Thread: Followed Me Home II

Tweet

Nope it's a Lokar Nostalgia shifter, sorry for the confusion, mine is not one of the models you have to cut off!

Originally Posted by stovens

Nope it's a Lokar Nostalgia shifter, sorry for the confusion, mine is not one of the models you have to cut off!

Steve, the instructions on how to set up the shifter relative to the detents are pretty clear. Not sure why you would be having problems with the tranny not being solid in each gear position. The only reason you would have to cut off the OEM shift lever is if someone welded it on in the past - there's not one type that you cut off, and another that you don't. The point is that you've gotta have the LOKAR shift lever to match up with the LOKAR shifter lever, and then I found that it's critical to follow their direction regarding which side of the two levers the Heim joints ride on. If you try to fit them a different way it doesn't work so good.... Like it says in the lead in paragraph of the instructions, "Read the instructions all the way through before you attempt to install the shifter components." Hope you get it sorted.

Originally Posted by rspears

Steve, the instructions on how to set up the shifter relative to the detents are pretty clear. Not sure why you would be having problems with the tranny not being solid in each gear position. The only reason you would have to cut off the OEM shift lever is if someone welded it on in the past - there's not one type that you cut off, and another that you don't. The point is that you've gotta have the LOKAR shift lever to match up with the LOKAR shifter lever, and then I found that it's critical to follow their direction regarding which side of the two levers the Heim joints ride on. If you try to fit them a different way it doesn't work so good.... Like it says in the lead in paragraph of the instructions, "Read the instructions all the way through before you attempt to install the shifter components." Hope you get it sorted.

Thanks Roger, I haven't had my truck home since last July, but when it gets here I can reply with more info. I believe when I read the instructions it said you mioght have to cut linkage if it interfered with the new connection. In my case it did not. I will update you once I get the truck back. Hopefully
next week as the case may be!

Today was the day to attack the steering. It took a bit of "messing", but I finally decided on a mounting point for the mid-point support bearing and it worked out OK. The shaft on the steering rack comes out at a less than ideal angle up and towards the frame rail, almost right at the motor mount support. Here's the two lower u-joints...

DSC01050.JPG

and the tie to the column u-joint.
DSC01051.JPG

The mid-point support hangs off of the motor mount plate, and the center u-joint is right at 2" from the header at the closest point.
DSC01055.JPG

The middle joint is running right at the limit for angle, but it's smooth, no bind so it's good to go.
DSC01053.JPG

Had to grind a bit of a relief in the motor mount support, but not enough to compromise the support. Now I didn't calculate the strength of the remaining cross section on that 45 degree gusset, and if pressed I can easily weld on pieces of flat stock above the C-notch to beef up the metal, but I don't see that it's gonna be necessary.
DSC01052.JPG

Trying to get everything done that needs body to frame reference needs, then the plan is to pull the body and finish the firewall where it was cut to clear the bellhousing, run the exhaust, install the gas tank and fuel lines, and get ready to re-paint the chassis body color vs black. I'm going to leave the differential and ladder bars black, since I'm confident that the paint is right on them (I did it).

Onward, small steps.