1957 4-speed shifter pin

[Frank C.]

When I bought my '57 in 1973 the seller had installed a Hurst shifter but he gave me the original shifter. I'm now doing a complete restoration so I wanted to clean up and check out the old shifter. With a little clean up and lube I think it'll work ok but the pin in the attached pix looks suspect. I've never before looked at any shifter but this doesn't look right. Should the pin extend on both sides of the shaft and thus engage both slots in the mating shift lever? If yes, I'll have to find/make a new pin. Is it tapered? I hope not. Thanks for consideration. Frank

[Richard G.]

Re: 1957 4-speed shifter pin

Yes it should extend through on both sides.
It would be unlikely to be tapered as each end would be a different diameter. That means the pin would hit the slots at different times. Likely a common press fit style pin. Hardened replacement pins should be available. If you can get the diameter look for hardened and ground dowel pins.
Typically they come in two flavors, exactly on size and .001 over size.

This company manufactures the shifter products for most of the Vendors.

Vette Products of Michigan
Vette Products of Michigan
405 W. Clarkston Rd.
Lake Orion, MI 48362
Email: vetteproducts@voyager.net

If its a shifter part, it is likely they have it.
I was impressed with the customer service I received from them.

I found the complete shaft with the pin for the 4speed on their site for $32.00
Rick

[Frank C.]

Re: 1957 4-speed shifter pin

Thank you Rick. This site and the folks on it are great! Frank

[Jimmy G.]

Re: 1957 4-speed shifter pin

You possibly can find a pin at your local hardware store that will work. I found a pin for the spare tire bolt at my local ACE Hardware Store Same sorta pin but different size

[Frank C.]

Re: 1957 4-speed shifter pin

Thank you. I'll try that first. Frank

[Dan P.]

Re: 1957 4-speed shifter pin

The gut who reproduces the shifter sold me just the pni and it worked fine . I forget who that was .Maybe Corvette specialties??. If i find the receipt i will let you know .

[Frank C.]

Re: 1957 4-speed shifter pin

Thanks to all. Here's what I did. The piece of the pin that I had measured 0.2475. I took a quarter inch drill bit (of the same diameter) and cut off the one inch I needed for a pin, pressed it in and voila! I'm in business. I seem to remember that the shanks on high speed steel drills aren't very hard but I expect it to outlast me.
The car was fifteen years old when I bought it and it's things like this that tell me that some of the original owners enjoyed it. Frank