Re: Manual Transmission - 1950 Deluxe 8

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2010/10/4 9:54:25

If you mean what I think you mean, the neutral position for the 2 shift levers is in the middle.The third rod appears to be a strut to keep the correct distance as the engine rocks. If the rod has 3 positions neutral will be in the middle, You can only select one position at a time. All the levers must be in neutral, then you can move one lever to a gear position. If you want a different gear, you must return that lever to the neutral position before you select another gear.

The transmission linkage will jam if you get 2 gears at the same time. This can happen due to worn linkage, out of adjustment, or abusive forcing of the shifter. But it's hard to jam if the mechanism is in good shape and properly adjusted.

Sometimes after much use the ends of the rods get worn down and the holes get worn oval making the linkage sloppy. In other cases there were rubber bushings that fell out. The joints need to be tight. Excess looseness will cause problems too.

You have to use your own judgment. Sometimes you need new bushings, in other cases parts need to be welded up to replace worn metal, or parts replaced. In other cases a simple adjustment is all that is required.