Transmission / Overdrive: Shifter Alignment

[pammie9]

My '48 M5 pickup is factory overdrive with 3-speed column shift. Although not addressed in the M-Series shop manual, the 2R Series manual says to align the shift linkage a "Transmission Shift Rod Adjusting Gage No. J-1308-B" is needed. Can anyone tell me where to buy or borrow one? I could possibly make one if I knew the dimensions. Any help would be appreciated -- I've aligned the rods by guess and the trans shifts "OK", but I'd sure feel better if I knew it was done correctly. Many thanks,

Doug
56J-K7, 48M5-C2, 59S-D6

[Tom Bredehoft]

Jon Myer told me to use a 1/8 in drill, poke it thru the two holes in the two shift levers where they exit the column. Then adjust the shackles till the pins slide in the transmission. You may need new steel/rubber bushings between the shackles and the transmission. It didn't work for me, though, my '53 only had one 1/8 hole.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar1.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe (since 1959)
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
(Under Construction 571 hrs.)
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[whacker]

You can make this tool. Take two pieces of 1/2 X 1/8 bar stock about 3 inches long. Drill a hole in the center of each one. Put the transmission in neutral and put one piece under the shift levers, the other one on top. Put a 1/8 inch screw through both holes and use a wing nut to tighten it down. That's it, adjust the linkage from there. You can also use a welder's style vice grip, but the extra weight of the vice grip needs to be supported.

[Tom Bredehoft]

Whacker, your version sounds better than mine, doesn't need two holes to line up.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar1.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe (since 1959)
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
(Under Construction 571 hrs.)
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[Robert Crandall]

I had a question about shifter linkage adjustment, and I found most of my answer here with a search. The repair manual shows using this J tool after prying off a cap. Mine does not look like anything that will pry off without being damaged. From the answer above it seems like I need to unbolt then remove the top of the cover. Is this correct? When I reassemble, should I fill the cup with grease? Thanks.

[Dwain G.]

The removable cap is clearly shown in post #5. With the cap off you should be able to see how the tool works. The two fingers of the tool fit into the notches in the two selectors. As long as you can position the levers as shown in this scan and hold them from moving in some way, you should be okay. After the rods are adjusted for length, shorten the low-reverse rod one full turn. Yes, pack a little grease on the mechanism. Don't have to fill the cavity completely full.

[Robert Crandall]

Thanks for your answer, and thanks for the picture. My repair manual showed the left part of the picture, but I did not see a picture of the tool.

I will look at it again. I am used to my GM one which has a lip around the edge and comes off easily. The 2R5 one looks like a heavy gage freeze plug with no lip to grab onto. I wanted to ask before I got heavier with my prying.