Update for the curious:

Got the car up in the air and discovered the clutch return spring tucked into a bolt not really doing much. A HA! It was just hanging out watching the world pass by. Lazy spring.

That, and the linkage was so sloppy and loose, stupid linkage. I'll fix you good.

I'll be holding off on the removal now, until I have all these features addressed to make sure they're not the total problem.

Any tips for redoing the linkage?

There used to be a kit that was put together by an aftermarket company that had replacement bushings, springs, and clips for the "Z-bar" and linkage...I got my last one a few years back at a swap meet, maybe someone has a link for said kit at a reasonable price...

-D.Idiot

Time for show and tell, need picture of your shift mechanism...The stock application for all 1975+ A-833OD A/F bodies are Hurst shifters...

-D.Idiot

DI, maybe I can help out here too. I've got the Hurst shifter, yet I need to pull up on the handle in order to get it to go into reverse.

Side note: I figured out how to get it done, it WAS me being an idiot. I needed to let the shifter rest in a natural neutral position, THEN lift. I was trying to push the lever into reverse WHILE pulling up before. Now it's a snap.

Time to pull the links and shifter, disassemble, hose it out, and replace the cracked and missing plastic bushings in the shifter housing...Reverse is a slide to neutral, then a push forward and left into reverse...if you have to pull up on the handle, you got problems.

-D.Idiot

I've found a lot of clutch linkage rebuild kits at Summit, Mancini, and others, but I'm having trouble locating one for the F-body. All I can find are A, B, and E body setups. Are any mildly interchangeable?

Edit: Just talked with a Mancini rep, he suggested I use an A-body kit, specifically this one: http://chucker54.stores.yahoo.net/clutlinserki.html

Wise?

Well, I'm telling you mine is stock. Read the article on the A-833 OD on this site, shifters portion. It talks about Chrysler switching back to another brand other than Hurst in the 70s A and M bodies (I know Aspens are F bodies, but most components are the same as M bodies). Besides Chrysler was notorious for "using what parts were in-house" during this timeframe.

PS, don't feel the need to post a pic. I know it's stock and besides this isn't some competition

Okay, so my progress has slowed due to work issues on my tranny, I did manage to get another shift knob though, seeing as how the other one's threads were gone and it usually just came off in my hand. Hurrah!

Anyways, I came up with another question about this specific tranny, how much power will it take before breaking? With a 7.25 rearend, I'm sure that would break before the mighty A-833, but still, how much could I juice this lady before I snapped something in the stock (and for the sake of argument, new) transmission?

The A833OD will take a lot of abuse that the 7 1/4 won't as you already brought up. If you replace the 7 1/4 with something stronger you're likely to spin the tires long before you hurt the transmission as long as you shift it properly. With slicks and high RPM launches the A833 will start to show weaknesses behind bigger engines. There is, or at least was, a guy running an A833OD behind a turbo big block and he didn't break his. Behind a slant I wouldn't worry.

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Joshua

I have had three different, shifters on an a-833 OD fourspeed. They all had the same size bushings for the linkeage, and they were all bronze. They were interchangeable. One was a Factory Mopar shifter, one was a Hurst Factory OEM shifter, and one was a Hurst after-market shifter. The handle arrangements were different on all three. That is, how the handle fastened to the shifter body was different, but the bushings were all the same. I would think almost any Hurst rebuild kit would get you going, as the AFtermarket unit was billed as a Univeral shifter, and not even specifically for a Mopar. Year one has these parts as a kit or individually. You might also call S&K up in New York. I have bought all my manual tranny repair parts from them, including NOS gears for inside the transmission. Look them up on the internet, or they have an ad in the back of Car Craft evey month. Ask for Brian. He seems to be the Mopar guy there. He has always been helpful to me.
Sam

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