so i ran my car at the track this past sunday and shifted it like a manual. So after i launched and went through all the gears i noticed that the needle didnt move to 2nd or 3rd but the trans shifted fine. Is this a simple adjustment i can make or am I going to have to pull the dash out and fix the needle manually?

 

you should just hold the brakes and rev the motor to 2500rpms or whatever to launch, but my guess is you're going to need to pull the dash.

 

damn, i guess it just decided to get stuck in L. sonuvabish...

 

What car? Some have a solid link, others have a thread or small cable between the shift bowl on the column and the pointer. It can be adjusted. I've noticed on 80s cars with the thread the pointers tend to get stuck in L easily.

Worst case if it is thread/cable, is that the thread or cable has broken, but I believe those also have a lightweight spring to assist the pointer going back to Park so if it's broke it should be stuck in Park, not L.

 

Its a 71 cutlass th350

 

x2. if the cable broke or came unlooped, it sticks in park. If the spring breaks, it usually stays in 1 because that is where the spring is most likely to snap.

I'd guess the spring finally gave up the ghost.

 

Okay? Is this a column shift car or a floor shift?

If it is a column shift car and the PRND2L indicator is in the speedometer then it is controlled by a small wire that runs from the indicator itself to a tang on the column. You need to remove the gauge cover (4 screws) and then you can loosen the speedometer housing (3 screws). If you pull it out a little you can reach behind it and 'scoop' the bottom right area with your finger, you will feel the indicator tab. Pull it out to where it is visible and see if the wire came off of that end or if it came off of the end on the column. If there is no "spring" feel to the needle then as J suggests, the spring inside the speedo is broken. If there is a springy feel, keep reading.

It is not hard at all to get on, you just need to find the connections. You can lay on your back and look at the bottom of the column and see the metal tab that the wire connects to. You MIGHT have to remove the column cover underneath the steering column (2 screws) in order to see it. Not hard at all, just gotta do some investigation to see where it came loose.

 

Good stuff ill look into it once the weather gets cooler

 

Here are a couple of pictures of what it looks like on my '68 column shift 442. One picture shows how the wire loop hooks into the shift indicator lever on the back side of your speedo pod. Not the spring that is also on that lever. The other picture shows where the wire loop is attached at the bottom end. A number of things are possible: (1) The wire loop came off the shift indicator lever; (2) The spring on the shift indicator lever either broke or came off; or (3) The wire loop somehow came off of the metal plate that holds it on the loop's lower end. If it's any of those, it should be an easy fix. If the shift indicator lever broke, though it's plastic), that will most likely take more effort to fix!

Randy C.

 

thanks a lot i appreciate all the help.

Rcorrigan5 thanks for those pics that should put me in the right direction