Found on Facebook Checker newcomer Josh Samuels posted an interesting “Checker How Too”
Will let you know but here is the long and short. Have a 66 marathon. Pulled the Borg Warner auto out and put in a TH350 trans mater to the Chevy engine. The column shift indicator shows the old pattern PRN d2 d1 L The TH350 trans would have a standard pattern PRND21
I bought a shift indicator from a 67 Galaxie repo for a few bucks, it’s very close! Just a little precision fitting and I will be able to have the standard pattern on the Column shift. It is the same column radius and the pattern spread is correct. I will need to file the mounting holes slightly
Yes I know most of us just count the clicks and who cares what the dial said. But the class of nostalgic Racing I am doing the cars get tech checked to NHRA safety.
If you follow through the photos you will see how the 67 Galaxie Ford column shift indicator was modified to fit a 66 marathon column. It took a lot of pattern making and sanding with a small dremmel tool.
In the end I got it to fit and look good. Ready yourselves! This is when everything went bad. The part needed a small bit of glue to hold the window with the shift lettering in the chrome bezel As fate would have it I got some glue on the clear plastic.
Next everything went bad. In getting a small amount of cleaner out I spilled acetone on the part. Nobody needs me to tell you the acetone instantly melted the plastic window and removed the chrome plating off the plastic bezel.
After a disappointing incident with acetone on the last shift indicator window I needed to try again. This time I ordered a indicator window from a 65 Chevelle. The part is very close the original Checker part but it does require some work with precision files to make it fit.
The Chevy part is thicker plastic and has a machined step on three sides of it to fit the GM Bezel. In order to fit the original chrome Bezel on the Checker Bezel I needed sane the overall dimensions of this part down by 3/8” on the ends and about 1/32” on the top and bottom.
This conversion can be made with great success but you need to take your time. The plastic step must fit inside the original bezel and lay flat on the mating surface. In order to get this step correct I clamped a file that was 3/32” thick to the bench.
The shift indicator was next masked taped to prevent scratches on the visible surfaces. Moving the plastic on the file it slowly sanded a step into this part as I discussed so it would fit the window area of the bezel.
This took some time , no joke about 2 hours of trial fitting but I got it. Next a few dabs of Gorilla glue and NO ACETONE anywhere on the bench I have it done! Now for all of you 700R4 guys, your in luck. They sell this 65 Chevelle part lettered in the standard 3 speed or Over Drive patterns for 700R4
Note, you will see the original Borg Warner shift indicator in the photos, it’s lettered for the “ Green Dot” shift pattern of the original transmissions. That thing was very yellow from the plastic having some age on it.
Above is the part number and receipt on the column shift bushing.
The original Checker on ( not on the shifter in this photos) had become very dry rotted and the shift lever was not positively locking in gears selected. This was VERY dangerous.Once while setting the timing the car jumped into reverse and started heading out the garage on its own!
Glad I was setting initial timing at an idle and not verifying total timing at 3000 rpm! The shifter part functions exactly like the Checker one but did not have the rubber lip. I had it installed in the column housing and wow what a difference in how the shifter feels. Much more positive.. Click click click in the gear selection
For more information contact Joshua directly
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