Hot Rods 58 Chev p.u. shift lever?

...a friend has an all orig. 58 Chev 1/2 ton p.u.,...just recently the 3 speed column shift lever is hard to move to shift into low or reverse gear,...we pop'd out the grease fill plug on top of the shifter box located on the column just above the gearbox,...not too much grease in there,..squirted some WD40 in there to free up things a bit, seemed to help some.

..would the bracket on the column just below the shift lever have anything to do with it shifting harder, seems it takes more effort to pull the shift lever back towards the driver to get it into low or reverse.

...figured if it frees up, we'll take the cover off the box on the column , clean it out and put new grease in there.
thanks.

 

I'd be tempted to take it all apart, carefully clean and inspect, and figure out what the problem is.

but I 'm weird like that.

 

...the truck sit most of the Winter,..shifted kinda stiff last Fall before putting it away,..
I know they get stiff when it's real cold, but not too cold now....mite end up taking the shift box apart, etc...

 

might also check inside the lever for sticky grease. There's a "knob" on the end of the long rod that fits in the lever, that rides in brass bushing that is held in place with rubber. the parts could be sticking there, so it won't slide in and out the little bit it needs. And where the rod fits into the piece that supports the lever, might be sticky.

Of course inside the box, could be sticking, too.

You should be able to tell when you start taking stuff apart.

 

Old Chevy and Ford pickups seam to have this problem when the body mounts are sagging and the body has shifted some.

 

The shifter is not mounted to the body.

Sent from my Trimline

 

No, but the steering column is.....and the shifter is mounted to that.

 

the older we get we all get a little bit stiff.....

 

..thanks for the info guys,...will relay to my buddy.

 

The steering column is part of the steering box, and it's mounted to the frame, not the body. There is a clamp at the top of the column attaching it to the dash. But the shifter can't be affected by the cab moving on the frame. Take a closer look at how it's built, you'll see.

Sent from my Trimline

 

I thought it was the opposite, thats why they made cialis. ¿?

 

both Jim and Iwana have the right answer now the question is who gets the trophy

 

all I want is the participation trophy.

 

You may want to check your linkage down by the transmission as well. Also, shifting my original 3 speed with a floor shifter would get stiffer in the colder months. A little resistance here and there can add up. I cold see where a sagging cab could put the shifter rod into a little bind into the column shift box.

 

Squirrel and I would be tempted to take it all apart, carefully clean and inspect, and figure out what the problem is.

 

Thank you.

 

..it shifts fine, it's just harder to pull the lever back towards you, once you pull it back it shifts just fine...