I own a 1968 Oldsmobile 442 with it's original M20 and 4 Speed Hurst shifter.

Last night while driving, I noticed something was wrong. There was spring tension between the forward gears and reverse and now the shifter is able to pull all the way to the left without any tension. It's just as easy to go into reverse as it is into first.

This is my first manual transmission car and I have little experience with these shifters. Is this going to be an easy fix?

 

Preface: I'm no Hurst shifter specialist.


Having said that, the internals of the shifter are pretty simple. It sounds like the spring-tensioner (correct term?) has broken or otherwise become compromised.


The hardest part is the time consuming chore of removing the console, so that you can then remove the rubber boot(s), then accessing the mounting bolts and subsequent removal of the shifter so that you can work on it on a bench. From underneath the vehicle (use jack stands!), you will need to disconnect the shifter rods from the bottom of the shifter. I suggest taking a picture of the configuration before you disconnect anything - helps with reassembly.


Repair/replacement parts are readily available just about everywhere that sells car parts, and all of the usual online depots.


Here is a video I found while googling for a picture:

Good luck!

 

Yeah, there ain't much to 'em. Sounds like you broke or lost a spring.

- Eric

 

I took out my console and disassembled the shifter from the transmission and as it turns out, nothing was broken. There was so much grease, oil and dirt in the shifter that the reverse detent was stuck open. I took the shifter completely apart, de-greased and cleaned every part it and put it back together. The components were all in great shape showing little wear despite being so dirty. It looks like a brand new shifter now and feels a lot better shifting too.

Just have to put the center console back in.

 

I ordered my rebuild kit from Hurstshiftersonline.com
It's not a difficult chore to rebuild it. And it is much more noticeably tighter than what I was used to.
Sean

 

Back in the old days you could mail them to Hurst and they would rebuild them for free.

- Eric

 

That was before Hurst sold out. Nothing is free anymore. When I was stationed at NAS Willow Grove Pa, I lived on West Street Road just down from the Hurst factory. Saw lots of nice cars come in and out of the factory.

 

Great news!!

 

When was this?

 

'70s, at least into the '80s, as far as I know.

- Eric

 

I'm aware that Hurst, in the early days, had a lifetime warranty, and they also had those mobile units at drag strips, but free rebuilds into the 1980s?

 

Like I said, I don't know when it ended, but I was too ignorant to take advantage at the time anyway - when I missed a shift and shifted into 2nd and 4th simultaneously, I used the sledgehammer I carried for the purpose to hammer the transmission levers back toward neutral - I recall having to do it once in a tollbooth in the rain.

- Eric