Pistol out and round ball in?

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DustyEd

DustyEd

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I have a 1970 Duster 340 factory 4 speed. The 2nd owner put a pistol grip shifter (and mechanism?...don't know) from a '70 Superbee in it around 1973. It is the "slip-in"(bayonet) style handle.

Can I just install a "slip-in" style round handle with ball in to the same mechanism?

Need pointers on getting the pistol handle out. I know it involves a feeler gauge.

Thanks for the help!
 
I read the header and it jogged my memory! About 35 years ago my friend had a New Years Eve party, about 35 of us were in the living room and dinning room waiting for the ball to drop. My buddy that lives there disappeared for a while, he went and got his .69 cal mussel loader pistol, hence the pistol and ball. So he put some powder in it and packed it with toilet paper and when the ball dropped he took it out and shot the ceiling in the living room. The toilet paper blew through the drywall and it was so loud everybody hit the ground spilled there beer the whole place was a mess. Nobody could hear for about 15 minutes, there was insulation and toilet paper hanging out of the ceiling. What a party!
 
I cannot STAND that style of shifter handle retainer. I always modify them by removing the handle and drilling a 3/8 hole in each dimple ALL the way through both sides. That way, a regular Hurst shifter handle will fit right in it. And if you want a stock Mopar handle, just drill two matching holes in it and done. MUCH easier than fighting with some hermorphadite retainer system that's often frozen up with rust and dirt and a PITA to remove.
 
Idaho said:
:lol:

Why remove the pistol grip?
If they weren't so spendy I think I'd try one in my Dart.
Click to expand...

I've never driven one that's comfortable. All of them twist your wrist towards the front of the car. They are super cool, but very uncomfortable for driving. At least for ME.
 
TSM-PRESS.jpg

Product ID: SM-PRESS-R
SM-PRESS-R REBUILT HURST SHIFTER MECHANISM 1968-71 A/B/E, ALSO 1976-87 DODGE TRUCK, PRESS-IN
Hey fellas, just found this. Does this mean that I CAN just pull the pistol out and slip in the round ball?
 
RustyRatRod said:
I've never driven one that's comfortable. All of them twist your wrist towards the front of the car. They are super cool, but very uncomfortable for driving. At least for ME.
Click to expand...
Maybe if it were locate a few inches back. My A833OD will be in a custom location.
DustyEd said:
TSM-PRESS.jpg

Product ID: SM-PRESS-R
SM-PRESS-R REBUILT HURST SHIFTER MECHANISM 1968-71 A/B/E, ALSO 1976-87 DODGE TRUCK, PRESS-IN
Hey fellas, just found this. Does this mean that I CAN just pull the pistol out and slip in the round ball?
Click to expand...
Not sure. Not cheap at $200. I'd do it Rusty's way.
 
DustyEd said:
I have a 1970 Duster 340 factory 4 speed. The 2nd owner put a pistol grip shifter (and mechanism?...don't know) from a '70 Superbee in it around 1973. It is the "slip-in"(bayonet) style handle.

Can I just install a "slip-in" style round handle with ball in to the same mechanism?

Need pointers on getting the pistol handle out. I know it involves a feeler gauge.

Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
Slide a .10-.15 feeler gauge in beside the handle to release the detent ball and slide out. May need some penetrating oil to help free it up. It's not as easy as explained.
 
j par said:
Yes you can just pull the pistol grip out and put the ball shifter in..
Click to expand...

Now, just to be perfectly clear.....You are referring to the handles only, right? (I don't want to buy a round ball handle and then find out I need a different mechanism.)

In my post #7, I was not thinking of replacing the mechanism. I just wanted to make the point that the slip-in style mechanism was applicable to 68-71 A and B body cars. So, it should not matter whether the 2nd owner changed the mechanism or not, right?
 
DustyEd said:
Now, just to be perfectly clear.....You are referring to the handles only, right? (I don't want to buy a round ball handle and then find out I need a different mechanism.)

In my post #7, I was not thinking of replacing the mechanism. I just wanted to make the point that the slip-in style mechanism was applicable to 68-71 A and B body cars. So, it should not matter whether the 2nd owner changed the mechanism or not, right?
Click to expand...
to be more than clear that's what that shifter mechanism came with was the ball shifter. No a-body ever came with a pistol grip shifter...
 
Also just like triple R said I take those little rubber slip pieces out and drill a hole all the way through the bottom of the mechanism sideways and through the shifter hole and put a bolt in it. also sometimes you have to make a little space here because the whole is much bigger than the shifter going into it because of those little rubber grommets that make it feel all sloppy...
 
Screenshot_20200221-062313.png
Screenshot_20200221-062353.png
Screenshot_20200221-062450.png

On top is the pistol grip shifter and I took a close up of the bolt going through the shifter mechanism and the shifter itself and inside next to the shifter is a spacer to take up any sloppy room.
In the second shifter is what you're talkin about the ball shifter or most people call that a banette shifter. You can see the little rubber pieces that go on either side of it to take up the room but it makes it kind of sloppy in my opinion. It goes in that same mechanism that the pistol grip is in..
I prefer and use the shifter all the way on the left the Hurst vertigate shifter which is a totally different ball game..
Also I do prefer the ball shifter over the pistol grip for comfort...
But every Mopar guy wants a pistol grip shifter so I had to have it LOL...
 
When I converted my '65 Valiant to a four-speed, I used a pistol grip at first but found it difficult to power shift. Changed over to a Hurst T-handle twisted about 45 degrees to the right, which made consistent power shifting without missing a gear routine. Never used the ball handle.

Here is a T-handle shifter on an Allison 4700 (18 wheeler?) I found interesting:
 
dibbons said:
When I converted my '65 Valiant to a four-speed, I used a pistol grip at first but found it difficult to power shift. Changed over to a Hurst T-handle twisted about 45 degrees to the right, which made consistent power shifting without missing a gear routine. Never used the ball handle.

Here is a T-handle shifter on an Allison 4700 (18 wheeler?) I found interesting:
Click to expand...

That's why I use the v gate as it is impossible to miss a gear and there's built-in stops underneath so you can jam it is hard as you want...
But really it's that second to third shift that can't be beat...
 
j par said:
View attachment 1715474055 View attachment 1715474056 View attachment 1715474057
On top is the pistol grip shifter and I took a close up of the bolt going through the shifter mechanism and the shifter itself and inside next to the shifter is a spacer to take up any sloppy room.
In the second shifter is what you're talkin about the ball shifter or most people call that a banette shifter. You can see the little rubber pieces that go on either side of it to take up the room but it makes it kind of sloppy in my opinion. It goes in that same mechanism that the pistol grip is in..
I prefer and use the shifter all the way on the left the Hurst vertigate shifter which is a totally different ball game..
Also I do prefer the ball shifter over the pistol grip for comfort...
But every Mopar guy wants a pistol grip shifter so I had to have it LOL...
Click to expand...

That's useful information. Where can you get the rubber spacers? Mine only has the metal spacers on each side of the handle tang (shown in your second picture laying next to the rubber spacers).
 
DustyEd said:
That's useful information. Where can you get the rubber spacers? Mine only has the metal spacers on each side of the handle tang (shown in your second picture laying next to the rubber spacers).
Click to expand...
Brewers performance has most all that kind of stuff.. it's a good site for you to look up for the Mopar 4-speed...
anyways like others have said as well I'm not a big fan of those rubber pieces as they make the shifter feels sloppy. It's supposed to take out vibration and make things feel more smooth but in the end I think it makes the shifter feels sloppy. That's why I put a steel spacer in there with a bolt through it like you seeing in the first picture. If you want to get real picky you can put a small spacer on either side of the shifter inside the mechanism or just choose a side and put one big spacer on one side and that's what I do... Once the boot is on you don't see anything anyways...
 
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