C3 Sloppy Shifter

[James Keddie]

The shifter in my '70 (M20) seems very sloppy particularly in when not in gear. It moves freely in all directions. Is there an adjustment to correct this or a bushing that needs replacement? And can this be solved from under the car or does the shift console have to come out?
Thanks in advance,
Jim 42765

[Marc R.]

Re: C3 Sloppy Shifter

Sounds like it needs a shift kit to me.

[Tony Roussos]

Re: C3 Sloppy Shifter

Jim,

Is the shifter Muncie or Hurst?

I would be inclined to agree with new bushing shift kit.

Tony

[James Keddie]

Re: C3 Sloppy Shifter

Tony, It's a Muncie M20. Any recommendations on where to get a rebuild kit?
Thanks,
Jim

[Harmon C.]

Re: C3 Sloppy Shifter

Jim Take the shifter out and look it over for wear. I have found they are spread wider in the C shaped area at the bottom. I put them in a vice and narrow this area so the plates at the bottom fit tighter. New spring c clips are needed also. If you have worn parts you may need replace them. Lyle

[Tony Roussos]

Re: C3 Sloppy Shifter

Jim,

OK. The transmission is a Muncie M-20. But is the shifting mechanism a Muncie or is it a Hurst or other aftermarket shifter mechanism?

The best way to describe the difference is that the Muncie shifter has a chrome "T" reverse lockout lever and the Hurst doesn't. The Hurst may have a look-a-like lever, but it is not functional. The Muncie lockout lever must be pulled upward, as your hand is on the shifter ball, before you can attempt to shift into reverse. The Muncies have been described as "sloppy." If you believe your shifter is sloppier than normal, you probably need new bushings. They do wear out.

To answer your question, if you have a Muncie shifter, try the following sources:

Bair's corvettes www.bairs.com
Van Steel www.vansteel.com
or search e-bay for "muncie shifter bushings" or something like that. I performed a search for you and came up with this auction number up in 4 days: 7980316152

If you have a Hurst shifter, try: http://go.mrgasket.com/ProductsListB...n=23&BrandID=0

You'll find Hurst replacement bushings on this link. As you can tell, Mr. Gasket Co. makes the Hurst shifter today.

I hope this helps!

Best wishes,
Tony

[Tony Roussos]

Re: C3 Sloppy Shifter

By-the -way, Jim,

If bushings are what you need, they generally come in nylon/teflon or metal (steel or brass.) The plastic bushings provide a "quieter" shift while the metal provide durability. I recommend the metal.

Best regards,
Tony

[James Keddie]

Re: C3 Sloppy Shifter

Tony, Thanks for the responses! It is the original Muncie shifter with the T-lever for reverse. It is pretty sloppy so it sounds like I need new bushings.
Thanks, Jim

[Harmon C.]

Re: C3 Sloppy Shifter

Jim
I know of a pin and a sleeve that are in the shifter but no bushings that I have seen. The wear I have found is on the linkage rod ends and I have put a spot of weld on them and filled the notch in. Also spread in the area I wrote about in above link. JMHO Lyle

[James Keddie]

Re: C3 Sloppy Shifter

Thanks for the info Lyle. I guess I need to pull the shifter out so I can see where the problem is. My car has almost 90K on the clock so there's bound to be some wear on the shifter and linkage. I was hoping to order a rebuild kit before I pulled it to save time but it looks like I better get it out first and see what I need.
Thanks again to everyone for your advice.
STW! Jim

[Bill Stephenson]

Re: C3 Sloppy Shifter

Jim,

-------I would agree that a pull-out is probably warranted. However, put someone in the car while on a lift or jackstands first. Have them move the shifter in all directions while you watch the movement from underneath. You can learn a tremendous amount of info about where your shifter is worn in this way. Shifters dont just wear in one area as they are used. You need a comprehensive idea as to where all the areas of wear are to bring your shifter back to new condition. Pay attention to the rods and levers as a little wear goes a long way towards throwing an otherwise good shifter off. Looking at the shifter on a bench will not give you enough info. Also pay close attention to the neutral gate when you re-install the shifter. There is a notch on the shifter that will accept a shim similar to a Hurst pin, but not the same. Its easy to make an alignment tool that will facilitate a perfect neutral gate on the shifter so you can adjust the rods correctly. Hope this helps..........Bill S

[James Keddie]

Re: C3 Sloppy Shifter

Thanks Bill, My car is due for inspection this month so I'll give your suggestion a try while it's on the lift. My mechanic has a '63 roadster so he has likely done this numerous times.
Jim