Can Anyone Recognize This Linkage?

[Jwawhite]

It's not stock- just like the rest of the car, is it some Ford Model, Year, Manual linkage shift bar holder? I need to install a bushing sleeve in it instead of a grommet, alone. I believe this is the location of play.

Where did this lower shift tube with the two mounts come from? Only the left mount (facing firewall) is used for the AOD.


Everything seems to be the Easy way out for whoever put it together.....huckabuck.

[Daves55Sedan]

Okay, the U-bolt and silver bracket that sits on top of the steering column is original '55/56 Ford, and so is the shift lever just behind the bracket.
The gear shift link that goes from the shift lever down to the transmission is not original, possibly custom made to fit and is not adjustable from the top as the original shift link was.
Anyway, if you remove the U-bolt clamp and lift the silver bracket off the steering column, there should be a nylon bushing and spring-steel washer that fit snugly between the bracket and shift lever. If those two pieces are worn out or missing, you may experience unwanted play here.
Also that silver bracket where the large hole and two little threaded holes are at the front is where the starter neutral switch is supposed to go. You see that peg that sticks out of the other end of the shift lever? that is what actuates the starter neutral switch selector.

[Daves55Sedan]

Will see if I can take a decent photo of the factory setup on my '55 tomorrow and post it for you.

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by Jwawhite

It's not stock- just like the rest of the car, is it some Ford Model, Year, Manual linkage shift bar holder? I need to install a bushing sleeve in it instead of a grommet, alone. I believe this is the location of play.

Where did this lower shift tube with the two mounts come from? Only the left mount (facing firewall) is used for the AOD.

Everything seems to be the Easy way out for whoever put it together.....huckabuck.

It appears to be a shift lever from a much later IGN INTERLOCK. You are most likely going to have to field strip the assembly to get it right.

The actual bushing is AD 7335-A and spring washer is 353574-S. I see none after GOOGLING. You may have to have it fabricated -

.94" O.D. - .761" O.D - .703" O.D.

The rear of the NSS bracket also holds the shift rod (7209).

The AOD NSS is located in the case.

You will also need a shift rod grommet as yours has been exposed to engine oil and is swollen.

[KULTULZ]

Compare ILL's and your photo -

[Jwawhite]

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Dave, Kultulz, part # 7302 appears to be different on my car according to the technical diagram. I wonder if the grommet, collar are the same?

[rotorwrench]

I wonder if the other end is set up for a reverse lamp switch or a neutral safety switch.

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by KULTULZ

It appears to be a shift lever from a much later IGN INTERLOCK. You are most likely going to have to field strip the assembly to get it right.

Originally Posted by Jwawhite

... part # 7302 appears to be different on my car according to the technical diagram. I wonder if the grommet, collar are the same?

The shift lever is from a much later model with an IGN INTERLOCK.

You will not know what you have until you take it apart.

Did you look to see is there is an I.D. ASSY TAG on the trans? This might indicate the source of the donor parts.

[Jwawhite]

This is what I know about the AOD transmission in the Frankenwagen: TV cable operated, did have a 3 pin NSS until I installed a 4 pin for a Safety Switch now wired and operating properly. I took the car over to a small shop and discovered the Trans was originally in a 4x4 according to the filter assembly. I think, think the Trans was picked up from a shop as a rebuild, why? How clean it was and the silver paint. The numbers I found were for generic transmissions.
Interesting how a later model shift tube 7302 would attach to the upper tube on steering stem at wheel. I have yet to determine if the connection between the two is good. It's just at the firewall and covered a bit by the dust boot on floor.

[KULTULZ]

How do you know what gear the trans is in? You just have P, R, N, D and L on your indicator, right?

[Daves55Sedan]

JW, your part #7302 (shift lever) looks the same as the one on both my '55's. What is hokey on the assembly you have is the shift rod down to the trans lever. It appears that it can move a little forward and backward since there is nothing to stop it at the front, and there should be a metal washer on the backside of the grommet. It appears they fabricated it from a little larger size rod so that you didn't need the nylon washer with it, but that is a bad idea, because without the nylon washer, that rod will twist inside the bushing I.D. and wear it out faster. Looks like that bushing is just about toast anyway.
You'd be a lot better off getting the factory shift rod #7326 and adjustable clevis #7339 and all their associated components as shown in the illustration KUTULZ posted. (if you can find them anywhere). "55 and '56 are the same parts.

[Jwawhite]

Kultulz and Dave, yes the window letters do not line up with what gear the AOD is in. I bent, just a bit, the indicator to line up better with P and D. Also put a white coat of paint then fluorescent orange over it, looks great! Before the grommet and? wore out, it was easy to determine which gear by the detente feel. R came after P then N, so on.
Thanks Dave for the words about your setup, yes, I agree what was done, huckabuck....I ordered the bushing Assy today, along with a new shift lever rubber, 7246 and a PDF 268. Obsolete Parts out of OK also had one last 7336. The last question remaining is the O.D. of the shift rod, my plans are to Assy a correct grommet with the brass and washers, and, hopefully install it over existing rod and call it better than huckabuck.

[Jwawhite]

Excuse me too much international relations, it's detent, I can feel the spring loaded sections for each P,R,N,D along with Low to Second through the shift lever Kultulz. When the grommet started to give, too much slack to properly select the gear. P would not come into position at times and also affected P safety switch.

[Daves55Sedan]

Here is a photo of the factory original shift lever, bracket and starter neutral switch assembly.
Notice the shift rod down to the trans is terminated at the top with this adjustable clevis, which has a pin at the back of it that goes thru the nylon bushing and grommet in the shift lever. It would be your best option to come up with an arrangement like that. I don't know diameter of the pin, but when you get your new nylon bushing and rubber grommet, just measure the I.D. of the nylon bushing.

[Jwawhite]

Thank you for sending the pic Dave. Your boot looks perfect over the steering/shifter tube!
I see now how the Assy works, I just don't see the part that actuates the NSS in the diagram. I thought my shift linkage was wrong, how important is the adjustment rod? Does it compensate for wear of grommet?

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by Jwawhite

Thank you for sending the pic Dave. Your boot looks perfect over the steering/shifter tube!

I see now how the Assy works, I just don't see the part that actuates the NSS in the diagram. I thought my shift linkage was wrong, how important is the adjustment rod? Does it compensate for wear of grommet?

The 1956 ILL I showed in an above post is incorrect. The 56 7302 is the same as the 1955.







The MPC ILL is correct for the 55.

The 'PIN' on the left side of the shift lever operates the OEM NSS.

[Daves55Sedan]

Originally Posted by KULTULZ

The 1956 ILL I showed in an above post is incorrect. The 56 7302 is the same as the 1955.

Actually, everything below the steering post rubber seal is identical on '55 & '56's. But from the steering column-to-dash clamp and above, everything is different between the two years.

Originally Posted by KULTULZ

The 'PIN' on the left side of the shift lever operates the OEM NSS.

Sorry about the fuzzy picture. I am old and kinda shaky nowadays. But if you click on the pick to enlarge it you can barely see the actuator. The neutral safety switch has a rotating actuator at the back of the switch that loops around that pin on the end of the shift lever. It is really hard to see it in my pic unless you are familiar with the OEM neutral safety switch. So, as you move your gear select lever, that pin rotates the NSS actuator.

[Daves55Sedan]

Having an adjustable gear shift rod down to the transmission (such as the OEM part in my pic) simplifies ability to get the gear select lever in collaboration with the proper locations at the back of the steering column hub while adjusting for the proper gears at the transmission lever.
If you have a good tight assembly, you should be able to place gear select lever in park and land in the slot at the back of the steering column while simultaneously selecting the park pawl in the transmission.
There are several gear position holes or slots at the back of the steering column hub. The large slotted hole in the center is for the neutral and drive positions. That is why it is not necessary to pull the gear selector to select drive from the neutral position or vice versa. But you do need to pull the lever for park and low. That is why the gear select lever has a fulcrum point in the shift tube. Otherwise it could have been one rigid piece, right?
Another advantage to having the adjustable shift rod is that there is never any need to go bending around on that shifting pointer behind the "PRNDL" indicator, as you mentioned you have done. BTW, if the pointer is a little bit off in a completely factory installation, all you have to do to fix that is to remove the PRNDL cover plate and you can loosen the mounting screw that holds that pointer to the shift tube. The slotted hole in the pointer allows for adjustment forward and backward (so you don't have the pointer hitting the dashboard nor the clear plastic PRNDL lens). The slotted hole is also large enough to adjust the pointer upward and downward to get it aligned for the actual gear the selector is in. That adjustment is never a huge amount if everything else is properly installed and aligned. The little screw for that adjustment has a bent washer that holds the pointer tight to the shift tube.
DOGGONE it JW, don't you have a '56 Ford car shop manual yet?