Hope someone can help. Here's the deal. The buttons in the convertible when pushed would disappear into a black hole only when 47 people were watching me leave a show so they could see how the pushbuttons worked. Needless to say, it's a very embarrassing situation. Knowing the shifter is very difficult to replace I removed the front seat and lowered the parking brake pull handle expecting to spend a lot of time on my back with my head as far up into the dash (not the other thing) trying to see what I was doing. I had to take the Top and headlight switches out of the way so I could reach my hand up to find the top stud and remove the nut. Amazingly the mechanism came out very easily after removing the shifter cable. I had tried to solve the disappearing button problem previously by squeezing the prongs that hold the buttons together to get a better grip on the buttons. As a note those pieces are hardened steel and the 2nd gear prongs had one side break off. I figured that since I've never used the second gear button ever I would just let it hang there. I couldn't control the Drive and Neutral buttons so decided to replace the mechanism making sure the prongs were able to hold the buttons tightly. Well after 5 hours of trying to get the mechanism back on the studs, never both but either the top or the bottom. With no success and much frustration I shifted my body, turned on my right shoulder so I could reach higher and with one try that sucker slipped right on the studs, both of them this time. I Hooked up the cable reinstalled the switches and brake handle and went for a road test.
You would think it would be a direct replacement and everything would be as before but not so, now drive is neutral, neutral is reverse, reverse is ??? 2nd is 1st. and first is drive. AHHAAAAAG!!!!! With Yvonne holding the reverse button in I tried adjusting the cable at the transmission but to no avail. Like I said at the beginning I hope someone can help.
Dick.
Dick look up an old post of mine "torque flite shift cable remove" in tech. Make sure everything is correct after the cable(shift pawl adjustments).You need to drain the tranny and drop the pan.Maybe it wasn't right before. Go to the 300 Chrysler torque flite cable install (google it the guys name was Phillipe Courant. He has A good article on torque flite problems and adjustments.Read it over you may get something out of it,I went through that it was A while ago everything was off by one (r n d 2 1 ).The guy is from France and is A torque flite guru.It helped me,I would post A link but I am not to computer savy. Just some thoughts Mark
Mark - I looked at the site you recommended. I printed it and saved it to my favirites. Looks like it's the solution, will give it a try tomorrow and let you know.
Thanks
Dick
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Let me splaine, I followed the instructions BUT couldn't get the right results. I checked the pushbutton sequence on the mechanism I took out to see how the pin that the cable connects to reacts when a particular button is pushed. Pushing the 1 button the pin is all the way forward toward the dash, pushing the 2 button the pin moves to the firewall a small amount, pushing the D button the pin moves a small amount to the firewall, pushing the N button the pin moves to the firewall a small amount, pushing the R button moves the pin to the firewall a small amount. I wasn't sure I had the right push button mechanism so I looked under the dash of Charlene and pushing the buttons in the sequence above produced the same results. All I have to do now is figure out how to make it work properly.
Dick.
Dick; I wonder how it reacts on the other end at the ratchet(shift pawl). It's A matter of cable length,longer, and shorter.Each notch needs to line up correctly.When I was going nuts on mine I found that there was A lever at the tranny on upside down,the kick down I think,causing A problem.Like I said it was A while ago,my mind is fuzzy,but I dropped the pan and just watch it function.It seems like it is not getting the correct length for the correct mode.I will see if I can dig and remember what it was,it sounded similar to your problem. Mark
Mark - Before I changed the shifter mechanism the tranny shifted and the kick down worked beautifully and you would think a direct replacement would work as before. I have dropped the pan and will be watching the pawl while making sure the ball is in its proper detent by moving the cable as necessary until it's right. I pray it works this time.
Dick
Well, it works, Sorta, This is how it's working now:
Drive = Neutral.
Neutral = 1st.
Reverse = Reverse.
2nd. = 2nd.
1st. = Drive.
No matter how much I push buttons, move the cable in or out, this is what I get. Drivable but not right. I could drive it temporarily this way but prefer not to.
Looking in the parts book the Housing with slides 21-30-320 shows:
MY1 - Ply. Chry/Imp. part #1945857 Y= Imperial.
MC1 - Dodge, Des, Chry/Imp. part #1737090 C = Chrysler.
MC2 - ditto
MC3 - ditto
Parts Book doesn't show MP2, which is what I have. My only thought is that I have an incorrect Shifter installed (1737090 instead of a 1945857). I wonder what the difference between the two is. I went and looked at the one in my 59 Desoto parts car and the only difference I saw was it has a light socket. I would think that is the only difference because all of those cars have the same transmission set up. How ever I did find out some of the later 59 torqueflite transmissions had the wheel type cable adjustment setup including 59 Plymouth. But that shouldn't make any difference in the shifter mechanism.
Just took the shifter Mechanism out of the Desoto and that Sucka looks New, no rust whatsoever, I measured the slides at different points and there is a slight difference from one to the other but that is probably taken care of in the adjustment. The new plan is to take the one I put in the other day and install the one from the Desoto and cross my fingers, that's it unless someone has another suggestion.
Pray for me.
Dick.
Dammit, tried to attach a picture and lost everything. So here goes again. Got the shifter from the 59 Desoto installed. The one I took out was quite different in the length of the slides which moves the bar that determines how much the cable moves. I assume is makes a difference because of the fine tuning of the shifter cable. It works better but still not right.
1st. is 1st.
2nd. is 2nd.
Reverse is Reverse.
Neutral is Drive.
Drive is Neutral.
Shift beautifully but still not happy. I have included a picture of the shifter from the Desoto which matches the first on I had in that worked beautifully and the one I just took out. Notice the length of the sliders.
