Author Topic: Sloppy tree shift  (Read 4803 times)

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428Marauder

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Sloppy tree shift
« on: June 22, 2016, 09:01:53 PM »
Ok, so I got this awesome custom 65 Merc convertible I been working on for years. Runs great, sounds great, fun car. Originaly the car was a 390 with a C4. Now it's a 428 and a C6.

Now, everything is great, but the shifter is a little sloppy. Even I have trouble being sure what gear it is in, or getting into reverse sometimes. The indicator is not much help either, somwhere between L1 and D2 I think is what you want to be in. i kinda go more by feel now.

Also, it seems to kinda shift late, even when I have it in the right gear setting (in low it doesn't shift, often find myself switching on the fly if I accideently have it in low) and it's such a beast, I never dare floor it, but if I just punch it a little in low gear, yah know WHAAAAA it's kinda scary. I'm afraid I am gonna break something because it seems like the RPMs get really high before it shifts. Is this normal, or do I need some kind of adjustment?
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428Marauder

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Re: Sloppy tree shift
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2016, 10:53:29 PM »
My apologies if the thread title sounded dirty and you opened it expecting something different.
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428Marauder

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Re: Sloppy tree shift
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2016, 01:44:40 AM »
I made a video for sound. You can't see the car but you can hear the 428 breathing that Holley, pumping it through a custom exhaust. I went Magnaflow. People put Flowmasters on 6 cylinder cars to make them sound like big blocks ... this really is a big block.

Just today, 20 foot long car almost,so it doesn't turn on a dime, and I saw the traffic that would be behind me after making the turn. So, I make the turn, slowly and precisely into the right lane, where I see that there is more room, get her in a straight line and punch it. BWAHAAAAAAA!. Cars changing lanes in my rearview mirror, thinking some big slow car just turned in front of them ... don't you worry my friends. I wont slow you down one bit. Left them in the dust. There's no replacement for displacement.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PpgmLHQdVGc
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428Marauder

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Re: Sloppy tree shift
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2016, 01:59:00 AM »
But I would have looked silly if I had it in low. Make a lot of noise, not really get up to speed. It's really something. I have driven a lot of fast cars, Porsche's, Ferrari's ... Ok one time a Ferrari ... But still, the responsiveness of that 428, in a straight line, with the wind at my back .... Nothing like it. Kickdown not even hooked up. I never floor it. No need.

0-60, starting with a turn ,gonna be slow. 15 to 90 in a straight line happens right away. Without flooring it, just giving it gas, starts to become kinda scary. Big, fast car, but I know how to drive it.
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428Marauder

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Re: Sloppy tree shift
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2016, 02:02:08 AM »
Whaaaaa ..... Chugha chugha .. Woof,,whaaa... WHAAAAA! Is what is sounds like when I,hafta shift from low to high on the fly.
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428Marauder

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Re: Sloppy tree shift
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2016, 02:06:52 AM »
If you have a tuned exhaust,,you know what ai am talking about. It sounds good. I don!t have a working radio in the car, I paid a grand for the custom exhaust. I listen to it instead.

With a convertible, you pretty much hafta just have nothing worth stealing in it or crackheads might slice your top to steal a pack of smokes. I leave it unlocked.

Even if you hotwire it, good luck shifting gears. But it's the kinda car people don't mess with. Nobody that isn't evil anyway. I told the woman that sold her to me, the car was a "unicorn". It didn't come to me with the original motor, so I felt like the 428 was an upgrade. Makes it pretty custom, but it's a rare factory color. "Tiffany Blue". How many "Tiffany Blue" 1965 Mercury Park Lane convertibles were made? 3008 in all colors. There's like ... This ONE 65 Park Lane code Tiffany Blue.... it's a unicorn. They maybe made two or three total, in this color. This is the only one I know of that exists in the universe. F code, basic 65 Ford powder blue, marketted along with Tiffany,,the jewelry company to make a car with lots of luxury features, like power windows and even under the hood lights ... Mercury, at that time was competing with Caddilac.

That can't be more easilly explained than by looking at the rear end of a 65 full sized Mercury. Looks a lot like the 65 Caddy.

"Face like a Lincoln, ass like a Caddillac."

Think I finally tamed her, and thanks so much for the people,here that helped.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2016, 02:30:55 AM by 428Marauder »
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ScotiaFE

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Re: Sloppy tree shift
« Reply #6 on: June 23, 2016, 08:01:31 AM »
Ok, so I got this awesome custom 65 Merc convertible I been working on for years. Runs great, sounds great, fun car. Originaly the car was a 390 with a C4. Now it's a 428 and a C6.

Now, everything is great, but the shifter is a little sloppy. Even I have trouble being sure what gear it is in, or getting into reverse sometimes. The indicator is not much help either, somwhere between L1 and D2 I think is what you want to be in. i kinda go more by feel now.

Also, it seems to kinda shift late, even when I have it in the right gear setting (in low it doesn't shift, often find myself switching on the fly if I accideently have it in low) and it's such a beast, I never dare floor it, but if I just punch it a little in low gear, yah know WHAAAAA it's kinda scary. I'm afraid I am gonna break something because it seems like the RPMs get really high before it shifts. Is this normal, or do I need some kind of adjustment?


The car would have came with a Merc O Matic also know as a MX and most likely you have some misalignment
with the hook up to the C6.
Most likely you would need to disassemble the linkage and make some changes to make the linkage fit the setup now.

cjshaker

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Re: Sloppy tree shift
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2016, 09:04:38 AM »
Whaaaaa ..... Chugha chugha .. Woof,,whaaa... WHAAAAA! Is what is sounds like when I,hafta shift from low to high on the fly.

Going by this description, it sounds like you may have a dog stuck in the trunk. May want to check that out soon. I believe Ford had a service bulletin in '65 about dogs in the trunk.
Doug Smith


'69 R-code Mach 1, 427 MR, 2x4, Jerico, 4.30 Locker
'70 F-350 390
'55 Ford Customline 2dr
'37 Ford Coupe

TomP

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Re: Sloppy tree shift
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2016, 08:33:51 PM »
I am waiting on parts for that problem on an F100. Lots of things can make the shifter sloppy. The rubber bushings at the tranny and the end of the column lever by the steering box, the bushing in the stick up top and the lever itself not snug on the tube inside.
 In my case the bell shaped shifter collar below the steering wheel was broken where it sleeves over the tube. It allowed a lot of movement before it moved the shifter rod to the tranny.

This is the parts, the split was on that inner loop.

http://www.dormanproducts.com/itemdetail.aspx?ProductID=9624&SEName=83242

falcongeorge

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Re: Sloppy tree shift
« Reply #9 on: June 26, 2016, 11:03:42 AM »
Whaaaaa ..... Chugha chugha .. Woof,,whaaa... WHAAAAA! Is what is sounds like when I,hafta shift from low to high on the fly.

Going by this description, it sounds like you may have a dog stuck in the trunk. May want to check that out soon. I believe Ford had a service bulletin in '65 about dogs in the trunk.

This forum desperately needs a "like" button... ;D

FirstEliminator

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Re: Sloppy tree shift
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2016, 11:56:43 AM »
Whaaaaa ..... Chugha chugha .. Woof,,whaaa... WHAAAAA! Is what is sounds like when I,hafta shift from low to high on the fly.

Going by this description, it sounds like you may have a dog stuck in the trunk. May want to check that out soon. I believe Ford had a service bulletin in '65 about dogs in the trunk.

   Yeah, get the dog out before someone on Facebook smashes your window even when the door is unlocked.
Mark
Berkshire Transmissions
North Adams, Massachusetts

70 Cougar XR-7 460 C-6
70 Cougar XR-7 conv 351c 4v FMX
69 Cougar SS 351w AOD
69 Cougar Sunroof Eliminator 351w FMX
69 Cougar XR-7 390 C-6
68 Monterey 390 C-6
68 Monterey conv 390 C-6
64 Montclair Marauder 390 Merc-O
58 Monterey 383 Merc-O
58 Parklane 430 MultiDrive
68 Colony Park 428 C-6
68 Colony Park 390 C-6
58 Parklane 430 MultiDrive
70 Cougar Eliminator 351c 4 speed
I don't feel like a hoarder.

cammerfe

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Re: Sloppy tree shift
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2016, 12:33:11 PM »
Whaaaaa ..... Chugha chugha .. Woof,,whaaa... WHAAAAA! Is what is sounds like when I,hafta shift from low to high on the fly.

We now have our own version of 'Sonic Drags'!!!   :) ;) :D ;D :o

KS