[tjs72lemans]

I'm trying to adjust my reverse lockout rod as well as floor shift and ran into an issue. Upon installation of motor and tranny, I adjusted by the book and still have a problem with the shifter when I go from drive to neutral. It clicks at the shift gate, but stays in gear. So, I have to push the shift button and move forward a bit to find neutral. Last fall I tried adjusting the lockout rod a bit and still does the same. Except now this spring I found the car acted like I had a dead battery and wouldn't start. I found if I pulled my shifter back a tad it started. So, I assume my dead issue was it was the lockout rod was adjusted pushing up too far. I will bring that back some and it should fix that. How much leeway is in that electrical connection?

[25stevem]

There’s a slight adjustment range in the position of the ingition switch on the top of the steering column next to the brake pedal.

With the shifter in park ( and hopefully the trans also) the switch should be set as close to the base of the column as you can slide it on its two little bolts when they are loose.
I forget if these machine screws are 1/4” hex head or 5/32”.

[gto4evr]

There are few adjustments at play here. First off, if you're in neutral at the shifter but not at the tranny, then the stud where the shifter cable connects to the tranny bracket needs to be adjusted. Loosen up the nut and that stud will slide back and forth. The column cross linkage is a separate issue that controls if the key can come out of the ignition, and the neutral safety/reverse lights. Before trying to adjust the neutral safety switch on top of the column you need to first get the column collar set. Loosen the bolt on the pivot retainer connecting the column rod to the linkage. Then rotate the selector on the tranny to park. Then rotate the column collar all the way counter clockwise, then pull down lightly on that cross linkage while pushing the column rod up gently and tighten up the bolt on the collar holding the rod from the column to the linkage. Nothing crazy there, you just need to make sure the collar is solidly to the left of it's rotation. if that's not set correctly so the column rotates all the way left when in park, then your key won't come out of the ignition. after that adjustment is done, then you can move on to the neutral safety switch on the top of the column, sliding it left or right to the sweet spot where it will start in park or neutral. No need to take those two small screws out, just loosen them so the switch can slide back and forth under them. there are slots in the bracket to allow the left/right movement. Make sure you're checking your back up lights to work as well as finding the right spot on neutral/park starts, it can be splitting hairs getting it lined up just perfectly.

as I reread your issue it really sounds like the stud at the end of the shifter to tranny is the original problem with your adjustment, but after you fix that, it will affect the other two adjustments.

[tjs72lemans]

Just to clarify. I do understand all your adjustments. I actually did all that. I even slotted my tranny bracket to be able to slide my adjustment a bit more, thinking that caused an issue with it not finding neutral when shifted forward from drive and clicking into the shift stop on console. When I first put the car all together, I would roll it around in what was Neutral, but I could hear a clicking sound. Then if in Park, I could actually budge the car and it would move and click. I wasn't fully in Park. So, I went through the adjustments. All was good except never getting the N from D when the console shift was pushed forward to shift stop. I even went through the switch under column adjust for back up lights. But, it did seem I adjusted that to where the backup lights come on from P to R, but not from 1,2,D or N to R. So, I called it good. Drove the car for first time last year and all was good for a thousand miles. Never a false start. Now this spring, it came up. I assumed that switch under column was just for lights. But, you're saying that is also the safety switch to keep from starting? This part was my ignorance when I first got car and was all apart. I couldn't get the key out of ignition. Then a friend mentioned the arm on firewall area was hanging down. For some reason, I though that was a remnant from a column shift. So, I cut it off and tack welded in up position. Then I found out my mistake months later. Luckily, I never threw that piece away. I had another member send me a template to be able to weld the piece back on in roughly the same place it was. That lockout rod to that arm has adjustment, so I don't think that causes my problem.

[gto4evr]

Originally Posted by tjs72lemans

I would roll it around in what was Neutral, but I could hear a clicking sound.

just a question - you do know that the car when not running will roll around in any gear as long as it's out of park? it can be in reverse, neutral or drive and it will still roll so it doesn't mean your selector is actually in the Neutral position. the clicking sound comment sounds to me like you were just barely out of park with the parking pawl trying to engage. You'll hear some violent clicking if you're rolling 10 mph and slam it into park, it can't lock up at those speeds so the pawl just bounces off until it's slow enough to engage.

I guess I'd start from scratch here and verify there's nothing wrong at the tranny selector. disconnect the shift cable and the column linkage and twist the selector by hand on the tranny to park. verify it's cleanly in park, then twist back one click to the reverse detent and try rolling the car. there should be no clicking at all. if you're hearing a clicking then somethings messed up. pawl might be damaged from some "high speed shift to park by accident" history before you got it.

on the 1-2-D-R all lining up but not neutral...are you sure you've got the right selector position compared to the click on the shifter where it snaps in? put the shifter in each gear with the cable disconnected at the tranny, then manually put the tranny into each gear and make sure that cable eye lines up with the pin. could be a stretched cable (or incorrect cable) that you're not really in 1 and 2 when you think you are. - have you verified those positions while driving the car? as in you think you're in 1 based on the shifter but you're really in 2?

[tjs72lemans]

To clarify, I was in Park when it would roll with force and I heard the clicking. With that, I assumed I was not actually shifted all the way in Park with the shifter to tranny position. Once I adjusted, it stayed locked in Park.
This is a new shift cable from our sponsor. It looked the same length as the old. The tranny was just rebuilt.
I have also verified with no cable, the tranny shifts into all gears by hand via the selector on tranny. I've also run the car in 1,2, and drive manually checking the gears. All good.
I now understand if I messed with my reverse lock out rod, I also probably messed up my neutral safety switch and my back up lights may not come on as they should. So, I need to revisit that. That's also why I have the dead spot I experienced when trying to fire up first time this spring. I also still need to try to understand why my shifter doesn't find Neutral from Drive. I did find when I went from D to N and was at the shift stop, I went underneath and if I forced the tranny selector by hand just a bit, it snapped into neutral. My cable at that point would not push it enough to do that with shifter at the stop.

[gto4evr]

well, it looks like you've got all the points covered. yep, you need to readjust the NS/back up switch for that one issue but it's independent of the other. I can't speak to what Ames sells for replacement cables, I'm running original cable on my 71 and I've got a spare used one, and another NOS one I bought centuries ago as backup but have never had an issue. Only thing I can think of is that when you're pushing up to neutral, the cable and jacket is flexing somehow and not pushing the cable through, but if it was doing that, I'd expect the same kind of problem trying to go into R or P from D and if that's not happening, it doesn't make sense it could be a flex issue. is the shifter definitely bolted up tight to the console so it's not pushing down when you're shifting forward? Just reaching for straws here but maybe that cross linkage is binding a bit trying to push the column rod up and that's just enough resistance to hold back on the cable force? I guess you can eliminate that by just removing the cross linkage and seeing if the problem goes away. that linkage can definitely mess with the function. I had an annoyance issue for years with that car not wanting to rotate the column fully when parked whenever it was cold and below 20. I'd get in on a cold morning and nothing when turning the key so it was just a habit to grab the column collar, twist it left and then fire the car up. wasn't enough to stop the key from coming out, but was enough to screw with the NS switch. I treated it as a theft deterrent for awhile. well, I'm in the process of new floors on the car and while I had the floor cut out and could see the linkage from the top I decided to see what was up. Turned out the plastic cone pivot was seriously worn out so the linkage was cocking rather than a clean pivot. I switched it out for a good one, replaced the spring and man that thing rotates the column like butter now. So, check that bushing out while your at this.

[tjs72lemans]

My shifter is tight to the floor. It does shift and click into all other gears. It's just that D to N when it hits the shift stop, it doesn't push far enough to snap into neutral in tranny. I did check to see where the linkage was in relation to the tranny selector as I went through the gears and it always seemed to line up fine as it should. So, I will try as said and disconnect reverse lockout rod and see if it finds N when I go from D to N. If no luck, I'm stuck with what I have and will readjust my neutral safety switch.