Can you use the standard dash gear indicator from column shift, when converting to floor shift?

I converted my 86 to floor shift and was able to use the gear indicator in the dash.

Really, how did you get it to work?

Yes you can. To do so, you will keep your column shift rod connected to the OEM shift linkage. The trick will be to get your floor shifter to connect up to the OEM linkage that is currently in place. If you are going with a B&M shifter or others too for that matter, they have their own lighted shift indicator built in if you didn't want to use the OEM on the dash. Or, maybe you want both?

That won't work in a '71 will it???

That won't work in a '71 will it???I'm not well aware of the 71, but I kinda figured they all the had the same type of column shift, where the rod comes off the column, to a cross piece of linkage that runs from the frame to the gearshift control of the manual vavle on the transmission. Its the same way that Camaro's were done with a console shifter. Still had the column features like needing to turn the key to get it out of park, or the gear shift indictator etc.

Ok is it a very simple process, or does it take someone with electrical skills?

Should be an easy straight forward process. Simply put, just hook up your floor shifter to the current OEM linkage, take your shift lever out of the column shifter. The collar on the steering column will still function to move your shift indicator, and keep your Park Neutral Saftety feature in tact as well as the security feature, key on to get it out of Park.
What you are likely to have to do is get a differant piece for your manual valve on the transmisison. Maybe one off a camaro, or cutlass that originally had a cable shifted console shifter.
What type of shifter are you planning on using? There maybe some aftermarket apapters. I'd almost think there would have to be.

A hurst quarter stick automatic shifter.

Yep, you'll need to retrofit that paticular part I am thinking of on console shifted cars. (Shown in Pic #1) Get that part from a junkyard. Should be on any console shifted Rear wheel drive auto car, not just Camaro or Cutlass. Here is a link to some photo's or what the part looks like. You see it has provision for the cable to be connected to the manual vavle linkage of the transmission. Than rather than use the part that comes with the shifter, use this piece instead. You might have to work with the adjustment a bit to get the right geometry, as in maybe drilling a new hole. I'd match up the part that comes with the shfter and use it as a template to drill me a new hole in the GM OEM part.

http://www.slyagent.com/tech/bdrl.htm

Ive never done it but I bet it can and will work. I have owned 3 Camaros from '77 to '81 with console shifters and I do know that when you moved the shifter on the console the cylinder on the steering column turned.

In fact one time I broke my shifter cable on my '79 Z-28 and could grab the cylinder on the column and twist it to switch gears. Of course there was no indicator on the column to say what gear I was in, I just had to feel it into park, reverse and drive:nanawrench:. You may wanna check Camaros from your year model to see if you can find the parts you need.

Camaros are not made for driving around lakes on dirt roads. I bottomed out and when my tranny linkage hit the ground it slammed my tranny into low and broke my shifter cable, ahhh, to be a stupid kid again. Oh well, some of us only learn the hard way :dontknow:

I have a floor shift on my 85, the indicator never worked right, I tried to adjust it many times, finally I took all of it out and installed a lockar shifter, problem solved......merc

There should be a clip with a wire that clips to the steerng column bowl, you can adjust the indicator with that. The wire goes to the indictor on/in the dash.

Good luck with that.....

I Have....

Good luck with that.....

I Have....

As have I.

I forget where I saw it, but the procedure to adjust is to shift into neutral and then adjust so the indicator is pointing on the N (you have to pull the lower column cover off of course!). I didn't know that when I did mine. I put mine into gear and adjusted it to point on the D. Still points exactly where it should now though. Before I did that, it would point to "N" when I was in drive. I basically had to feel the detents to know I was going from park to R, N, then D.

When I first saw the name of this thread, I thought Donny had the flying bug REAL bad. (gear indicator on a plane tells you whether the wheels are up or not), and since he is always flyin low in his elkies..... Guess it coulda been woody too! LOL


:nanawrench: