Bottom collar for 4 speed key out function - auto to manual conversion

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DionR

DionR

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I find myself in need of a bottom collar for a 4 speed. I am ok to convert one of the multiple bottom collars if I knew what was needed beyond cutting the shifter hand off and filling it.

My '74 has the finger lever to turn the collar and unlock the key so it can be removed, but all of the how-to's I find for converting to a floor shift just cut the lever off and don't do anything with or about that function. Not really even sure how it works and if it it necessary. But I would like keep the functionality if possible on the '73.

Anyone have a how to or info on this part of the column?

I have the top two collars already, just not the bottom one. I would entertain buying one if someone had a source for just the bottom collar, but everything I find has all three for more money than I want to spend.
 
Did some further research and I think the reason this doesn't come up is because I am betting the bottom collar is left in the "park" position when converted and never rotated. The column shift setup (at least in the later years) has the same functionality where the key can't be removed unless the car is in park but hardly anyone thinks about that because the car goes into park most times before shutting it off.

The key seems to be the raise area on the inside left of the collar below.

1730130178769.png


I don't have a picture of a column shift collar yet, but will soon.

I went to the JY this weekend and scored all 3 collars from a '78 Dodge truck with a manual trans plus a full floor shift column from a '76 Volare. The truck was interesting because it doesn't have the finger lever, so I am guessing it didn't have the "switchblade" mechanism that both locks the steering wheel when the key is off and keeps you from pulling the key. The Volare column looks to use the exact same collars as my A-Body, but it remains to be seen if they are actually the same.

My plan is to pull my current column apart and the Volare one and then post a picture of the lower collars to compare them.
 
Just to finish documenting this, here is a picture of a column shift collar (top), '71-76 floor shift (bottom) and a '70 style floor shift collar (middle):

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The '70 version looks just like the column shift collar, but without the protrusions on the outside. Even the key lockout bar on the inside is the same. On the other hand, the '71-76 floor shift collar has a shorter key lockout, a pin for the spring and a stop lower down.

Based on this, to convert a column shift collar to function like the true floor shift collar in the later cars it would need a fair amount of work. The only real reasonable solution if you don't want to find the right collar is to shave the outside and lock it into the park location so the key can be removed.
 
BTW, the Volare column seemed to be a good source for the collars. They look to be exactly the same as the stuff I already have minus the obvious floor shifter differences.
 
I think I used E body parts on mine, most of them where floor shifts.
Plus I had it already.
 
sireland67 said:
I think I used E body parts on mine, most of them where floor shifts.
Plus I had it already.
Click to expand...

Best I can tell, they are all seem to be for A, B and E body, plus trucks. I watched a video on rebuilding E Body column to try and check casting numbers and some were the same numbers, so it seems reasonable to assume that is correct.
 
Who makes the sticker that goes in the manual "push to remove key" collar?
 
Here's a couple pics of my painted collars and column I rebuilt for my truck a few years ago. I used a 1983 Dodge Truck floor shift column to convert my Column shift 1. It has the turn to release feature. I also purchase a complete set of collars from an 88 dodge truck with the turn to release feature for my Duster Build.

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1731078759805.png
 
sireland67 said:
Year one, Classic, any place like that will sell them.
Click to expand...

True. I was more curious if the column shift collar could be converted. And what were people doing if the didn’t add the feature, which become apparent that it wasn’t important if the collar was left in “park”.
 
DionR said:
True. I was more curious if the column shift collar could be converted. And what were people doing if the didn’t add the feature, which become apparent that it wasn’t important if the collar was left in “park”.
Click to expand...
I used the two original pieces on mine and added the lockout collar when I did my car.
Seen plenty with the drift pin just knocked out of the shifter
 
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