72 trans linkage - missing a part?? Help needed.

["Chris Boekhout" <charger69@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There is a plastic bushing the rod pivots in-it's a little white snap-in deal If I remember correctly.

I'd be willing to bet it's the same piece on all Mopar cars, trucks and vans with a column shifted automatic for the last 40 years or so...

 

Chris

72 Lebaron

71 Lebaron...

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Kenyon Wills

To: IML

Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 12:28 PM

Subject: IML: 72 trans linkage - missing a part?? Help needed.

I am re-assembling a 1972 that had a driveline swap.   My other fuselage cars are not handy to look at for reference.

 

There is a horizontal rod that transmits the trans shift commands.  It pivots in two brackets.  One bracket is on the drivers side frame of the car, the other is bolted to the transmission.  The one bolted to the transmission has a hole that the horizontal dowel slides through and pivots inside of.  The dowel has an arm on each end that the linkages from the steering column and to the trans are connected to.

 

When I put the horizontal dowel into the bracket, the dowel is 3/8" or so in diameter.

The hole that it is going into is about 3/4" or 1" in diameter, meaning that there is lots of slop.  I see no wear marks in the grease on the bracket to indicate that there was a grommet or other item that reduced the inside diameter of the bracket (why not stamp the hole the right size to begin with???).  The dowel appears worn where it would be rubbing on either the bracket or some sort of sleeve.

 

I am suspicious about my current setup and suspect that I am missing an item.  Can someone check this?  On my car, if you grab the linkage dowel you can wiggle it and it makes a banging racket as it floats around inside the trans-mounted bracket, not unlike when the idler arm is worn and there is slop in the drag link/steering linkage.

 

I want to disclaim that I know that dowels are probably a wood-working term, and that all parts described are in fact metal, so are probably rods, but I used "dowel" because I felt like it, and I hope that was a good enough description to get the job done.  I also wonder if D2 will write in with the correct name of the linkage dowel rod thingey if he knows it (-C'mon, I'm counting on you).  He gets my nomination for member of the month if he can pull that one out of the hat.

Kenyon Wills

http://imperialclub.com/Yr/1960/Kenyon/Page01.htm

http://imperialclub.com/Yr/1964/Kenyon64/

http://imperialclub.com/Yr/1970/Kenyon1970/index.htm

http://imperialclub.com/Yr/1973/Wills/index.htm