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64 american 3sp column shift

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farna View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/04/2017 at 6:39am
I don't think you can get that bushing at the bottom any more. It's just a plastic/nylon piece that holds the lower shaft bearing and holds the shift arms tight. There are 2-3 screws holding it in in angled slots. There isn't much adjustment, but loosen the screws and the end will rotate and tighten up a little. Probably not enough. I tried rotating the end and drilling new screw holes once, the old piece wouldn't take it though and just cracked up when tightening the screws.

It's not a hard piece to make though. A piece of 1" thick wood will work. Not a 1/x4, as that is really only 3/4" thick, but something like a piece of deck board (1-1/8" to 1-1/4" thick). Or a piece of 2x4 cut down. I'd cut a plug with a hole saw about the right diameter then sand down to fit. Put a long bolt through the center hole, snug tight with a nut and washer, and chuck it in a drill. Run against a sanding block until it fits the end of the column. You will need to care out a place for the lower bearing, IIRC, then drill the center hole out so the shaft will fit. Of course the column needs to come out to do all this, but that's not too hard either. Put some axle grease on the face where the shift rods contact the wood and you will be good to go for quite a while. I tried making plastic washers to take up some slack but they didn't work well either, the wood plug did! I'd use pressure treated wood so it will last longer, but there should be enough grease on it to keep it from rotting.
Frank Swygert
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tamvette68 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/07/2017 at 3:16pm
thanks farna...I will try that. I had read somewhere someone used a wood plug with success. thanks again
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pacerman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/07/2017 at 5:46pm
Blaser's in Illinois probably has that bushing but be prepared to pay for it.  Joe
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tamvette68 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/07/2017 at 9:47pm
they do have it but he told me to take mine apart first to see exactly what I need to fix it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tamvette68 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/14/2017 at 8:02am
well I did it with the forums help. I can now shift into all gears. Just a simple linkage adjustment. The U shaped linkage had somehow slipped under the 2/3rd shift pin?. Disconnected the shifts rods and readjusted everything and greased really good. So far so good. But still have a slight grind in 2 and 3. I have to shift very slowly and it helps somewhat.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/14/2017 at 7:54pm
A 64 American would have a T-96 as the stock three speed. There is only ONE synchronizer, and that's between 2 and 3. A slow shift from 1 to 2 is common. After you drive a bit you will figure out at what speed it "likes" to shift. Probably about 15-20 from 1 to 2, 30-35 from 2 to 3. Shifts between 2 and 3 (up and down) shouldn't be hard, but just sedately change the gears. Think about grandpa (when he was younger though!) just driving around. NO column shifter is fast, even if all gear were synchronized! When you hit the "sweet spot" speed it will just drop right into gear, maybe with a little "chunk", but shouldn't be a "grind".
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tyrodtom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/14/2017 at 8:51pm
The grind between 2nd and 3rd might be the clutch not completely disengaging.

Are you putting the clutch all the way to the floor ?

About where in the pedal travel does the clutch start  engaging ? 
66 American SW, 66 American 2dr, 82 J10, 70 Hornet, Pound, Va.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/15/2017 at 6:03am
Good suggestion! On the earlier Americans there is a rubber link between the clutch pivot and engine block. Don't recall if the 64+ used that or not. That thing degrades and stretches over time. Bad design? No -- it takes some vibration out of the clutch and lasts 20 years or so. You can replace it with a solid piece or use some HD flexible material, like industrial belt material. Tire sidewall may work, but didn't for me. Tire was old, so it didn't last long. If you can find a rather new tire that was damaged and cut a piece from the sidewall that might last a while. The heavier duty the tire the better, just harder to cut and drill holes in. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tyrodtom Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/15/2017 at 6:31am
I think the earlier Americans had that flexible belt in there because the through the floor pedals were almost directly connected to the engine, you'd naturally have a lot of pedal movement with the engine running.

With the remote linkage, under the dash,  like the 64 and later have,  you don't need that extra isolation.

I don't know what kind of linkage the 61-63 had.

But if there's grinding on the 2nd to 3rd upshift, and you're shifting slowly,  that's almost surely clutch adjustment.   
 Even on transmissions without any synchros,  the 2nd to 3rd is the easiest to make without getting a grind.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/15/2017 at 5:02pm
Originally posted by farna farna wrote:

A 64 American would have a T-96 as the stock three speed. There is only ONE synchronizer, and that's between 2 and 3. A slow shift from 1 to 2 is common.


lol, a slow shift from 2 to 3 is common! actually not really joking -- pretend it's 1948, not 2017. this was a very light duty, old transmission when AMC adopted it. it is a vey, very low performance transmission. it simply cannot be shifted quickly, by antthing like modern standards. you are better of shifting by how it feels inside the transmission -- even 2 to 3, with clutch fully depressed, pull from 2 to N, then into 3 feeling for the mainshaft teeth touching the countershaft teeth. even if you can't feel it, imagine it!

the synchros are too small, even new. the factory spec is 0.090" of clearance from the brass cone to the gear -- plenty of room for it to take angular forces it wont' survive if shifted hard. pretend it's 1948, you're on an old crowned road with 80 hp, working up to the breakneck speed of 50 mph. that was the world when this transmission was merely adequate.

i strongly recommend AGAINST downshifting. i dont know where that habit comes from. it's not helpful. brakes are for braking. road racers downshift going into a corner to be be in the right gear coming OUT of the corner. not to brake the car. that puts 'braking' force ont he rear wheels right when they're being un-loaded by the turn. it braking is inadequate, fix brakes :-) it might be fine in a T10 but in a T96 you are simply asking for trouble.

and shifting 1 to 2 is ok, but as above, and slowly. shifting 2 to 1 is simply a bad idea. if you get *very* proficient with it, and after you've taken one apart so you know how it works! lol, im almost not kidding -- then you can double-clutch and borrow the synchro by playing a game with the countershaft and get it into 1st with no grinding under about 10mph but absolutely no load on it (eg. coming to a turn).

1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

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