1964 push button shifter help! test drive, reverse stopped working, no start. car stuck down street!

[Evan Frucht]

Any updates? @Evan Frucht

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Yes actually. For the record and so that everyone knows, Joe suchy had those springs reproduced a couple years back and he's selling them for less than $20 shipped ($12 for spring and $7 to ship). They are brand new perfect reproductions which should last long. So no need to deal with eBay or anyone else on that one.

Got the shifter out and swapped it for an unbroken shifter. Cut out new rubber gasket to go between shifter and button housing with some 1/16 thick buna n sheet rubber I had leftover of (can be bought from McMaster Carr.) Wasn't thick enough so I used two stacked together. Remade the rubber isolators for the bolts that hold the shifter unit to that same button housing. Cut one flat end off of some grommets (into a mushroom shape) and that worked perfectly. Made a new button gasket out of some charcoal foam (originally thick felt) which helped firm up the buttons. Should of taken some pictures. After I put it all together I had a little trouble getting the new shifter mechanism adjusted, was getting a little binding at first with the park lever, but was able to figure that out after removing it a second time. Works good!.. (for now !).

Thanks for all the help!

 

[khryslerkid]

Yes actually. For the record and so that everyone knows, Joe suchy had those springs reproduced a couple years back and he's selling them for less than $20 shipped ($12 for spring and $7 to ship). They are brand new perfect reproductions which should last long. So no need to deal with eBay or anyone else on that one.

Got the shifter out and swapped it for an unbroken shifter. Cut out new rubber gasket to go between shifter and button housing with some 1/16 thick buna n sheet rubber I had leftover of (can be bought from McMaster Carr.) Wasn't thick enough so I used two stacked together. Remade the rubber isolators for the bolts that hold the shifter unit to that same button housing. Cut one flat end off of some grommets (into a mushroom shape) and that worked perfectly. Made a new button gasket out of some charcoal foam (originally thick felt) which helped firm up the buttons. Should of taken some pictures. After I put it all together I had a little trouble getting the new shifter mechanism adjusted, was getting a little binding at first with the park lever, but was able to figure that out after removing it a second time. Works good!.. (for now !).

Thanks for all the help!

Good deal!

You have to wonder who came up with that mechanism. It's quite simple when you see how its made even though there's a number of different parts involved. It works flawlessly when it's in good shape.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Yes actually. For the record and so that everyone knows, Joe suchy had those springs reproduced a couple years back and he's selling them for less than $20 shipped ($12 for spring and $7 to ship). They are brand new perfect reproductions which should last long. So no need to deal with eBay or anyone else on that one.

Got the shifter out and swapped it for an unbroken shifter. Cut out new rubber gasket to go between shifter and button housing with some 1/16 thick buna n sheet rubber I had leftover of (can be bought from McMaster Carr.) Wasn't thick enough so I used two stacked together. Remade the rubber isolators for the bolts that hold the shifter unit to that same button housing. Cut one flat end off of some grommets (into a mushroom shape) and that worked perfectly. Made a new button gasket out of some charcoal foam (originally thick felt) which helped firm up the buttons. Should of taken some pictures. After I put it all together I had a little trouble getting the new shifter mechanism adjusted, was getting a little binding at first with the park lever, but was able to figure that out after removing it a second time. Works good!.. (for now !).

Thanks for all the help!

Like to hear that a problem is fixed, sometimes it's fixed and no feedback. Thanks

 

[Evan Frucht]

Well I thought I had adjusted the shifter, and it has been working without any problems for a month or so, but this morning my shifter seemed to be jammed. It wouldn't let me select anything but the park lever would move back and forth. It also wouldn't start because it wasn't fully in neutral, I tried pushing in neutral harder (which normally works) but not this time.

I can probabaly get it working once I get home but I'm wondering if anyone has any insight

 

[bobs63wagon]

Ok, thank you for the info! I should be able to get it working again once I have the part.

Does anyone know the part number for the thick felt gasket that goes behind the shift buttons?

Thanks

I don't know the part number but I think this is what you are looking for.

 

[Evan Frucht]

I have a piece of foam in there with carefully cut out holes for the buttons, I think my problem lies elsewhere but I'll open it up when I get home and get a closer look to see what's binding.

 

[Edderds]

i have a similar problem with my 64 Belvedere, 318, pushbutton. Cold all pushbuttons work great. Drive the car for a while, the reverse button will not engage, all other buttons work fine. No broken springs or other obvious problems with the pushbutton module. The Cables are in adjustment. what the heck is going on?

 

[khryslerkid]

i have a similar problem with my 64 Belvedere, 318, pushbutton. Cold all pushbuttons work great. Drive the car for a while, the reverse button will not engage, all other buttons work fine. No broken springs or other obvious problems with the pushbutton module. The Cables are in adjustment. what the heck is going on?

You'll have to do some close inspection on what's hanging up. Maybe try pushing the neutral button before the reverse button and see if that helps. They do get dirty and gummy if someone lubricated it at some point. They need to be clean and dry. Do not lube them. I did use some dry silicone spray on mine.

Double check the cable adjustment also. It might be set borderline from being just right and as the transmission warms up it goes out of adjustment.

 

[Edderds]

You'll have to do some close inspection on what's hanging up. Maybe try pushing the neutral button before the reverse button and see if that helps. They do get dirty and gummy if someone lubricated it at some point. They need to be clean and dry. Do not lube them. I did use some dry silicone spray on mine.

Double check the cable adjustment also. It might be set borderline from being just right and as the transmission warms up it goes out of adjustment.

Thanks will do.

 

[dvw]

I've seen the rooster comb ball and spring assy get jammed. Metal slivers in the detent bore were the culprit.
Doug

 

[500Hardtop]

I did a search and found this thread. I am having issues with the push buttons. Park and nuetral work, but I can’t push reverse, or drive etc. and engage those gears? I’m going to reread the info and dig in. Thanks for the ideas

 

[maxwedgechar]

In 1990 Max got stuck in Drive. The original owner had it set up to start in gear! Yeah, I gotta be careful! So everybody said it was the buttons. I had driven buttons for years and never had a problem. I thought it was the cable. I found that a '62 Chrysler cable is the same part number. I got a cable at the junk yard, went under to replace the cable and when I took the neutral switch out to pop the cable out it went "click" and was back in place. Yeah, Rooster Comb was jammed!

 

[Jackpot50]

In 1990 Max got stuck in Drive. The original owner had it set up to start in gear! Yeah, I gotta be careful! So everybody said it was the buttons. I had driven buttons for years and never had a problem. I thought it was the cable. I found that a '62 Chrysler cable is the same part number. I got a cable at the junk yard, went under to replace the cable and when I took the neutral switch out to pop the cable out it went "click" and was back in place. Yeah, Rooster Comb was jammed!

Could have been safety reverse plunger, that keep you from going to reverse if you have to much drive pressure stops rooster comb from moving. Sticks out botton of valve body.

 

[maxwedgechar]

No it was actually stuck in drive. No 1st, 2nd, neutral or reverse!

 

[Dave6T4]

Make sure you have correct neutral safety switch for the rooster comb you have. There are different setups. The wrong combo could jam the rooster comb.

 

[maxwedgechar]

THAT may have been the issue! I have what is supposed to be the correct one now. But it still starts in gear and I am not fooling with the wires right now, I just need to be careful.

 

[Evan Frucht]

The 64 and earlier (maybe 65 too?) neutral safety switch is different that the later years.

They are harder to find and more expensive, but can be had.

The button mechanism can get finicky if it the adjustment has been messed with in the past. They also can just get gummed up and stiff, or literally plastic broken where they connect to the metal inside (the neutral switch is the worst as it connects differently/weaker than the other buttons and is especially prone to breakage) etc, which can cause problems too.

 

[OrthmannJ]

I figured this would be a good place to share my pushbutton issue.
All of my gear buttons work. I put the lever up and can engage 1,2,D,N & Reverse. The problem comes when I am parking. I throw the lever down, everything does what it should (DRIVE or REVERSE pops out and NEUTRAL goes in) but the car is not in "park". It will still roll. It is basically the equivalent of putting it in neutral.
I've owned this car for 20+ years, but I have never had an issue with the shifter, and have never had it apart. I'm not even sure if the shifter is the problem. What should I be looking for?

 

[Jackpot50]

I figured this would be a good place to share my pushbutton issue.
All of my gear buttons work. I put the lever up and can engage 1,2,D,N & Reverse. The problem comes when I am parking. I throw the lever down, everything does what it should (DRIVE or REVERSE pops out and NEUTRAL goes in) but the car is not in "park". It will still roll. It is basically the equivalent of putting it in neutral.
I've owned this car for 20+ years, but I have never had an issue with the shifter, and have never had it apart. I'm not even sure if the shifter is the problem. What should I be looking for?

If it still rolls you need to adj the park cable on the rear of tail housing

 

[OrthmannJ]

OK. Thanks for the info. I'll check it out and let you all know how it goes.