I have a floor shift 350 tranny, and just found this rod dangling from the steering column under the hood. Can I assume a PO converted this car from a column shift to floor shift and just didn't disconnect the rod?

 

Yes.
We call that the back drive linkage.

Does the indicator on the column move when you move the (floor) shifter. Thats a dead give away.

 

there is no indicator on the column. There is nothing in the cabin whatsoever to indicate that it used to be a column shift. I had no idea until I was under the car, which is still new to me, and saw the rod

 

Sorry for the incorrect verbage. So, no indicator in the speedometer either? Maybe the PO replaced the speedometer as well...to appear as a factory console equipped car.

 

I thought the 71-72 console cars used the same linkage for the NSS function ?

 

there is no gear indicator on the speedometer, which seems to have the appropriate mileage on the odometer. So I don't think it is a replacement. I wonder if he installed a replacement steering shaft from a column shift car?

 

Yet another demonstration of why one needs to READ the Chassis Service Manual.

ALL cars sold from the 1969 model year onward were required by federal law to lock the shifter along with the steering column. That rod is connected to a tube in the steering column that locks the floor shifter when the key is turned to LOCK. Note that it ALSO ensures that you cannot lock the steering column while the trans is in a gear other than PARK. And it also operates the Neutral Safety/Backup Light switch that is located on the steering column.

Without the rod connected, the collar in the steering column will eventually rotate out of the PARK position, at which point you will be asking us why you can't get the key out of the ignition.

Hook it back up correctly.

 

It looks like someone dissconnected it for some reason, maybe to remove the trans at some point. Often removed to install headers too.
Anyways, that rod actuates the Neutral Saftey Switch in the column when you select gears with the floor shifter.
I'm gonna guess and say your car will start in any gear, is that true?

 

Yes, it will start in any gear - didn't realize it until your post. When I bought the car a few weeks ago the reverse lights worked, but now they don't so it appears it has worked itself loose in the 100 miles or so that I've driven it. As to the chassis manual, I don't post anything until I search this site and search the manual - developed that habit on a forum I joined a few years ago when I had a different project car. Perhaps I just didn't look in the right place, but after reading the steering and transmission sections in the manual all I could find were 7-642, which relates to column shift cars and shows the rod, and 7-643 for console shifts which does not show that rod. Can someone direct me to where in the manual it covers the shift rod on console shift cars? i would also love a pic showing where and how the bottom of the shift rod connects if anyone has one. Thanks, as always.

 

I spent some time too in the manual, not finding anything more than concise, I thought I might suggest a couple of things.

You can google gm back drive linkage for some pics/images of what you might be dealing with. They are not exact as there isn't many olds images for such a search.

You could place a parts wanted ad for the specific parts, here on this site. There are many folks that might be able to help.

FWIW..the floor shift uses a lot of the same parts has a column shifter to move the parts to actuate the NSS. One very important part is the manual shaft selector bracket. Its a dual purpose device, using the required linkage while still incorporating the cable shift connection.

Just make sure you have that part at least to continue.

 

Yes, with the exception of the lever on the trans gear selector shaft, all the backdrive linkage parts are just column shift linkage parts. The trans arm is available repro. It's the same part used on Chevys and all the Chevy repro houses sell it.

 

Awesome help, guys, as usual. Don, thanks for making me think I wasn't crazy for not finding much info in the manual. I do still have that bracket you posted, Joe. I think the attached pic from an ebay post is what we're talking about for the rest of the linkage? I have what I'll call the vertical rod and it's attached to the steering column, but I don't have anything else other than the bracket Joe posted. I've also attached a schematic I found online. It is for a TH350 (which I have), but for a column shift. Any reason the console shift linkage would be different than column shift?

 

Contact inlinetube for the rest of the parts .You should be ok with them.
Alain

 

From the post directly above yours:

 

May I hijack this thread a bit?

I have a 72 Holiday coupe (Supreme) with stock 350 engine and TH 350 - floor shift with console.
The console floor shift gear indicator does not line up with the actual selected gear and I can't find a way to adjust it.
Could I possibly have an incorrect lever on the tranny selector shaft - perhaps one for a column shifter?