727 Transmission Linkage Question

[tricky lugnuts]

Hello Everyone,

     I just put a '71 440 and 727 in my 71 Charger SE. It is an original 440 car that was, up until this point, equipped with a 340 and 727. Everything went smoothly except...
     The car is a column shift, and I cannot get the linkage for the gear selector adjusted properly. It will go in and out of Park, Reverse, Neutral, and Drive -- sometimes down into 2 even -- but I cannot get it to go all the way to 1. The linkage is all original to the car, I believe, and it worked perfectly well on a small block 727, so I wonder if I'm just trying to install it incorrectly...
     It seems to me like the rod linked to the steering column, which runs down and bolts into a receiver on the  linkage swivel on the frame rail, is just too darn short. Does anyone have any illustrations of this linkage set up? Should the linkages on a 71 440 Charger work equally well on a 340 and 440? They worked just fine on a small block trans, so why won't they work on a big block trans? My kickdown rod seems to be working fine -- I just can't get the gear selector stuff to straighten out.
     The lever on the transmission seems to be working fine - clicks into place with little slop or play for all of the gears. I just think that my rod off the steering column is too short. I though maybe I installed the frame rail to trans swivel upside down, which would place the column rod receiver lower, but installing it the other way does not seem to help because then the lever on the trans swivel seems too short to reach the gear selector lever on the trans.
     Should the column rod be be bolted to the linkage in front of (closer to the front bumper) or behind the swivel that runs from the drivers side frame rail to the trans? Is there any way to extend the column rod without buying a new one? The rod looks like it cannot be adjusted at the steering column, so...
     PLEASE HELP!!! I'm ready to drive my first big block but can't get it into gear!!!

[tricky lugnuts]

Also, one more thing I just remembered.
     When I took the linkage off the small block, the swiveling rod that runs from the frame rail linkage to the bracket on the side of the bellhousing of the transmission was run on top of the torsion bar (I think). Now, with the big block transmission, that same swiveling rod, which connects the parts on the frame rail to the receiver on the side of the trans, will only bolt up below the torsion bar. The bracket that bolts to the side of the trans has that notch in the top, to catch that small peg in the side of the trans, and if I bolt up to place the swivel above the torsion bar I can't get the parts on the frame rail high enough to fit the swiveling bar through both of them...
     So, I am lost.

[John_Kunkel]

All of the parts in the column shifter for a 727 are the same in a '71 B body, regardless of engine size.

Your statement "The lever on the transmission seems to be working fine - clicks into place with little slop or play for all of the gears." could be a major part of the problem, there should be no slop in the lever. The shift shaft in the transmission is swedged to the detent plate (roostercomb) and it's not uncommon for the swedge to come loose and cause slop. This slop will often prevent getting into all of the gears.

Also pay particular attention to the plastic grommets for the cross shaft, if they are worn or missing, the lost motion will also prevent gear selection.

The enclosed pic shows the swedging that often comes loose.