Technical Ford C4 in a 23T, question on shift arm

Hello all,

I recently bought a 23T that has a 302 backed by a C4. It had a B&M floor shifter when I got it but the shifter is shot, it's rusted, jammed, just not worth the effort. So I'm going with a Lokar trans mount set up. Problem is, on the C4 there's a nut at the end of the shifter arm lever, it just spins around. I need to remove it so I can take off the washers that I guess were installed just in case the B&M level worked it's way loose? I did a little research and it sounds like I need to drop the pan, pull the valve body and get the bolt from the other side. Before I even try it I just wanted to get the groups say on that and make sure I'm not missing anything. The nut that's spinning is the one circled in red

Thank you,
Sam

 

Do you have access to a nut splitter ?

 

No, nothing like that

 

That nut is on the kickdown lever, it doesn't hold the shift lever in the case. There is a big nut inside that holds that. The kickdown lever will rotate a bit but shouldn't spin all the way around. Not seeing a kickdown lever on the outside it may have been modified on the inside as well. Drop the pan and see if there is a lever on that shaft that goes thru the middle of the shift lever.

 

your picture is a bit confusing, the C4 detent shaft looks like this when it's like it's supposed to be

 

No kick down lever either so I assume it's been modified. Now, how important is that nut then when it comes to a Lokar shift arm? The lokar arm uses a pinch bolt that locks to the shifter shaft. If the kickdown level was removed completely, would that be a problem?

 

I'm pretty sure mines been heavily modified. From the tag on the servo cover the trans is from a 68 to 70 Torino/Fairlane/Falcon

 

if the shaft is missing, then oil will pour out. There's an O ring on the outer end of the shaft, that fits in a recess in the shift tube. You need to have something there to seal it. A washer would work in place of the outer lever.

also, it's more fun to drive a car with an automatic, if the detent works....see what it would take to connect it to the throttle linkage, like it's supposed to be.

 

Change out the o ring and inside bushing - if they have play - will really leak fluid. Just changed mine - stopped leaks - search eBay for o ring and bushing



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There's no neutral safety switch either.

(Unless another one was incorporated into the shifter?)

 

There will be, Lokar comes with a neutral safety switch

 

Looks like the kickdown lever is broke off inside. As Squirrel said it should look like his picture. With it broken that shaft should just pull out. You can knock a little freeze plug in it or I weld them up on a manual shift valve body. The arm with the shifter should just clamp around the shift shaft like the B&M one I would guess.


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So I cracked open the tranny this weekend and found out what was done. The kickdown lever was removed and a hole was drilled into the kickdown lever shaft. A washer and cotter pin were used in place of the kickdown lever. That's why it kept spinning.

 

now you know....