727 Linkage Adjust - Basic Instruction Needed

[Crazy Larry]

Hello,

    OK, so Basically, the Charger won't go into Park or Reverse - even though the gear shift on the floor reads R and P and moves freely there, the transmission isn't.

    I have to get under the Charger and flick the transmission switch back by hand to get the ground to the starter relay, then the car starts and runs fine - it will slip into gear and go forward just fine - but no reverse, and no park - so when I shut the car off, no sound and start.....

    Basically I never had to mess with the linkage before and I guess it needs to be adjusted - is this something I can do on my own in a front lawn, or do I need a lift and have to remove the driver's side exhaust manifold?

    If I can do it simply by jacking the car up where it is, and working a wrench - I sure would appreciate any words of advice as to where to start and what I am looking for in tightening up the linkage (or how the linkage is even tightened up for that matter).

    Once again, I am not an experienced machanic but in my years of owning the Charger I have worked on just about everything, and learned as I went - so this is just the next in line, I guess.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.

   

[RallyeMike]

This is a pretty basic adjustment. You can do it easily yourself and should not have to take anything apart.

Put the car up on jack stands and crawl under. Make sure its in Park. Loosen the bolt that holds the linkage adjustment (very loose). Push the lever on the trans all the way into park, check the shifter postiion on the trans to make sure its in P, and retighten the bolt. Try that setting first. If still no go, reloosen the bolt on the adjuster and slide it back and forth a little until all positions are correct.

Check the bushings in the shift linkage while you are under the car. They can make things pretty sloppy once worn.

[Crazy Larry]

This is a pretty basic adjustment. You can do it easily yourself and should not have to take anything apart.

Put the car up on jack stands and crawl under. Make sure its in Park. Loosen the bolt that holds the linkage adjustment (very loose). Push the lever on the trans all the way into park, check the shifter postiion on the trans to make sure its in P, and retighten the bolt. Try that setting first. If still no go, reloosen the bolt on the adjuster and slide it back and forth a little until all positions are correct.

Check the bushings in the shift linkage while you are under the car. They can make things pretty sloppy once worn.

hey thanks for this, my friend - I will be tackling this tomorrow afternoon. Let you know how it goes.

As for the bushings in the linkage, are those found by the lever that is on the transmission or are they higher up the line......

I assume the bolt that needs to be retightened is the one at the very end of the red exterior/housing of the cable, and it tightens on the silver cable itself and holds it into position?

[RallyeMike]

Cable? Oh - you have a stock or non-stock shifter? The stock set up is all rods.

[Crazy Larry]

Cable? Oh - you have a stock or non-stock shifter? The stock set up is all rods.

Non Stock B&M ratchet shifter - does that mean it doesn't tighten up in the same way as you described?
I'm gonna get under the car in the next hour or so and see what I can find.....

[RallyeMike]

Basic process should be the same other than I don't know exactly how that shifter adjusts. Good luck.

[John_Kunkel]

While under the car disconnect the cable end from the transmission lever and operate the lever by hand through all positions; check for positive detents at each gear position with no lost motion (slop) in the lever.

If the lever is tight, place the lever full back and put the shifter in Park then adjust the cable so the cable end just drops easily into the lever hole. Place the shifter in "1" and be sure that the cable end slides easily in an out of the lever hole when the lever is full forward.

If the shifter positions don't match the trans lever positions throughout the range the transmission lever might be the wrong one for that shifter.

[Crazy Larry]

Hey guys,

   I found the problem and had to get all MacGyver on the cable - but I have the Charger back on the road for now, until I can find the money and the time for a new gear shift cable.

   The exterior housing melted against the driver's side exhaust manifold and the cable was slipping out and slacking on me.

Here's a link to a blog with a more thorough explanation and pictures........

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=83830290&MyToken=d279d746-85e0-4621-865a-a33292037c7bML



   

[andy74]

very intresting,i had the same issue with mine last night! maybe its a syracuse conspiracy to keep old chargers off the road? j/k, good luck on your run-and ill see ya around when you get home!!

[mikepmcs]

you beat me to it, I knew it was the cable as soon as I read the first post.. Why, cause it happened to me not 2 months ago.  I have the same shifter and the routing isn't superior if you know what I mean. 
Summit has the replacement cable for about $32 bucks.  I can give you the part number later if you choose, I'm at work right now.
I have an extra cable waiting for when the bas#$@ breaks. 

On the back of the starter, there is a little bolt sticking out.  Make a hook out of some sort of metal rod that has a flat end with a hole in it.  put it on that bolt and get yourself a nut and secure it on there.  Hook the cable in there and it won't contact the headers ever again. If you want I'll try to take pictures of it this weekend for you, but I think you get the idea.

As far as linkage adjustment, are you all set for that or do you need assistance.  The trouble IMHO with these shifters is the second detent for park for the GM application.  it can fool you into thinking that you are screwed up doing the pin alignment from lo(1) and matching it to the rod in park.  Just make sure when you select park for the adjustment that it is sitting back in the shifter more towards the "r" and not shoved up towards the dash.  does that make sense at all???

v/r
Mike