Lokar shifter neutral safety switch adjustment

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Wayne.

That is the switch and the supplied spacer.

The switch does not function as a backup light switch. When the ball of the switch is extended (at rest) it does not pass current. When it is depressed it passes current. The switch just interrupts the start circuit. A backup light switch is not supplied or addressed in the Lokar instructions. My paper instructions and the on-line instructions are the same.

The part it interfaces with, the lower portion of the shift lever in FIG.3 of the Lokar instructions has a half circle detent hole in the rear edge and then slightly forward of that is a complete hole. There is an area where the holes do not intersect on either side of the complete hole. The aluminum plug which mimics the switch at rest screws into the switch plate and then into the complete circle detent hole when the shifter and trans is in reverse. Then the banana plate is tightened up to hold that adjustment. Then you replace the plug with the switch.

The switch is then in the extended position and won't pass current as the trans is still in the reverse position. When you shift it into park the ball is depressed by the "raised" surface in front of the detent hole and current lows through the switch energizing the start circuit. Then shift back to reverse and into neutral. The ball extends in reverse and depresses again when it hits the "raised" portion behind the detent hole. Again it energizes the start circuit. Continue to bring the shifter back to the OD position and the switch ball should enter the half circle detent and pass no current. That's where it ceases to work correctly as the ramp of the detent half hole keeps the ball depressed until gear position 3 is entered.

Before I talked to Lokar I tried a number of different adjustments which worked around getting the switch to extended while in the OD gear position. Those adjustments, no matter how small, all resulted in P,R & N starts.

I can make up some shims to push the switch away from the detents more and hopefully allow the ball to fully extend in the OD position while depressing it sufficiently in the P & N positions to allow start. It appears to be a very fine line between op and non-op which I think is related to the operation ratio of the shifter mechanism. I know the system works because guys get it to work. Lokar says that there are no different parts between the 3 speed and 4 speed shifters other than transmission unique mounting parts. I can only take that at face value as I don't have two different shifters to compare.

I'll call them again this morning.

Charlie

[phat rat]

Charlie, if you haven't got it figured out by the time I get back you can take a look at mine to see how the dentent is on a 700R Lokar. I haven't had any problems with mine.  It's hard to believe that there isn't a difference in the 3 & 4 spd shifters. The 700R shifter has 5 positions it shoudn't start in vs only 4 for the T350. But then what do I know I'm not an inganear

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Well, long story short I'll be dropping the shifter off at FedEx today.

Mike and I spent the better part of an hour over the course of three phone calls and a lot of adjustments. Unfortunately, none of them sorted it out. Mike seems to be a good ole boy who knows the product well But he couldn't figure it out without laying eyes and hands on it. Says he will tell me what is wrong with it and will have it or another one back to me in short order.

Can't ask for more than that.

Charlie

[wayne petty]

thank you charlie.. for that explanation.  i did not have a shifter to look at..

or that switch to ohm... i spent half an hour looking for specs on that switch before i posted .. could not find them..

since its off when extended and on when depressed.. and its not supposed to be adjustable...   i wonder if the shifter lever needs spacers in a different order to change the back space from the bracket face/switch.  


if the shifter detent is not deep enough in the overdrive position.. or it has not extended past the edge of the shifter body. allowing improper OD starts..  perhaps i missed that it would start in park and neutral.. but would also start in overdrive..  thats got to be the error of my early morning thinking..      grind the groove in the  shifter detent area ever so slightly so the detent is deeper there.    

anybody got one on a work bench installed.. or a loose one to photograph the detents.. perhaps setting the shifter up.. putting a sharpie mark along the edge for P R N OD.. so one could see it on the bench where the detent needs to be deepened to stop Od starts..

i even watched a few videos of it being installed..

i even thought it might be easier to at least on chevy applications.. to drag the wire from the front of the firewall back to the shifter and then forward to the solenoid..  instead of doing it in the car..  just an idea.. i hate wires through the floor pan personally..  


i also see that lokar has a slotted shift lever for the various GM automatics to allow for different ratio shifters..  they even make one for AOD transmissions..  ford trans swapping with factory shifters drives me crazy trying to find the exact one..  and to stop my hard parts supplier from tossing the excess manual levers from core units..

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Wayne, you and are are on the same page. The detent holes are cast I beleive. and the space between then is about as thick as a larger paperclip wire diameter. The hole is deep enough for the ball to fully seat but the geometry is off for some reason and it looks like the ball gets hung up on the side of the detent hole and won't come all the way out as a result.

I think there is a wrong lever in there which has changed the travel stroke just enough to muck it up. However, I don't have enough knowledge of the differences in parts between the 3 and 4 speed shifters to determine if that is the case...just supposition on my part.

And, since Lokar and I, as their long distance tool, couldn't adjust the problem out I tend to be more convinced of a wrong part as the cause. We'll see what they sat after they shake the parts out of the box.

Charlie

[n.c.rodder]

Charlie,

I was just wondering how you made out..............no new update yet!

(as they say - inquiring minds want to know) :?

Mike

[Charlie Chops 1940]

It's on its way back. Apparently was an adjustment issue with the main lever on the unit. I'll update after I get it back on next week.

Charlie

[wayne petty]

oh... i ran across this a week ago...

it got lost in my computer..