Thread: Switching From Column to Floor Shifter

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My problem: I have a 1977 Ford F-100 with a new crate 350 and refurbished TH400. Currently it is a three speed on the column (boring! ). I am having issues with the engine dying when shifted from Park to Reverse or Drive (But it runs fine in Park or once in Reverse or Drive!). I am not sure what is causing this, but I was hoping a new floor shifter may help and would look better.

My question: How difficult of a job is this going to be? And what would be the best aftermarket shifter for this application? (I like the look of the long nostalgic shifters and can't see how a short shifter would work in a truck).

Short shifters don't work well in a truck without a lot of work. Genie and Lokar make decent shifters and would work for you. However I don't see how a shifter can cause your problems. It sounds to me like you have timing or carb tuning issues.

Maybe the old Ford is rejecting the new "heartbeat" you transplanted in there!

I'm not sure how you have it all set up in there but it might be worthwhile to check out your neutral safety switch on the shifter or trans.......if it's not aligned or mounted screwy it might kill the engine when shifting gears..... just a thought.....

I think that you have some other issues, possibly internal, with the transmission - but being a Ford person have to echo Randy - that the truck is in a state of rejection (sorry )

As far as shifters, some early pickups have a transmission mounted fairly well forward which places the shifter in a less then desirable location. You will have to give yours a good 'eyeballing' before you make holes in the floorboards. Beyond that, while not a super simple job unless the transmission hump is removable which most of the early Fords were, it is a bolt in job. A 16" or a 23" lever ia what you should be looking for. I prefer the Lokars as they do have a very solid mount while the Gennie's appear a bit flimsy to my eyes. Then there are the tried and proven cable shifters that B&M make. I have used their cheapest, the Z Gate with good luck.

My Lokar on a Ford C4 (also with an e-brake bolted on). The standard Lokar's are all similar tho they do have a tailshaft mount that looks much like the Gennie

For most it is simply a matter of preference between the Gennie shifters and the Lokar units. I have a 16" Lokar in my 34, and I would assume that you would want at least a 16" or maybe even the 23" unit in a PU truck, unless your seats are mounted lower than standard.

My Lokar unit is a floor mount versus a trans mount. Just was not enough space between my floor and the top of the trans to mount the shifting unit, so the floor mount unit was the only way to go for me. Works the same as the trans mount unit, just a different location. My trans is also a TH400, but my floor is a custom stainless steel, not factory steel.

With the amount of space in and around the steering column and the trans hump, I should have gone with the column mounted shifter to give me more room on the floor. I didn't think I would like a column mount, but now I can really see the benefit of the extra leg/foot room.

The previous owner of the '72 F100 that I once had literally mangled the steering column. His fix was to install a tall shifter in the floor and while it worked fairly well it was an adventure to get it into drive. I solved the problem by installing a set of buckets and made a console to fit between them. I made it in two pieces so servicing would be easier and in the piece that sat forward of the seats I mounted the auto shifter that had been in my Mustang. Some c6's were made to accept a floor mounted shifter but mine wasn't. The bosses were in the tranny and all I did was to drill them and mount a neutral safety switch from a '68 Mustang. It was still working well when I sold the truck.