Sticky 1st gear

Ok, I finally came back to my van after 4 years of being away.
I have had tons of work on it & it's running great. The only thing I can't figure out is first gear is hard to get. I have to come to a complete stop to get it into first gear but even while stopped it's hard to get it into first. It is possible & maybe it's me.

I was wondering if there is anything I can do. Would I need to rebuild the steering column? Or is it something else?

Thank You!

possibilitys = work shifter parts / bushings-look @ everything for sloppy movements . shift forks could be worn bent -yet is last thing id look for . just get someone to shift it slowly while u kook @ every attaching part.

Thanks, I'll keep working at it. It seems to me that it's the upper assembly but it could be lower assembly. When I shift holding the lower control lever ( boot ) it shifts easier but I really have to pull up and push back to get it into first but second & third are really easy to get into gear.

Hmm I'll check the first/reverse control rod because getting it into reverse isn't easy sometimes

Thanks for the help guys. I tightened the screws for less movement. It's fine if I stay in first. If I go to second & third it's great but when I come to a stop it's harder get back into first. It takes a few times but I can get it into first. I take it out of second, stop, go up to reverse and back to first. Sometimes I'm stuck holding up traffic hahaha

Would a new steering column help make things smoother? If anyone has put in a new column let me know how it's working out for you.

Thanks again guys !!

Thanks Doni, the bracket connected to the trans was cracked and stress cracks on the other side. My neighbor is helping me weld it. I thank god for his help & yours Doni

Ok I don't know how to weld but my neighbor does and he helped out a lot. So, if anyone is having trouble with Reverse & First this might help you. Mine was bent & broken and stress cracks on the other side. As you can see in the pictures below. We bent it back and welded it.

1) Weld any cracks or breaks
2) clean it up to make sure its flat so the bolts can go on nice and flat. So you don't have any play in the bracket.
3) make sure the bracket fits on the bolt on the transmission ( the flat square hole for the bracket)
4) Bolt it down. make sure its on securely.
5) Check your rods and adjust them in neutral. Bolt those down and give it a spin around the block and do any adjustments if needed.
I hope this helps someone.
Thanks for everyone's help!

On that shifter assembly that mounts on the steering box, I replaced that top bolt with a 45 degree grease zerk and use white lithium grease in there as it won't disolve all the plastic parts over time. Then, because the grease zerk didn't have quite the length of thead as the original bolt, I wrapped it all in safety wire for redundancy. Can't say it all looks great yet it does operate pretty smoothly and makes it easy to lube thru the front grill. Also, keeping everything grease up and tight seems to get me into first without double cluthing most the time.

every body loves pictures

m1d

Sorry. I should have snapped a pic while it was out of the van. Can't quite get much of an image inside the grill with my little crappy cell phone camera. Will try on a cloudy day and see if can get some light in there too. Not a pretty solution yet good so far. I figure if I lube it once a year it will get more lube than it ever had in 45 years. Of course, I'm anal so I'll lube it a lot more often. Anyway, I am a White Lithium Grease addict and use it just about wherever there is plastic or rubber. If the manuafacturers had done that from the get go I bet we see more original plastic and rubber our our vans.

Exactly. Thanks much for posting the pics. I put my Zerc at about 45 degrees West of North (per the pic). That allows me to get the grease line in from the grill openings. Then, because I'm anal, I wrapped safety wire around the C-shaped metal plate now held in by the zerc kind of making an X pattern over the plate and encircling the assembly. It will be obvious if you do it thus allowing the arms to move freely.

Thanks again for saving me with the pics.

Happy motoring, Mark

Putting holes in the plastic bushings would be a great idea. Mine already had a series of holes like the Delrin king pin bushings have. They looked "factory" to me but could have been done by the last rebuilder. Otherwise, my mod wouldn't get lube inside the bushing. Great catch Donivan. Please be careful drilling plastic as it shatters so easy. I was thinking a little hole punch might work too.