selector shifter replacement

[RobertZpianoman]

How did all of you '58 yr. bird owners get your "shifter's on our 1958 yr. bird's , more close tolerance??? ....MEANING , (from hand selector at steering wheel area to "output pawl " ) in engine compartment, ( to rod linkage shaft ) which connects to trans. below ..".from being so sloppy".??? so far I have extended the "output pawl" on steering column about an "inch" ... by placing a "t a b " of flat bar steel 1 inch long 5/8 inch wide by 1/4 thick with four each (10/32 bolts and securing teflon nuts ) thru the steel flat bar stock " t a b " thru ford's pawl ....MEANING , (to the existing ford design column output pawl ), that went to shifter " select rod" ..(whereas extending that pawl"s ability .. even more , to assist the travel " total distance " ..giving (shift rod shaft) attached to it ...a "longer reach" to the trans. selector at the transmission.. for the " full" required range. and so that lets me have the full range (park to the low #"one" selected position) , manually selected by me. ) but I am really interested in getting it all to be as one " event" , in the "feel" of it all. So is there a quick fix to get the "select pawl " off of the ( column center steering shaft area) ??? (inside that tube going from wheel area thru dash to engine compartment cut out slot on the column where "pawl is located.? Assuming it is a C N C MACHINED OR STAMPED OUT CENTER cut out in center of output " pawl" , the squareness of it has probrably got opened a little allowing for sloppy shifting. note I ALREADY PUT IN THE DETENT PLATE BEHIND TURN SIGNAL AT WHEEL AREA SUGGESTED IN "SQUAREBIRDS.COM WEB SITE HELPFUL PLAY BY PLAY VIEWS OF RELATED PLACES AND PROCEDURES TO DO 58 YR. BIRD WORK. THAT HELPED IT STAY IN PARK JUST FINE..JUST FEELS LIKE SLOPPY SELECTOR LINKAGE PROBLEM...TRANS. SHOP SAID TRANS INDENTS AND POSITION SELECTOR IS OK ALREADY SO??? 3/7/2012 early morning computer use (wife's M A C computer) .. big screen lets me enjoy all your members t bird years " pictures " great web site!!! NO HURRY JUST CURIOUS.

[RobertZpianoman]

midas transmission "MINOR" cnc repair to a small part in steering columb works tight and right now.$200.00 but worth it to not have had to take out columb as shown in service manual car was built around columb.... insane but all ok now. no more slop.Cookeville MIDAS in tenneesse on willow st. shop mechanic surely a genius...has all the details call him for the procedure to get the slop out of your steering columb on '58 , '59, '60 bird's at select lever top end of columb inner behind blinker switch area lever slide mesh into linkage parts remedy.

[RobertZpianoman]

mr.transmission on willow cookeville ,tn 38502 actual location. tech. name c a s e y .fyi.

[Mark57]

Thanks for the info. My parents live close to Cookeville. I will have to call or stop by. My problem is identical in my 1960 T-bird. I replaced the detent plate also.

[RobertZpianoman]

GO TO Squarebirds- 1958 1959 1960 Thunderbird Shift Lever Detent Plate And reference to your problem see also.. there is from the august #95 issue of CLASSIC CAR MAGAZINE available at 1-800-227-4373 (page 7 8 ) see shiftless squarebird story.
there's a good tech. article detailing these shifters that have popped out of park and feeling sloppy in other positions! don't loose the two # 4 machine threaded 1/2 inch screws that hold your signal assembly flat in place in your steering columb. invest in a magnetic screwdriver for the easy fix desribed in article.