Reverse Manual Valve Body Column Shifting

[BelvedereII]

Anybody modified their column shifter to work with a manual valve body 727 (or 904)? I installed a Hurst quarter stick and like it well enough in my '67 Belvedere, but keep wondering about using the factory column shifter. I've seen two other '67 B-bodies with reverse manual valve bodies where the owners somehow ground the detent between the factory original "D" and "2" settings, so that the shifter could be easily dropped from "D" to "2" to go from first to second, then the other detent remained so that the shifter had to be pulled toward the driver to clear it and shift into the "1" marking to hit third. Anyone got firsthand experience with that?

[cudabob496]

On my 727 stock console shifter, I ground the detent from 1st to second so that I could just nudge it and it would shift immediately. I also have a reverse manual valve body, but no experience with column shifters. But I do like grinding the detents.

[DartGT66]

Works with a column shifter too, just the same way. Just have to disassemble the column.

[BelvedereII]

Dart, I didn't figure on being able to do this from outside of the column, but am looking to determine how much of the detent must be ground off to make the shifter function as required--how much did you grind yours down and was there anything specific to the shape of the detent when you finished? Can't have it over-shifting into third, but also can't have the shifter moving under acceleration forces or from light tension mistakenly moving it into second.

I imagine it'll be a bit different from the console version; CudaBOB, how much material did you leave in place to keep the shifter in first when it's placed there so there's no mistaking the two gears? On the column I figure gravity will be having a little effect that must be taken into account.

[DartGT66]

I left no detent at all to the 1-2 shift. It worked just fine, there is detents in the transmission lever too. Or how many times have the lever fallen from Reverse to Neutral or D, or from Neutral to D? It doesn't happen that easy, worked at least in a mid 11 car without any problem.

[BelvedereII]

Dart, my car will be 12's at best so there will be even stress on it than your car gave--thanks for the insight! It seemed pretty easy to push the lever from D to Neutral, I thought part of that might be mecanical leverage through the shift mechanism.

I'm looking forward to taking the floor shifter out, making the car look more stock.

[moparjoe318]

Originally Posted by BelvedereII

I'm looking forward to taking the floor shifter out, making the car look more stock.

sorry no insight on what your planning to do, but whatcha gonna do with that quarter stick? If you wanna sell it just let me know.

[BelvedereII]

Joe, it'll sit on the shelf just in case they won't let me race without it. I've been told a full manual valve body must have a lockout shifter and that the column won't suffice.

[moparjoe318]

Originally Posted by BelvedereII

Joe, it'll sit on the shelf just in case they won't let me race without it. I've been told a full manual valve body must have a lockout shifter and that the column won't suffice.

ok thats cool. well if you change ur mind later just lemme know.

[Steve Barracuda]

IMHO , you will wear the linkage out in short order using a column shifter with a FMVB.

[BelvedereII]

Steve, in your experience how long does that take? Let me know if it was from daily driving or from occasional (once a week) driving back and forth to the dragstrip.

[Steve Barracuda]

I had a daily driver Duster that I used to manually shift every gear , the linkage was shot in a couple of years. With a street strip weekend car you'll be ok for many years , just make sure you get the reverse pattern , to easy to hit neutral or reverse with the forward.