In the61-62 valiant/lancer's with 3/tree shifting- is the tranny the same as a floor shift model or are they different? Have a friend trying to fix the family heirloom 61 Lancer & is having problems. I know some one out there should know .Thanks

the trans is the same but the word is that the bellhousing for the floor shift model is different, that bell housing slants the trans to the driver's side to allow clearance for the floor shifter and linkage.
DD

this is a good topic...

My 69 dart has a 904 trans I believe and I'd sure like to get a three on the tree in there... Any ideas on what would make a good donor car for bolt-in installation? A list of parts I should get? Don't want to miss anything.

The linkage tends to wear out and you'll have a lot of groaner skipped shifts. Go three or four on the floor, you can get donor parts out of any 1968-1976 A-body, and trannies and bellhousings out of any 1968-1979 A/F bodies depending on your preference for OD or not OD...

Go to the article section for 4 speeds, it'll give you some ideas.

-D.Idiot

Ive now thought long and hard over this, and I'm deadset against cutting a hole in my floor for a floor shifter, simple as that. Plus I owned a Blazer tree shift truck once, and it was a ball. It doesn't look like I can get an auto trans with the gear spread I want unless I do some hacking either. So for the moment this makes the most sense in that an extra pedal is the only big appearance change. Does anyone know the problematic wear points in these columns? I can't imagine this can't be overcome with regular lubrication, a harder bearing material, or some hard face welding on the steel parts... Hmm, maybe with some creative fabricating I could throw an 833OD in and make it work?

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Regular lubrication?? Hee hee ho ho ha ha ha ha! Don't do that to me, you'll make my insides hurt. Have you ever seen anyone disassemble a steering column to clean and lubricate shifter linkage?

I laugh because I've actually considered it. Especially on a relatively low-mileage specimen that still feels solid, it seems like it's about time I attempted that job. After all, 40 years is long enough for it to go humming along merrily. Whenever I get around to separating the drivetrain and glass from the body to do the paint job, I'll see what's inside the steering column. In the meantime, a few shots of silicone spray lubricant on the exposed linkage have done wonders.
Sure, as long as you never need to back up the car.

- Erik

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Lots of early Valiants and Barracudas have crossed my path.
Also a handful of other toys for variety now and then.

man... I really need to get a look at a column. I know virtually zero about manual shift linkages. I do know enough that the lever doesnt actually follow channels cut for it in the base, but is limited by the fork levers in its travel. I was thinking narrowing the throws together and adding a third throw for OD, but translating that to the column? Im sure theres a reason they never used the tree for a fourth gear... I also can't get over how out of place a floor shifter would look in my four door, especially since I am so gentle on the controls I can't see myself wearing it out unless it's a defective design.

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

There have been several foreign cars that came with 4 on the tree and a reverse. My father owned a Renault 16 (I think it was) that was equipped that way.

Heh... don't give me any ideas

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.

Abuddy of mine put a a833 in a a-100 van and used the column shifter for the forward gears and put an extra stick in the floor for reverse,this required that the column shifter be put in nuetral when using reverse but it worked fairly well.
HyperValiant

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1960 Hyper-Pac Valiant(rolling test-bed)
1963 Valiant V2OO(Son's summer project,- he just turned 15 )
1972 Valiant 4dr(Daughter Kelly's repair in progress)
1974 Valiant (v8) daughter Kelly's work in progress

Heh... wouldnt help me keep my floor in one piece... Maybe I could run a cable to the appropriate fork and use a pull handle under the dash for reverse. Heavy cables are pretty commonplace on trucks and heavy equipment...

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I've been calling it as i see it for my entire life and that's not about to change. Take it or leave it.