351C FMX shifter linkages help needed

[tpj71mach]

Does anyone have any detailed pictures of their shift linkage and how it is assembled? I am attempting to connect my shifter rod, lock out rod and down shift link rod in my 71 Mustang 351C FMX. I bought the car with no engine and the FMX on the front seat floor, with boxes of parts that supposedly came off of the car. I have had the transmission rebuilt and it is installed with the engine in the car. The transmission rebuilder is a Ford tech and told me that he believed that from the info tag, the transmission is actually out of a 73 Torino, but said it would work. I am trying to make sense of the picture from the service manual and the parts that I have. I am starting to believe that the manual shift lever on the transmission is wrong. That Torino was probably a column shift I suppose. It only has one hole going up and the kick down lever. I gather from the service manual diagram that it should have a arm with a hole going up for the shifter and and arm going down with a hole for the lock out. If I were to guess, I would say that this shift lever on the transmission is for a column shift car, not a floor shift. Any assistance I can get would be greatly appreciated.

Here are pictures of the manual shift lever on my trans and the shift rods and kickdown rods that came in boxes when I bought the car. I cleaned and painted all of them not sure which were correct if any of them.

 

[Hemikiller]

Yes, that's the incorrect shifter bellcrank. West Coast Classic Cougars is a great resource for parts images. IMO, you should be able to locate the shift linkage for significantly less, probably even an entire transmission.

https://secure.cougarpartscatalog.c.../-1971-73-Ford-Mustang.html?sessionthemeid=26
The shift rod you need will be 18 1/2" long. I don't have the stamping numbers.

Backdrive rod will be stamped as below.

 

[tpj71mach]

Thank you for the information.

One other question I had is what holds the speedo gear to the cable? Is it just a plain c-clip or is it something specific? Thanks again

 

[Hemikiller]

It's a special clip.

https://www.npdlink.com/product/cli...%2Bclip&top_parent=200001&year=1973&year=1973

 

[tpj71mach]

Thanks, I measured the shift rods and one is 18" and one is 18 1/2". The 18 1/2" fits perfectly between the shifter and the bell crank so I am able to hook the shifter to the transmission for now. I will have to get a correct bell crank before I will be able to hook up the lock out though. The good new is the lock out rod has the correct stamping number so I know that will work once I get the correct bell crank. I will order that clip for the speedo gear, also. Thanks again for all of the help!

 

[tpj71mach]

Sorry, but I am going to need some more assistance with this, I can't adjust the shifter correctly with the shift control in the car and need to get the right control installed so the gears line up. I bought a manual control assembly off of eBay for $35.00 instead off the $199 and it looks to me when I compare the one I bought to the link Hemi-Killer attached to this thread that the shifter control is a match to the link's but the down shift lever looks different(flat on the one I bought, and two 90's to create an offset on the one in my car and the one in the link's pictures). The seller said the shift control is from an FMX out of a 72 Mustang with a Cleveland (don't know if that is accurate). I do know that the FMX in my car is out of a Torino, so the shift control is not set up for a floor shift, but the downshift lever looks that same as the one in the link. I was hoping someone can post a pic of their correct shifter control so I can determine which parts are correct or if I still don't have what I need. I added pics of my shift control currently in the vehicle, and the shift control I purchased, and the shift control from the link to show the differences.

This a picture of the shift control in my car as it is:



These pictures are of the one I bought:



These are pictures of the one in the link:



It looks like the downshift on my car matches the link's part and the shift control I bought matches the link's part. If the link's shift control is correct for the car, I think I can combine the matching parts and be okay. That is why I was hoping for pictures of the shift control in someone's car to determine the correct combination, or if I still don't have what I need. I appreciate any guidance I can get on this, thanks.

 

[Sheriff41]

You should be able to replace the kickdown lever off the shift control you bought with the one on your existing shift control. Between the two you should be able to make one with the correct configuration.

 

[tpj71mach]

You should be able to replace the kickdown lever off the shift control you bought with the one on your existing shift control. Between the two you should be able to make one with the correct configuration.

I thought that would work, but wasn't sure. Thanks

 

[Bentworker]

This may be of some help, there is a section on adjusting the linkage if you scroll through the images.

https://7173mustangs.com/threads/fmx-valve-body-info.39371/

 

[tpj71mach]

Hi, I still need help getting my shifter to work properly. With your help I have determined the trans is out of a column shifted car, and with your guidance (thanks Hemi Killer) I have purchased the correct shifter lever shaft assembly (pictured above in this post). My trans guy told me that he can't swap the lever out without me taking the trans back out of the car. I am trying to get the shifter to work with the wrong shifter lever for now because I really don't want to take the trans back out of the car on my back right now. I did some measurements and a little math. The wrong shift lever on the trans measures out to be 1 3/4" from the center of the shaft to the center of the mounting hole. The correct shifter lever measures 2 1/4" from the center of the shaft to the center of the mounting hole. The shifter lever measures 3 3/8" from the center of the shaft to the center of the mounting hole. This calculates out to the distance between pivot points on the shifter lever is 1.5 times the distance between the pivot points on the correct shift lever. Using this ratio, do you guys believe that if I drill a new mounting hole in the shifter lever at 2 5/8" (1 3/4" times 1.5) the ratio will be about the same as if the correct shifter lever were installed in the trans? I know the correct solution is the swap out the shifter lever in the trans, I am just trying to make this work for now. After I get the body work done and the car is assembled I can drive it to my friends shop and drop the trans out on a hoist and do it right. I appreciate any help or suggestions I can get. I included pictures and a diagram of what I am trying to do and a picture that I borrowed from Basstrix post about the shifter measurement that I found this morning, because I don't have a pic of my shifter out of the car. Thanks

 

[Vicus]

There's no need to get the FMX out of your car when you just want to change the lever, but: you need to get the oil pan and oil filter off and the valve body out of the FMX. Without a two or four post lift, it's a mess. When reassembling the valve body be sure that all the levers are sitting in the right place and are able to move the correct way.

 

[tpj71mach]

There's no need to get the FMX out of your car when you just want to change the lever, but: you need to get the oil pan and oil filter off and the valve body out of the FMX. Without a two or four post lift, it's a mess. When reassembling the valve body be sure that all the levers are sitting in the right place and are able to move the correct way.

My trans guy said there is some part that goes up into the transmission that will fall out and stays in place if the trans is upside down? I think he said it was spring loaded? I'm not sure what he was talking about. That's why he says the trans has to come out. I don't know anything about internal transmission, I have never experimented with that. I asked him it he felt it was something I could do (he is a friend and has a good feel for my mechanical skill) and he told me no.

 

[Vicus]

My trans guy said there is some part that goes up into the transmission that will fall out and stays in place if the trans is upside down? I think he said it was spring loaded? I'm not sure what he was talking about. That's why he says the trans has to come out. I don't know anything about internal transmission, I have never experimented with that. I asked him it he felt it was something I could do (he is a friend and has a good feel for my mechanical skill) and he told me no.

As your transmission guy is a friend of yours and knows about your personal skills: follow his advises. I don't want to talk you into technical problems.

 

[Hemikiller]

Mach1000 wrote a tutorial on how to replace the selector shaft seal, which is basically the same work you're doing.

https://7173mustangs.com/threads/fmx-transmission-shifter-seal-replacement-how-to.25775/
Your transmission guy isn't wrong, the detent plunger and spring have to be contained when removing the selector arm, but the transmission doesn't need to be removed from the car.

 

[tpj71mach]

Thank you for the clarification and link to the tutorial. I have another friend who owns a transmission shop. I think I will call him and see if I tow it over if he is willing to do it. I would rather fix it right and be done if possible.

 

[tpj71mach]

I called my friend Greg with the trans shop, He said it's been decades since he worked on an FMX but is willing to do it if necessary. He also said he knows Rick my trans guy from his day job at the Ford store not far from his shop. Greg said he is willing to let Rick come to his shop and use his lift if Rick is willing, but I know Rick is swamped with racing differentials and transmissions that he does in his garage as a side hustle (he's a guru with 12 bolt Chevy diffs and racing transmissions). Greg said he would try to work out a plan with Rick to get it resolved. It will be a $120-$125 tow in each direction but at least it will be done and done right. Hopefully one of them can free up time to do it for me.

 

[Vicus]

If you tow your Mustang, be sure the rear is lifted or the drive shaft is removed. Towing a car with automatic transmission with drive shaft in place and engine not running will cause additional damage to the transmission. The better way is to use a trailer or a ramp truck.

 

[tpj71mach]

If you tow your Mustang, be sure the rear is lifted or the drive shaft is removed. Towing a car with automatic transmission with drive shaft in place and engine not running will cause additional damage to the transmission. The better way is to use a trailer or a ramp truck.

Thank you, but the tow company I use only has flat bed tow trucks.