the levers off the transmission. Make sure the shafts are aligned (in neutral). Put the 1/4" pin in the shifter.

1 by 1 see how the levers match up to the flats on the shafts. Adjust the nuts on the shifter until they fall right on. I've bent rods in the vise in a couple of rare instances if they gave me a fight going on.

I'm picking my fixed M20 in a couple of days with some luck and will show the guy my shifter to see what he thinks. But it has been working fine and my missed 3rd gear shift that broke it was probably in the box itself.

Just thought of this, how is the fluid level? If it is very low, weird things happen with the how they operate.

 

Picked up my fixed M20 last night. The rebuilder was giving me points on setting up the shifter, asked me what I had, apparently I have a valuable shifter with little use on it.

He mentioned to look at how loose the lugs were on the rods. If there is appreciable slop, he suggested grinding flats on them and installing a jam nut so they would be tighter, less slop.

 

Hey all, thanks for the responses. I've been absent while trying to get my mom settled in Washington after her move here from North Carolina.

So things I've found out since I posted last. My dad, because the transmission sits so much lower in the 3100 than the original GTO the trans came out of, had to make a shift extension that I didn't realize how long it was. That accounts for a lot of what was going on.

It had added so much throw to the shifter that he then used the shorter (more inboard) throw holes on the side cover shift arms (see below) to then shorten the shifter throw back down again. I don't know if he added these secondary short-shift holes himself, if they were an aftermarket piece at some time or if they were part of the OEM levers that simply had a short shift option to them.

I'm an idiot for not realizing how long of an extension he added and didn't realize how long it actually was until I decided to take the old original Competition Plus shifter out to take a look at it up close. Some of it was hidden by the shift boot that I hadn't fully slid off. It then became abundantly clear why the new linkage kit (without the more inboard holes) would not let it get into gear without hitting the floorboard first.

I did decide to spring for a new Competition Plus shifter that will then arrive this week.

 

That said, here's a question, should someone want to answer- on these shift arms, the holes already perfectly match the size of the new Hurst linkage rods I ordered, but without the bushings. It has been said that these shift arms are hardened- is it worth it to drill them out to install the hardened bushing (pit pack that I bought) or should I just use them without bushings? There's no play, fit real nice. Just wondering if they would wear each other out faster without the bushings. Thoughts?

 

That fills in all the blanks for all of us.

I'm thinking why bother, Hurst shifters eliminated the problems GM had with the oem shifters that those double hole levers came off of.
Depending on the mounting/linkage kit you ordered, some of your other issues may get resolved.
Here is a shot of the later style Hurst mount on the Muncie for my 67 Nova.
Mounts higher and also eliminates some of those "dog leg" shift rods.



This is a Hurst Street Super shifter on my Richmond T-10, it also mounts higher and even has straighter shift rods, eliminates a lot of wasted throw movement in the shifter.

 

Mmm. Good info. Thanks for posting, the pics are really helpful

 

I wouldn't drill out the original shift arms.
Check out, http://www.5speeds.com/cart/index.php?route=product/category&path=79
Paul has a bunch of videos on the Hurst shifters, linkage, adjustment, etc. Also quite fond of the Muncie's that he started making them.

 

Thanks Mad Mike! I have seen some of his videos, Paul has some good ones on shifter linkage setup on YouTube. Another guy (I believe his name was Scott) at Riverside Gear in Michigan has also been helpful. He's the guy I purchased the new detent scissors from.

As it looks, I'll have to stick with the original shift arms and use the secondary holes to reduce the throw. I measured the distance from the floorboard to the mounting plate for the shifter, and it is 9". No matter what shifter I use, it's painfully obvious I'll need to use an extension to get the shifter up to floorboard level. Because of the physics of it, the throw at the top of the shifter handle will be considerably longer than it would normally be. Unless I want to cut a hole the size of Kansas in the floorboard to get full action, I'll need something to reduce the throw.

 

That engine and trans must sit pretty low in the chassis. I ran an M21 behind the 283 then the 350 that I had in my 48 for a long time with a Hurst Competiton plus with the "truck" lever on it and the shift knob would sit just far enough above the stock seat to shift it comfortably. The shifter was a gift from my dad so It will never go anywhere but the handle may have a number on it.

 

You may have to enlarge photo to read dimensions.

Take your pick, wright the check.

https://www.google.com/search?q=hur...hlQKHR-QAUEQ_AUIEigC&biw=1280&bih=752#imgrc=_

 

Cautiously optimistic report. After dealing with the second gear shift hangup plague for quite a while, I tried the transmission side levers that came with the Hurst Kit, but the throw was just too long even after notching the shifter extension that my dad had put on. Long story short, I went back to the original transmission side levers and utilized the non redrilled outer holes on the levers.
True to what others had said, and after the machine shop had denied it upon looking at them, they are hardened steel. So he used an indrill to match them to the spec of the new Hurst shifter rods, and now it is shifting ok. It appears to (hopefully) have been a geometry issue, and I'm up and going again.

 

It’s true, the transmission does sit low; the tilt of the engine/transmission is dictated by the steering gearbox/rams horn manifolds as others have dealt with.