1964 66 Thunderbird shift lever repair and why they fall/slip out of park and into reverse.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 พ.ย. 2020
- This video shows how the shift lever gets worn out and how to fix it. I also explain why they fall/slip out of park and go into reverse by themselves.
Man i was fool when i got mine. I thought it was detent plate. I am gonna so this fix tomorrow morning asap. Thanks for the video sir! My 64 and I salute you.
Hey Tony, yes that is a common mistake. The dealers will be glad to sell you a detent even though you dont usually need one. Good luck.
Nick,
You cleared up a lot of misinformation about what causes the shifter slippage issue. I for one appreciate it very much. Thank you, my friend.
Regards,
John
Your welcome John.
@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 how do you remove one from the car?
Thank you so much!!!! I don't know if mine is gone but I will check it because I do not need my car going on a joy ride without me.
No Problemo.
The T-BIRD I have is the same color as yours originally. It was painted at some point but with a darker green. I can see the TEAL GREEN in the louvers at the back window area. The roof on my car is painted WHITE. My car needs lots of bodywork but I just love the style of these cars. A luxury sports car for sure.
The Thunderbird in the video is going to be a Thelma and Louise clone. The paint color is Tahoe Teal. I really like it. We don't know if it is "exactly" the same color as the original Thelma and Louise car since we do not have access to an original car. There is one at the Peterson Museum in Los Angeles but I'm not flying back there to find out and the customer picked the color and is happy with it so were all good. The last car I restored, a white 65 Thunderbird hardtop, had a very rusty roof. I bought a roof from a guy in Los Angeles and had it shipped here to Colorado where the body shop replaced it. Quite an undertaking. I agree with you totally, a luxury sports car. You can zip around in these cars and they do not drive like an ocean liner like a Cadillac does. Not that Cads drive bad, just different. Thunderbirds are easier to maneuver around. Definately my favorite car. Close second is the 2002 Ford GT40. Id shoot Santa to get one of those.
I'm learning so much. Thank you for all these videos. I check every day for a new one from you.
Thank you. Unfortunately I cant make one every day but I do the best I can.
Your a life saver. Thank you for all your videos.
Your welcome Doug.
My 1964 Galaxie is same. Been doing it for years! Now I know more about what I can do to fix it when i find the time! Always carry a light weight wheel chock with me!
Hey Deb, unfortunately your car does not have the slide away feature that locks it into park like the Thunderbird. I always try to remind people how these cars can go into reverse by themselves. Thanks.
I just finished finished this repair YESTERDAY! I wish I'd seen this first! I replaced my detent, thinking it was worse than it was.
I ordered a new shifter from Thunderbird Headquarters, cause I can't weld.
The hardest part of surgery was getting the retaining pin out!
A day late and dollar short. Sounds like me! Its always nice to have a friend that welds just for situations like this.
Well if you had pitting on your shift lever I guess it's Justified
The Lincolns of the same era have the same notorious behavior of sliding out of park. Was always told it was the lower shift column bushing that was the culprit. Thank you i never knew this was the cause.
Nick I pulled my column out to change rag joint. Do u have an email contact?
@@msloquet tamie.nick@sbcglobal.net
Important stuff, thank you Nick
Thanks Johnny.
thanks for the reminder to slide it.
Just bought my 65 today. I will definitely check the shifter.
Hey Chuck, good luck with your new 65 Thunderbird. Chances are your shifter needs attention like so many others. My videos should help you solve any issues.
Don't check it just fix it you are warned the one that Nick had the vice was what I pulled out today and I had to lift up on the lever sometimes to start the vehicle and it would jump into reverse sometimes on me when I put it in park. In my situation I bought a new leaver cuz I had a little bit of pitting on it but it's tight like new now. I wouldn't call it an easy job either
Nick you won't believe what a PO had done on my car to fix a sloppy shifter. I welded up the notch on the end of the shifter, put it back and it wouldn't move. There was a very well made spacer under the detent made to exactly same size. I had nothing to go on and no diagrams in the shop manual but when I left the spacer off and found a couple of shorter screws it was all well. Unbelieveable the lengths some people will go to. It would have been much quicker to have welded the notch up in the first place but I guess they didn't know that (I wouldn't have done except for searching the forums). That was only one of several bodges that someone had done on my car. I won't mention the missing NSS, non-operational AC/heater (hoses wrong way round on control head)
etc etc.
Hey David, I once got a car in and the customer complained that the brake lights and turn signals didnt work. Someone had completely rewired the system from the steering column to the sequential bag in the trunk. When I took all that out, the system worked perfectly. I fixed nothing except to remove what someone else did and it worked. I have so many horror stories from Thunderbirds. Scary!!!
thank you, I did the same ting on my '65 Thunderer!
No Problemo.
When reinstalling it make sure to lube the shaft to make insertion easier! Otherwise you might tear the rubber part
Hi, I am having a hard time getting the gear shifter in, is it as easy as just pushing it in? or am I missing something ?
@@ML-qw3cm keep in mind there is a spring in there that the lever needs to push against. So wiggle it around a bit and yes you do just stick it in
Yup, mine does that...thanks Nick!
Everyones does that, its part of owning a Thunderbird. Thanks.
Thank you for the clarification, do you have a video of the removal of the shift lever, that would be great
Hey Biscaynedave, I do not have a video on that but I will keep that in mind. Thanks.
thanks again
Your welcome Rusty.
Is the steering column shift lever and the detent the only mean the gear shift is held into the selected gear or is there another detent system inside the transmission? This repair was done about 500 miles ago along with the transmission linkage bushing and the shifter stayed in all position. Now as I'm driving the shifter moves slowly from the normal drive position into the next position up. Most of the time I don't realize this happen. I'm planning on removing the shifter once again to see if it's worn already. Nick your videos are great. Between you and John I've learned so much - Thank You !!
Thank you Jeffrey. Yes, there are also detents in the transmission. If the shift lever and detent in the steering column are in good condition, that should hold the shift lever in place. You can check the detents in the trans simply by disconnecting the shift linkage from the transmission linkage and moving the trans linkage by hand and feeling the detents. The shift lever moving up is unusual, usually they move down with the vibration of the steering column and car. Good luck.
Hey Nick, thanks for the video on this. Do you have any idea how the repair "wears"? My guess would be that the weld is harder than the original metal?
Thanks,
George B. in Michigan
Hey George, I don't really know. I've repaired so many but never really got the opportunity to check them later. However, that being said, I have worn out a few like the one I welded in the video. That was a reproduction arm and I wore that out over some years but the wear was minimal. Maybe the metal it was made of is weaker then the original shift lever metal because you'd think it would have lasted longer then just a few years? NOTE: the shift arm I welded in the video is not the same one I was holding up in front of the camera. The one I welded was in the vice with minimal wear, just a tiny bit rounded off top edge, not the big huge grove that the one I was holding up had.
Anyway you have a video of removing steering wheel and cleaning/replacing parts? Also any advise on transmission linkage. Friend took it in for new transmission now it wont stay in park, reverse and drive. Linkage is attached to transmission.
This is a common issue, take it to a trans or engine shop and the car is not the same when you get it back. They bent or damaged or incorrectly assembled the linkage somehow. Usually the throttle support plate is never reinstalled also. You have to figure this out. Get under the car and have someone shift the linkage. There are shift linkage adjustments under the car, you will see them. There is one spot in the shift linkage that adjusts it, it is under the car. You get under the car, someone is in the drivers seat, you take the adjustment nut off and separate the linkage, put the car in neutral by hand at the trans, then have the person in the driver seat put the car in neutral and hold it there. Then you reattach the shift linkage. Some of this is in the shop manual. I don't have a video about the steering wheel or adjusting the shift linkage but I will think about that, sounds like it might be a good one. Thank you.
Do you have to remove entire steering column to get the shifter out or just the steering wheel?
You only need to remove the roll pin that is holding the shift lever in. You do not need to remove the steering wheel or steering column, just the roll pin.
I can't get the roll pin out of the shift lever, I don't want to pound too hard not to break the housing. Any suggestions?
Its hard sometimes to get it out, especially if its been in there 50 plus years and never taken out before. You have to find a way to secure the hub while your hammering on it. Have someone hold the hub and shift lever while your hammering out the pin. The only way to remove it is to hammer it out. You need the correct roll pin punch and a medium sized ball peen hammer. Put the shifter in lo and hammer it out from there. Hold the hub tightly. Best I can do. Good luck.
Hi how do you remove the shift lever from the column hammer and punch? Was worried I would mushroom the pin.
Yes but use the correct size roll pin punch. Don't use a flat tipped punch. I think it is a 1/8" roll pin punch. Good luck.
awesome been waiting for this one,how hard is it to just check the wear on the lever? thanks Nick
In order to check the wear, you must remove the arm by removing the roll pin holding it into the hub. There should be no wear. Any wear and it will need to be welded. Thanks.
Hey Nick, lately in my 65, I have to pull the shift lever in park and hold it there in order to turn the car on. Is this a neutral safety switch issue you think??
Hey Johnny, yes the NS switch appears to be out of adjustment. Its why it is out of adjustment is the question. You probably have a bad lower steering column bushing or a bad shift lever. My videos explain these things. Once the lower bushing has been replaced and you know the shift lever is good, then adjust the NS switch. Good luck.
@@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 Thanks Nick. My bird only has 34k original miles on it so I would be surprised if the shift lever was bad, but you never know.
Hi Nick. Juraj from Slovakia again. Suddenly I can't start the car in P, just in Neutral. Probably loss of contact. Do you know problem like this? What would you recommend to fix that? Thanks for keeping us on track with our T'Bird repairs. Cheers. Juraj
Hi Juraj, that is a neutral safety switch problem. It could be a bad switch or the switch is out of adjustment which is probably the issue. If the switch is out of adjustment, why is it out of adjustment? You need to look for problems in the steering column like a bad lower steering column bushing or a bad shift lever, or both. Check those first. Condemn the neutral safety switch last, its probably not a bad switch. I hope that helped. Thanks, Nick
@@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 Thanks Nick for your answer. I also watched your steering column video PT3 and realized that the problem will most probably be near the neutral safety switch. I will check the adjustment as you explained in your video. Thanks again an a good Sunday!!! Regards from Bratislava. Juraj
HI Nick. Juraj from Slovakia again. Hope you are doing well. Finally I checked my neutral safety switch and found out some weird stuff. There are no wires attached to it. Just the two vacuum hoses for the ebrake. The car can start in N but not in P. How can it start at all if no cables attached? I didn’t check the cables from the ignition switch yet. Can you explain this? Many thanks in advance. Cheers from Bratislava, Slovakia. Juraj
@@Juraj22772 Hey Juraj, if you have a 66 with a C6 transmission, then the neutral safety switch is on the transmission behind the shift levers. the neutral safety switch on the steering column is just for the emergency brake, so no wires. Thanks.
@@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 Hey Nick. Thanks for the quick reply. Much appreciated. Now I know where to search. Will try to adjust it to "neutral" and hope the car will then start in P as well. Many thanks. Juraj
Hi, thanks for all those vids. Great job! I don't know where to put all my questions, I hope it's ok to ask them here and you can help me with your experience. I can not start the engine in N. Have to slightly move it towards P and hold it between to crank. I already changed the neutral safety switch, now I know that was not the problem. I can not shift into L, too. My shift lever has a bit play when it is in a position, but will not move on its own between the gears. But the movement from N to P is easy. What is your guess for all this behavior, only the shift lever worn out, or maybe the lower bushing, too? Is it possible to see a lower gear shift tube bushing problem in the engine bay when someone shifts inside? In addition to all that someone set up the sliding mechanism to slide only when its overpressed over P, but I know know from your vids how to adjust that. Could my problem to not get into L depend on that? It seems that the way my shift lever can move is just too short. I hope I could describe my situation. Thanks for all your great vids, they help alot. Can I donate somehwere, so you can have some beer on me during SB LV this weekend?
Hey Manuel, thank you so much for the beer offer. I'm having issues raising my enthusiasm for the upcoming super bowl but I wont go into it. Suffice to say that I will probably reluctantly watch it and I will have a beer and thank you for your nice words, I appreciate it very much. I'm a Raider fan and am pretty disenchanted with them since all they do is lose. It used to be "commitment to excellence" but now it is "commitment to mediocrity." It sucks when you could care less who wins but I guess I hate the Bucks because they crushed us the 2002 super bowl 37, and Brady just wont go away so Ill probably be rooting for the Chiefs, and the funny commercials. How about you?
It sounds like your lower bushing is bad and this is easily diagnosed by looking at the bottom of the steering column from the engine compartment, yes you have access to see it. Removing the hood spring or the hinge altogether will give you much better access. You can also grab the shift tube and if you can shake it then its loose probably because of the lower bushing. Don't forget to use a rod to hold the hood up and put a pad under the corner of the hood so it doesn't scratch the paint if you remove the spring or hood hinge. You also probably have shift linkage issues and this can be determined from under the car. I can determine this by just feeling the shift lever but chances are you might not be able to, so you'd have to look at the shift linkage from under the car and feel it and see if there is play and wear. All Thunderbirds have play and wear so chances are, yours does. Having to push up on the shift lever to start the car is because the shift tube is loose and/or out of position because of the lower steering column bushing, and/or shift linkage play and wear. The slide mechanism doesn't usually cause this but I have seen stranger things. I hope that helped and I don't mind your questions, glad to help. Happy super bowl weekend.
Hi Nick. Thanks for your reply. I thought about you watching super bowl because I saw the Raiders logo in one of your videos. I thought more of it as a must as football fan. I feel your pain, even as a german I noticed the Raiders did not very well this season. I don't have one franchise to go with, I watch every season as many games I could see here overseas and go for the team which I got hooked on. This year I rooted for the Packers and hoped they would play against the Bills in the final. But yeah, Rodgers and his staff messed it up in the championship final against the Bucks. So I will watch like you as a independent viewer. In germany we will not get the original commercials, because our TV station has to put their own commercials up to earn money too. So I will search for them online a few days after. Happy super bowl weekend to you too, thanks!
Will the shift tube shake if it is still bolted to the shift linkage and steering coupler, or do I have to loose everything in the compartment to see the possible movement? Also, if I have to replace the lower bushing, you said in one vid, it is possible to pull out the shift tube while the steering column is still installed. So if I remove the lever for the neutral switch and the bolt in the lever hub, it could be pulled out some inches. I think it has to be unbolted in the compartment to pull it out a bit, am I right?
Do you think it is possible to remove the neutral lever without removing the dash parts and the pedals?
For the shift linkage play detection, for my understanding the shift arm is connected to the shift lever and that goes to the shift linkage, and that could be seen from under the car, right, because the shift arm and the steering coupler are covered from the frame? And that shift linkage parts are those two arms you welded washers on in one vid to get rid of the worn holes. Do I get you right, that the worn shift linkage would be the problem to not be able to shift in L, but the problem to start in N is the lower bushing/shift lever worn out combination? Would it help you to see a video of the shift lever movement? I know it will not be one hundred percent, because you can not feel the resistance, but I would not mind doing a video.
How do I remove the shift lever to check if that is worn out (I'm sure it is at least a bit)? Is that a pin through the collar that can be hammered out? Is it conical so there is a direction to move it out? And my last question, was the white grease you used for the lower bushing, ceramic paste?
I searched the parts on MACs but I have to search more, because their shipping to germany is 75$. Or I buy some extra parts for future use so the shipping is worth it. All complicated here, SB commercials, special TB car parts... I'm so glad I found your channel and see how things are done. My copy of the 65 workshop manual is not enough when you don't have experience in older cars ;-).
@@manuel7246 Hey Manuel, my email is tamie.nick@sbcglobal.net. Lets use email to talk and share photos. This is the wrong place to do this. I lived in Stuttgart Germany in 1977-78 (with the US Army) and have visited there many times, about 20 times. I have very long time old friends in Stuttgart and Hamburg. When I lived in Stuttgart I was a VFB fan and I went to all the home games for that season 1977-78 at Neckar Stadium which was one of their best with players such as Karlheinz Forster and Hansi Muller. I was freakishly lucky to have had the opportunity to attend all their home games during that time in their history. I also had the VFB auto which was a 1965 Ford Taunus which I painted on the sides of the car in very very big letters VFB in bright red paint, and would drive down the schnelle strasse to the stadium with very big VFB flags out the windows. Everyone thought I was verruckt which was correct. My German girlfriend would not drive with me in that car because she was so embarrassed. How I got the tickets to all the games I will tell you later, its an interesting story. Email me so I can answer your questions. Where in Germany are you? Tschus, Nick
Leave it in neutral with e brake if it's jumping till you get it fixed had the same issue almost hit my 2011 charger stopped at literally a inch from it like something you see on a movie lol
That sounds like a scary moment. This is a good suggestion but it will work only on those cars where the ebrake works. Thats another can of worms.
I have a 64 Tbird with same phone issue. When I called BirdNest, they actually sent me a small brass gear (half dollar size) stating that this was the detent gear in the steering column that needed to be replaced. Can you clarify what the purpose of this gear sold to me and how deep is this gear in the steering column. I will definitely check the shift lever for wear, much easier fix. Thanks
Hey Michael, the detent in the steering column is not a gear and doesnt look anything like a gear. It is half moon shaped with teeth but not like a gear. It has two holes in it for mounting points. It is my opinion that in most cases, you do not need to replace the detent but I will admit I have seen a couple that were worn out. The only way to know is to inspect it. Without a photo of what you mean, it is hard for me to properly respond. Thanks.
Nick I changed the shift lever with a new one and reinstalled it. Now the car will not go into park however the indicators shows it's in park or just to the left of the "P" but the car will not start in park however it does start in neutral can you provide any assistance with this please. Thank you
Hey James, there are several parts that can cause the neutral safety switch to be out of adjustment. Sounds like yours is out of adjustment. You also say that your car will not go into park and it wont start in park. Do you have both problems or only one? If the car wont go into park, then the shift linkage is not adjusted properly. If it wont start in park, this is the neutral safety switch being out of adjustment. A bad lower steering column bushing can cause the neutral safety switch to be out of adjustment too. As a rule, an out of adjustment neutral safety switch causes the car not to start in park but what is causing that is the important thing. I hope that all makes sense. Thanks.
Is this the same for Galaxies as well. What if the shifter is on the floor and it slips out?
Hey Lucio, gee, I really dont know. Ive never owned a Galaxy. Im sure that a floor shifter is completely different. Sorry I could not help you. Cheers.
Hey Nick I do have to remove the the actual wheel?
NO, can be done without removing the steering wheel.
I have a '61 with the exact same reverse problem. Could this possibly be the problem (with my '61)?
Hey Kroger, yes absolutely but your shift arm is different, it is not like this one. Yours has a tab or stud on it that wears off and it must be replaced. In order to replace it, you must know what it looks like. Best thing is to purchase a new one, they are not that expensive. Good luck.
Nick, Is it possible to remove only the shift lever by removing the pin on a 65 t-bird without taking the steering column apart?
Yes, just push out the pin and the shift lever comes out.
@@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 Thanks for the instruction!
Another question, 62 t bird if I just push out the pin the shift lever will come out, I weld it up or order a replacement. I little white grease on the lever and put it back in.
DOES it matter what gear it is in while doing this ? Or will it find its own gear when I re install. ? Wow this is so helpful! Thanks for your sharing. Michael
Is it smart to order a new pin, or just re insert and flair the end. Couldn’t you use a small bolt to hold the shift lever in if things went south. Why do I ask I’m getting it ready to transport from Fla to Mn. It’s new home.
Next question: my dad tells me the car Hass to be running at a higher rpm to get the top to go up and down. I know there are seven electric motors and two hydraulic pistons in the rear trunk lid just be an electrical issue that the battery should handle while it’s parked and not running, any thoughts on this for a quick fix to make it work for transport as the top is down now and it has to be up for shipping.
Do you have a video on the third A7347A Transmission Control Selector Bearing replacement? Thx Michael
Hey Michael, sorry but no. I have no trans videos. I dont rebuild them or do any internal repairs. Thanks.
Hi this sits on the shift handle on a 62 and keeps it from dropping into reverse
And fixes the worn shifter issue
Thx Michael
@@michaelvonsmith2778 Hey Michael, the shift lever on the 62 has a stepped tab on it that engages the detent. The tallest step wears off and then it can no longer lock into park. There is no bearing there. These can also be repaired by welding the step back on. They can also be purchased new as well. Thanks.
Thank you for the info this will help!
This is awesome! But my delimma is I have a 67 Fordor and I can't find parts nor other videos for it. Will this also work for me?
Hey bigboybev, I not sure if this will work on your car but the headlights look like the same as the 66. I don't know what the bucket looks like or what mods you'd have to do to it. Take one out and study it and see what you can do. Good luck.
@@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 Thanks! I'll give it the old college try!
Hey there. Have you seen this (or heard of this) in a 1970 Thunderbird as well? My car was being moved and put in park and as soon as I turned my back the car took off in reverse. I had to report it to the insurance company, but I got the sense that they were skeptical that the car had actually been in park in the first place! Please comment if you can. Thanks!
Hey, my video pretty much explains why these cars fall into park. The shift lever wears out and then they cant stay in park. This is epidemic with these cars 58-66. I didn't know that 68-70's cars had this problem as well so right now Im assuming your car is having the same issue. It could be a different problem. Id have to see it to determine that. Thanks.
@@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 thanks, I watched the whole video, I just hadn’t seen anyone else mention having issues with a ‘70. The shifter level does have significant play in it, and I know the car was in park - well until it wasn’t!
@@bripat1744 Yes, that is scary when that happens, especially when it takes off down the drive way into the street. Ive heard many horror stories.
Hey Nick, since my '65 has issues, I decided to pull the shift lever and get it repaired.... So I pulled it out and low and behold it is stone mint. No grove at all and no sign that it has been welded. The car will not "go" into park or stay in park, when you try you get a lot of clacking sound like there is something not working right in the transmission. Bummer. Any ideas?? and while I have your attention, my speedometer is dead as well. According to the shop manual there is a two piece cable. And since I am the lucky dog that has a factory cruise control there is a different cable for that unit. So... have you ever worked on one of these? any ideas on how to proceed?? Thanks, and God bless.
Hey Mike, I think Birds Nest has new speedo cables for cruise control cars, call them and check. You can also just remove those and install a conventional non cruise speedo cable. You will never get the cruise working so why bother. If the shift lever does not go into park, Id check the adjustment of the shift linkage first. Disconnect the shift linkage and then see if the shift lever detents into park. If not, then the detent itself is probably bad. If it does, your shift linkage is not adjusted correctly. I guess its always possible the parking paul in the trans is bad but youd have to check everything else first before condemning that. Good luck.
@@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 Dear Nick, so.... why will I never get the cruise control working? some parts made out of unobtanium? Yes, the shift lever seams to be out... it's not in Park until way past park on the left, car will start in reverse even though it shows neutral. Oh, and we removed the speedo cabal at the cruise control unit and tested it and the speedo works in the dash. Some good news.
@@mikejohansson6711 Hey Mike, yes, cruise parts are definately Unobtanium. Even if you got the parts, setting it up and adjusting it is another obstacle. Then, once you got it working, they didn't work that well. I got one system working in my lifetime and it would not hold a constant speed, it either slowly accelerated or decelerated depending on which way you turned the wheel on the center console. Not worth it in my opinion. But, go for it if you like a big challenge, you will definitely learn something along the way. thanks
Hello Nick, great video as usual. When i bought my 65, the guy said that he removed the detente, the car drives F&R no problem. The other thing is that when I crank the car, I have to hold the lever up pass the P mark. If I leave in park there's no crank.. The guy said he removed the detent so that thief won't be able to start and steal the car. I haven't had the time to open the steering column but is that possible?
Wow! Sounds like dude wasn't able to finish the repair! You gotta undo the clips holding your turn signal wires, at the bottom of the comumn... 3 clips. Then, you take your wheel off, use heat and a hammer to remove the upper bearing, then you remove the 'hub' to get to the detent. Thunderbird Headquarters sells an affordable kit to replace the worn stuff. The retaining pin on the shifter has to be beaten up from the bottom... I had to have someone hold the shifter in Low gear while I beat the pin out.
There are two bolts holding the 'hub' to the 'shifter sleeve'... they can be tricky to reinstall. I used lots of white grease behind my wheel.
Good luck!
Hi Nisha, Ive never heard or seen that before. If you were to remove the detent then the shift lever would not stay into any gear, especially park, there would be no "detents" because there would be nothing to hold the shift lever. It would just flop around and not stay into any position. That's what the detent does, it helps to hold the shift lever in place so it stays in gear. There are several reasons why you need to push up on the shift lever to get it to start, the lower steering column bushing is bad, the shift lever is bad, the neutral safety switch is out of adjustment or bad, or all of the above. You could have all of the above problems at once. You need to check this out. Good luck.
@@fadingdestination See my steering column assembly video that explains all this. Disassembly is basically the reverse of assembly.
Hi have you a video of this bushing on the base of the steering Column to stabilize the shifting and take the slop out. Part A7347A Transmission
Control Selector Bearing its rubber with a locking notch
Larry’s t bird has a photo of it I can load it on this message thx again Michael
Hey Michael, okay I know what you mean now. The item A7347A is a bushing, not a bearing. It does say bearing on the web so its no fault of yours. I have always known this to be the lower steering column bushing. Bearings are typically steel and have ball bearings in them so I was confused by your nomenclature. This bushing is a hard rubber or plastic and goes on the bottom of the steering column as you described. Go to my video, "1964-66 Thunderbird steering column and slide mechanism part 1, familiarization." Go to 7:00 in the video and I explain what the bushing does and how it fits into the steering column. Go to my video, " 1964-66 Thunderbird steering column and slide mechanism part 2, assembly." and I explain just how to install it at the very beginning of the video. Good luck.
Is that a roll pin that holds it in?
yes
Can that shift lever come out while the steering colume is on the car? How much has to come apart?
Yes, the shift lever can come out without taking anything else apart and the steering column stays in the car. The shift lever is held in by a roll pin. Just punch the roll pin out and pull the shift lever out. The biggest problem being having to apply force while hammering on the roll pin. Try to hold the hub that holds the shift lever as best you can and try to hammer as gently as you can so your not beating on the column. A roll pin punch is the best tool for removing the roll pin.
Thank you so much. I will try and get a punch . An industrial supply company near me has lots of small diameter punches. I hope they will work.
@@michaelleblanc3210 I used a 7/16 cement drill bit and the shuck on it is 5/16 it fits it perfectly and you can knock it out
Hey Nick I just fixed this on my 65 Thunderbird about 5 minutes ago wow who could have thought that little bit of wear would give so much play. Quick question my reverse lights aren't working my fuse is good I have the correct single filament dual contact bulbs should I be looking at a mechanism above the steering column thanks.
The neutral safety switch controls the reverse lights. It is located on the steering column. Good luck.
@@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 does this need adjustment or do you think they wear out
@@ihave35cents95 You cant adjust the shift lever. They wear out because of abuse by not being shifted correctly.
@@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 I was talking about the neutral safety switch I already fixed the Lever today
@@ihave35cents95 Yes it is adjustable.
SO got the Brake booster and master cylinder PLS the shift lever repair kit from Bird Nest and the instructions are ....well not very good. Not hitting on them but I can't make heads or tails out of the instructions. It's telling me to remove the driver side Hood hinge and this kit has a new shift lever along with a bearing and a few other things. I have no clue what to do!
Hey Mr 51, I don't know what's in the shift lever repair kit. If they gave you the lower steering column bushing, then that's why you need to remove the hood hinge, for access for installing it. I have a video on replacing that, its not hard. Here is the link to the video, go to 11:42 in the video. th-cam.com/video/itShTaOugbY/w-d-xo.html Then go to part 2 and that video shows how to install it. Here is the link to part 2 th-cam.com/video/cIvpssRjxOQ/w-d-xo.html Its not hard, you can do it. Just remember to put something thick under the corner of the hood when you remove the hood hinge so it doesn't scratch the paint. If you have any problems, dont hesitate to ask me. Good luck.
@@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 Just watched both of your videos on the shift info. GREAT info! If I get it right the kit I got has the shaft bearing, bushing and sleeve. Plus the new shift lever. Someone else remarked it should be easier to get the bushing r&r with the Brake booster removed right now. Guess I will tackle that before I install the new brake stuff. Thanks for all the videos you do!
@@Mr51Caveman Yes, with the brake booster out, you have nothing but room. Good call.
Making things MUCH worse is the fact those T Birds had auto release parking brakes. So when the shifter pops out of park and go’s into reverse the parking brake RELEASES! So the car is at a fast idle and off it go’s! This was a HUGE design screw up! How many people know to slide the steering wheel to the right to,prevent this?
Not those that just purchased the car. Yes, you are exactly correct, stupid design. However, it is very cool.
What happens when its "locked" into park and still goes into R
That would tell me that either the linkage connection between the shift lever and trans is broke in some way or the trans is messed up inside. Obviously check the linkage first.
That's just recently happened at the garage. Where I took my car to be repaired? It hit one of the mechanics trucks and did $8000 worth the damage Basically total the truck. T bone d***. And these guys are supposed to be professionals. Needless to say I just work on it My self now. This car is also trying to kill me twice. By not wanting to Stop And how to change the carburetor because It caught on fire. Put it out with my jacket.
Hey Don, I'm very sorry to hear all the trouble you have had with your Thunderbird. The steering column is unique to these old Thunderbirds and I know that nobody knows them, especially todays mechanics. The lesson learned here is when you take it to anybody, mechanics, valet, anywhere where someone else is going to drive it, you must be very specific with them, make sure the mechanic working on the car understands the steering column, etc. You can never put it into the hands of someone that doesn't know the car. Also, I never valet my Thunderbird, big mistake. Never leave the car without sliding the steering wheel to the right, ever! If the carb caught fire, it is broken in some way. This is on you to fix. As far as the brakes, I've been driving Thunderbirds for about 45 years now and I've never lost my brakes. I've driven customer cars that had terrible brakes and I informed them and fixed them. Most of my customers that complain about brakes live in hilly areas and lose their brakes going down hill. They lose their brakes because they over heat and the old rotten brake fluid in their lines boils. Nobody purges their brake system with new fluid and this should be done not less than every 5 years. Most brake systems fail hydraulically or the booster fails. Cant be helped some times. Make sure the hydraulic system is 100% and if the booster fails, which they do, replace it. Id help you if I could but I'm in Colorado and you probably don't live near me. Good luck.
So these guys work on vintage cars they worked on my car before. That's all they work on is old cars and they know the reputation of this. Car.
@@donhendry9202 Hey Don, well then, they should have known. However, how often do these guys drive a Thunderbird? It doesnt matter if they say they can, you still have to drill it into their heads to be sure. I just took my 61 caddy to the trans guy and he admitted he has never worked on a Hydromatic of that vintage but I gave him my shop manual and he also looked at some videos on TH-cam and he was able to rebuild it. There was nobody else to go to. But when I give him one of my Thunderbirds, I always point out the steering column issues. Good luck.
Is it the same for a 1961 Thunderbird
When I have it on and I move the steering wheel a little bit it drops in reverse
And to put it in park I have to push it up hard
@@eddycoolcool3284 The 61 shift lever is different than the 64-66 but it can also be repaired by welding. There is a tab on it that wears down so it needs to be built back up by welding but you must know what it looked like before it wore out so you can fix it. However, you can purchase those new so my suggestion is to just buy a new one and call it a day. Good luck.
@@vintagethunderbirdrepair9426 so buy a new shifter Will be the best option
@@eddycoolcool3284 Yes. They are not expensive and all the Thunderbird dealers have them. Its the best option.