Broken shift lever!

[tzerrer]

I rebuilt the wheel cylinders today on my 73 Series 3. I was going for a test drive and my shift lever snapped off at the base. I am stuck in first gear. I need some advice please as to whether to have it welded or replace it? Thanks!

[I Leak Oil]

Yes and yes.....Replace it but weld up the old one as a spare. This is a common issue.

[tzerrer]

Thanks! Any advice on replacing it? Do I take out the tunnel?

[SafeAirOne]

Yes. Both floorboards, then the tunnel cover. The shift lever assembly then gets unbolted (4 bolts). Then you must remove the lever from its spring-loaded assembly and swap in the new one. It'll be pretty self-explanatory once you have the filthy mechanism out.

[SafeAirOne]

I'd recommend that you download one of the several internet copies of the Workshop Manual of buy one from our hosts. It has EVERYTHING you need to know about fixing these.


http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/8918443118_9aa6c10d26_c.jpg

[tzerrer]

This is great! I don't have one of these manuals, Ill get one. Thank you!

[smukai]

Had this happen to me as I pulled into a Chipotle. I was stuck in reverse halfway into a parking space. Luckily, a passerby took pity and helped me push it the rest of the way in.

I simply bought a new lever and the installation was pretty simple.

I can't remember if I had the old one re-welded or if I simply scrapped it.

But it is an easy and quick fix. Have fun digging in!

[tzerrer]

I got the manual and its great!

I put the new lever in and all went well. I bought a bolt kit from our hosts to replace the hardware for the floors and the tunnel. Seemed a little pricey and SO glad I did, worth every penny.

It felt warm in the cab, the tunnel felt hot. I hadn't replaced the yellow knobbed boot so ill do that first thing and see if that makes a difference. Not sure about that and my temperature gauge doesn't work so I will have to look at that. Surprised at how much fun I am having.

Thanks again for help!

[antichrist]

Broken shift levers can cause all sorts of problems.
One nasty winter in the mid 70's the one in my '62 broke off. I hadn't gotten it welded yet, but still needed to drive the Rover on the farm. I was able to use a long screwdriver to shift it...some. I could get it in reverse and forth and neutral.
We had a bad ice storm one night and my dad couldn't get up the hill about a mile from the house so I went to get him in the Rover. At the bottom of the hill I realized I couldn't get up it in 4th, so decided to back up. It was hard to see where I was going (the pickup cab rear sliding window was frozen shut). Between poor visibility and the ice I kept sliding in to the ditch. Some of the times I'd get stuck and have to put it in 4th, get out and push, then run and jump in the driver's seat, go down the hill and try again. The last time, I put it in 4th, got out and pushed, ran and jumped in. Ok, I tried to jump in, but slipped on the ice just as I leapt and smacked my face against the edge of the cab roof, breaking my glasses which put a gash in my head right above my eye.

I guess getting smacked in the head worked though, because I then realized I probably should have just put it in low range and driven up in 4th.

[bobzinak]

I have broken many shift levers over the 40 years I've owned my series 2a, the newer ones have a nylon ball at the end that wears and leaves you with a loose shift lever. also the newer ones have only one bend in them, old ones have two. I took my old one, the ones with the o-ring on the ball, bought a length of 1/2 inch steel bar, to a machine shop, had them mill a 1/2 inch hole and tig weld it to the ball assembly. the ball assembly is made out of very hard steel and is very difficult to try and just drill out yourself . the repair cost less than a new one, whitch will probably just break any way. take my advise and have it repaired with a 1/2 rod. those levers break at the most inconvienent times. do a thread search on broken shift levers on this forum, there are lots of them..bobzinak.

[SafeAirOne]

Good advise and good work, but you're putting those kids in the shift lever factory in India out of a job.

;)