Chysler 3 speed auto, Linkages help

[tameriska]

Hi all.
Regarding a chrysler wagon, 3 speed auto, column shift.

The linkages between the transmission and the gear change stick have gone out of alignment for the second time. (after a slow, rough, shaking paddock track)
Had the linkages adjusted the other year, not long after we got the car, and, last year, got the auto trans replaced, so the linkages would have been re-adjusted then.

I have found the workshop manual for a similar model, and at present, have cleaned out the shed, and put the car over the pit.
As yet, I haven't crawled into the pit, will do that tomorrow.

Are there any things that I can do to make it less liable to go out of alignment?

I was thinking to find a couple of extra nuts to fit, and to put ome each side of where the rod attatches to the shift lever.
Would this be an acceptable practice, or am I missing a reason of why I shouldn't do this?

At this point, I am assuming that the misalignment is located here, and is not caused by wear or looseness from any other part of the linkages going up to the column shift.

If I cannot fix it via the adjustment in the attatched picture, it will be going to a mechanic.

Anybody had this problem with a Chrysler before, is it a common fault with these, or just a general problem with column shift autos?

[Dan]

I've never touched a Chrysler before but just looking at the pic I'd check a couple of things.

The square block that the linkage rod goes through should be threaded. If it is then there's already a lock nut on it so there's no need to add any more.
Make sure the shift lever hasn't turned on the shaft going into the gearbox. Although I'd expect that to be keyed to the shaft somehow so it couldn't turn.
If everything's tight down there then something else has moved, either further up towards the column or possibly the whole engine/gearbox has moved due to dodgy engine mounts.

[dazzler]

Adjust them so they are perfect. Then back one off and add 'loctite' (from a good auto or machinery/engineering place) to the thread and retighten. Do this to the other nut as well.

Just remember you will need heat (oxy) to undo the nuts next time.

Or if there is space us a couple of nyloc nuts against the standard ones. They have white plastic in the top of them that binds.

good luck

[Chris Parks]

The perennial problem is wear in every moving part. Column shifts have heaps of moving parts and they all wear. The challenge will be trying to find better parts given the age of the vehicles. A specialist supplier may be able to help. Google may be your friend I suspect.

[tameriska]

Dan, Dazzler and Mini, thankyou for your replies.

I had intentions yesterday of getting underneath it and having a look, but circumstances prohibited.
I did push the car out of the shed enough to get underneath into the pit today, (I have now found out that the usable floor space of my shed is one chrysler wagon space + 6" with 20" space up one side. I am glad I dont own it :D )

I found the problem. (forgot to take pics)
It looks like someone has been 'inventive' with the linkages. I dont believe that it came out with a homemade welded rod spanning across the transmission :((.
My partner had a look under the car :o, and ran away with a look of disbelief.

The problem was where this rod was suposed to be held in a bracket on the bodywork. The bracket had a hard rubber/plastic grommet thing that had one side broken off, so that the circlip had nothing left to hold on to.
I ended up filing up a couple of washers to give the circlip something to hold against.

I didnt bother trying to work out where the adjustment for the linkages was supossed to be, because there was that much stuff under there going everywhere (I can remember what the underside of my car, and the linkages on that looked like, mine is heaven compared to this thing) so we just pushed it out of the shed.
If it didn't work, it could wait till I saved up for a mechanic.
Got my partner to check the gears (its his) and.... they were spot on :U
I'm not really happy about the way that it is set up, but there isnt much I can do about it, will just have to keep an eye on it, (and keep away from rough paddocks:D )

I have intentions of putting it back over the pit in a couple of weeks, to check on a couple of other things, so, I will hopefully remember to put up pics then, just to see if anyone else can make sense of how it is set up.

[Dan]

I have intentions of putting it back over the pit in a couple of weeks, to check on a couple of other things, so, I will hopefully remember to put up pics then, just to see if anyone else can make sense of how it is set up.
Yep, do that.:)