Sloppy Hurst Competition Plus shifter?

[DK832]

When looking at my shifter on the side of the Toploader, there is a about 2-3 mm play alltogether in the stack of parts between the side and the backing plate. Hard to explain (didnt take a photo, doh!) but there are 3 lever arms made of stamped out plate, controlling a gear selector rod each, and about 3 spacer parts out of plate as well. Should all these "guts" be stacked tightly together or is 2-3 mm total space OK? If the space is not OK, what to do (short of replacing the whole unit)?

 

[D.Hearne]

Sounds about normal to me. They're not "tight" compared to the new car shifters of today, but a far cry tighter than the factory floor shifters were. You ought to have experienced the old "3-on-the-tree" column shifters. The distance the knob traveled from say, 1st to second was about 2 FEET Loads of fun to learn to drive. And even better once you mastered it. Nothing like taking it to the limit on a windey, sandy road. Like in the Dukes of Hazard movie.:SNSign:

 

[HistoricMustang]

Order the metal bushings and pitch the nylon that come with the kit.

A ton of difference in shifting!

http://www.ajusa.com/cgi-bin/stores...ajr_skey=19ee262ff6d438dcec94e53ce6cff562#q13

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com/tech.html

 

[pabear89]

When looking at my shifter on the side of the Toploader, there is a about 2-3 mm play alltogether in the stack of parts between the side and the backing plate. Hard to explain (didnt take a photo, doh!) but there are 3 lever arms made of stamped out plate, controlling a gear selector rod each, and about 3 spacer parts out of plate as well. Should all these "guts" be stacked tightly together or is 2-3 mm total space OK? If the space is not OK, what to do (short of replacing the whole unit)?

Well Hurst has stamped that do not disassemble on the side of thier shifters.

But.....Mine was so stiff from years of build up that I took it apart anyway.
Lining all the parts on the bench to make sure it went back togeather correctly.
There is spring steel spacers inbetween the shift levers that keep them spaced. after cleaning them all off and using lithiam grease it is much smoother and seems tighter now.
Ps. Hm is correct get the Metal bushing set for the shift rods,
it will make shifting feel much more positive.

PB

 

[DK832]

I took it apart anyway.

Thanks everybody. I actually did take the Hurst apart, following the good write up from Mike at Toploaderheaven. Turned out to be quite clean and well greased in most places. Bushings and all was in the mail yesterday so that goes in today, then we'll see how tight it becomes.

 

[DK832]

I put in new selector arms yesterday as the old ones were widened out in the rectangular holes, they were kind of butterfly shaped (does that make sense in english?) and apparently allowed for some moving about. New bushings everywhere too and then an adjustment of rod length. Feels much tighter now; no looking for 2nd and no trouble getting 1st or 2nd after being in reverse.
Thanks for the input everyone!
:SNSign: