1962 valiant shifter change

[whitepunkonnitro]

Your setup looks great, but make sure the your starter/flywheel is compatible with your bell housing.
61 used a direct drive starter and flywheel with a different tooth count than the 62,.which used the more common gear reduction unit.
Not sure if the bell is interchangeable between the two setups..I'd google before laying down under the car

 

[MLP]

Your setup looks great, but make sure the your starter/flywheel is compatible with your bell housing.
61 used a direct drive starter and flywheel with a different tooth count than the 62,.which used the more common gear reduction unit.
Not sure if the bell is interchangeable between the two setups..I'd google before laying down under the car

So far everything has lined up. Starter and linkage will be installed tomorrow.
Did not know that could be an issue.
Fingers crossed again, LOL!
Thanks,
MLP

 

[MLP]

Bellhousing is an older universal fit.
Lined up perfect.during in stall and the starter is the original to car. As everything else on the car. All except paint and tires is what she was born with. Yet again fingers crossed, again.
Could it be the mounting stud and hole for starter may not match? Man I checked the original housing to the one on now and I couldn't tell any difference.
ZoomZoom,
MLP

 

[MLP]

You mentioned tooth count. I'm using the same starter that was in the car.
????
MLP

 

[whitepunkonnitro]

You mentioned tooth count. I'm using the same starter that was in the car.
????
MLP

Yeah, if your original starter bolts to this bell with no issues, then your original flywheel will be fine.
I only brought it up, because nobody else mentioned it in the thread, and I myself didn't know if the bells were interchangeable

 

[MLP]

Yeah, if your original starter bolts to this bell with no issues, then your original flywheel will be fine.
I only brought it up, because nobody else mentioned it in the thread, and I myself didn't know if the bells were interchangeable

No the column shift unit is different. Well I should say the mounting position is different. The bell housing bolt pattern on the floorshift unit allows the tranny itself to lean to the driverside allowing the unit to be mounted with out a hump. Also floor shift unit ha a bracketmount cast to the tail housing with threaded holes to accommodate mounting of another bracket known as the link. This link and link bracket allow the linkage rods to run under the tranny cross member support. Hard to visualize till you see it together. It's the exact floorshift system used on the 60 and 61 A bodies but never made or used for 62's. Well now there is one. Gonna see how it all works tomorrow or Tuesday.
Can't find the support for shifter but thanks to Bill Crowell I have pics of one so I will fabricate one.
I think if you look thru the posts you will see this bracket in diagrams, defined as shifter support.
ZoomZoom
MLP

 

[whitepunkonnitro]

No the column shift unit is different. Well I should say the mounting position is different. The bell housing bolt pattern on the floorshift unit allows the tranny itself to lean to the driverside allowing the unit to be mounted with out a hump. Also floor shift unit ha a bracketmount cast to the tail housing with threaded holes to accommodate mounting of another bracket known as the link. This link and link bracket allow the linkage rods to run under the tranny cross member support. Hard to visualize till you see it together. It's the exact floorshift system used on the 60 and 61 A bodies but never made or used for 62's. Well now there is one. Gonna see how it all works tomorrow or Tuesday.
Can't find the support for shifter but thanks to Bill Crowell I have pics of one so I will fabricate one.
I think if you look thru the posts you will see this bracket in diagrams, defined as shifter support.
ZoomZoom
MLP

Oh, I know the shifter setup well..actually just pieced one together for a customer this last summer.
It was the interchangeability of the bell/starter/flywheel between 61 and 62 I was not sure of

 

[MLP]

Oh, I know the shifter setup well..actually just pieced one together for a customer this last summer.
It was the interchangeability of the bell/starter/flywheel between 61 and 62 I was not sure of

I will let you know tomorrow.
MLP

 

[MLP]

Your setup looks great, but make sure the your starter/flywheel is compatible with your bell housing.
61 used a direct drive starter and flywheel with a different tooth count than the 62,.which used the more common gear reduction unit.
Not sure if the bell is interchangeable between the two setups..I'd google before laying down under the car

No the bell for the column shift and the housing and the tail housing is different. All parts other than bellhousing are factory date coded for the 62 About. The universal bellhousing being used should create no issues with starter and allows tranny itself to sit leaned to the driver side for clearance of rods to the link bracket and the to the shifter
MLP

 

[MLP]

Your setup looks great, but make sure the your starter/flywheel is compatible with your bell housing.
61 used a direct drive starter and flywheel with a different tooth count than the 62,.which used the more common gear reduction unit.
Not sure if the bell is interchangeable between the two setups..I'd google before laying down under the car

Well the tranny, bellhousing, starter and so far all linkage went in like butter. No issues! Gonna start layout for shifter mounting and maybe get
Some fabrication done. Gotta weld a drop down mounting bracket for the link bracket and then will be able to hook all linkage up for final layout, cutting, fab, and install of shifter support and shifter. I think this will be really cool!

ZoomZoom,
MLP

 

[Killer6]

Well the tranny, bellhousing, starter and so far all linkage went in like butter. No issues! Gonna start layout for shifter mounting and maybe get
Some fabrication done. Gotta weld a drop down mounting bracket for the link bracket and then will be able to hook all linkage up for final layout, cutting, fab, and install of shifter support and shifter. I think this will be really cool!

ZoomZoom,
MLP

The key will be if the starter engages the flywheel properly, good luck! Looks good so far, and I'm sure it'll be fun to drive vs the 3-on-the-tree!

 

[valiantpatrol]

I've driven both column and floor shifted early Valiants over the years and feel the factory floor shifted style is far superior than the column shift in both ease of use and especially durability. In all floor shifted cars I fabbed an aluminum 2" extension to bring the shift knob closer to me so that that I did not have to lean forward to reach 2nd gear from first. Also I've had far better luck finding generic bushings to rebuild worn floor shifters than I ever had finding unique column shifter replacement parts. One thing I did not see in the images posted is the 3/16" thick plate that was spot welded to the underside of the floor pan to support and provide attachment points for the floor mounted shifter when bolted directly to the floor in a factory installation.

 

[MLP]

S

I've driven both column and floor shifted early Valiants over the years and feel the factory floor shifted style is far superior than the column shift in both ease of use and especially durability. In all floor shifted cars I fabbed an aluminum 2" extension to bring the shift knob closer to me so that that I did not have to lean forward to reach 2nd gear from first. Also I've had far better luck finding generic bushings to rebuild worn floor shifters than I ever had finding unique column shifter replacement parts. One thing I did not see in the images posted is the 3/16" thick plate that was spot welded to the underside of the floor pan to support and provide attachment points for the floor mounted shifter when bolted directly to the floor in a factory installation.

Thanks for the thread. Everything is there. I had to fabricate the upper/topside mount and the underside mounts. Also fabricated the underside boot and the wood ring mount for the finish ring/bezel that finishes the interior shifter boot.
Everything works like butter and is so much more pleasing to drive!
MLP
YesterYearMotorcars.com

 

[MLP]

S



Thanks for the thread. Everything is there. I had to fabricate the upper/topside mount and the underside mounts. Also fabricated the underside boot and the wood ring mount for the finish ring/bezel that finishes the interior shifter boot.
Everything works like butter and is so much more pleasing to drive!
MLP
YesterYearMotorcars.com

View attachment 1715126363

One more thing, in 61 they elongated the shifter because drivers complained about the reach factor of second gear.
This unit has the 61 shifter along with the date coded 1961 transmission, bellhousing, linkage, shifter! Being stamped 9-14-61 All are date coded for the 1962 year.
MLP
YESTERYEARMOTORCARS.COM