How to improve stock auto shifter?

[falcon428]

I am looking for ways to improve (remove the slop) my stock column automatic shifter.  I dont want to put in an aftermarket shifter, due to the overall look of the car.  Jay if I remember right you were shifting the Galaxie with stock column shifter?  My '65 Comet has a good bit of play in the shifter, makes it hard to hit the gears on the track. 

Also looking at going thru the tranny and getting a new looser convertor, I had heard others talk about Broaders Performance, I would like to find someone closer to me here in Ohio to save on shipping, but dont know of anyone I would trust.  If not I will get ahold of Broaders and try and get an idea of what its going to cost to ship there and back.

[falcon428]

Does anyone know of an aftermarket cable kit that can be adapted to stock column shifter?  Just thinking here, oh and searching online too, with no real luck. 

Jay I know your busy getting the Mustang ready for Drag week, but were you shifting that C4 with stock column shifter?  Did you do anything to improve it?  Thanks

[Drew Pojedinec]

I thought I'd seen Lokar with a nice adjustable linkage.

or you could just make your own out of some tubing and heim joints.  At least on the ford trucks the rubber grommets they use to hold the linkage at the steering column get worn out.

[jayb]

Sorry for the delay in my response, I've been buried in the Drag Week car.  I did convert my column shifter to a cable linkage, which of course was much better than the stock linkage.  I just bought a replacement cable for an aftermarket shifter, and fabricated my own brackets to get it installed.  I will try to get some pictures of the setup posted in this thread in the next day or so, to give you a better idea of what I did - Jay

[jayb]

Here's a couple of pictures of the cable shifter installation on my Galaxie.  The pictures aren't great, but they should give you the basic idea.  The first pictures shows the steering column end; I welded a bracket onto the roll cage tube to bolt the shifter cable onto.  The cable came with a tab on it that allows is to be bolted to the bracket.  You can't see the end of the cable in this photo, but it is simply a threaded steel rod, so I used a spherical rod end that screwed on (it was a 10-32 end I think), and then bolted that onto the tab on the steering column that moves with the shifter.  Not too tough.

The second shot shows the transmission end of the cable.  The cable jacket is threaded on the end, so I built a small bracket that bolts to the floor with a hole in it, that the cable goes through.  The nut on the cable jacket threads onto the threads on the cable jacket to hold the cable firmly in position.  The shift arm shown on the end of the cable is the only difficult part about this installation; its just a piece of steel with a hole drilled in it to fit over the nub of the transmission shift lever.  There is a slot going into the hole in the shift arm, and a bolt to allow tightening of the shift arm onto the transmission shift lever.

Hope this helps - Jay

[falcon428]

Thanks for the replys, Jay I figured you were busy, sorry for bugging you during your busy rush to get ready for Drag week, wish you the best of luck, enjoyed watching you run the galaxie at Muncie, IN.  couple years ago.  I am a bit anxious to get this problem fixed, so I can get back to the track, working on hitting the 10's in the Comet and need to get this part figured out.  I was looking at different ideas of a cable retro fit, thanks for the pics, helps bring it together for me (I think, will get back under car and relook at the ordeal)  Least I know what I thought should work, will with a bit of customizing work. 

Thangs again for the help!!