steering column shifter slop !

so my dart is coming together. Thanks guys !

New fix. my column shifter works fine but there is sloppy movement from 1st to 2nd gear.If I'm not careful it passes 2nd right to drive. Drive locks pretty good. Is this fixable or new column.(new tranny , did it before change too). Its really scary if I'm running a 1/4 mile or trying to drive it aggressive .

dale  

straight column or tilt column...

if it is a tilt column...  i have found some that have the tip worn off the shifter lever...  this tip fits into a a detent slot that is screwed into the housing...  so the shifter has to be pulled toward you to get to the next gear..   if the spring that pushes the shift lever is worn... there will not be enough pressure to lock it forward against the square notches/steps... i have also had that steel piece come loose...

you can see how some of it comes apart in this article..

http://www.moparmusclemagazine.com/howto/mopp_0308_mopar_steering_column_rebuild/index.html

but that is for a stick or floor shift car...  so it does not have the shift detent components.. which is the part you need...

tilt or straight... post which one you have... i will try to do more research...  be sure to drop me a PM... as i don't always look way down the list...

if its a tilt column... i  

I have a straight column. I think the spring is a little worn . I can get it to pull back and shift ,its just not locking really good in first or second. Drive locks, and Park lock the best. I can pretty much slide the sifter 1st-2nd without really pulling the lever back to far, where D,AND P i have too. worn notches . i need all the input you have . I can make the spring tighter by strecthing it a bit and maybe even make a new notched piece, I just dont know where to begin.
THANKS !
dale  

i have looked in my available professional manuals... they don't cover that part in detail...   i don't have any factory manuals  that cover it either...  

got a spare column.??? you can tear down and see how the internals work.????   the detent notches i am talking about might even be at the bottom of the column under the hood..  i just cannot picture it... and its been too hot to make a trip to the junk yard to tear one down... yes i have done that for other questions...  but it was just because i was going already..

find or buy a factory manual... and hope it will have the data in it...  thats not really the kind of information the manual is going to cover in minute detail..

are you anywhere near los angeles???

perhaps finding a spare column out some other mopar model... thats not as worn as yours...

there do seem to be some parts to install later model saginaw tilt columns..i don't know if that would help you either..

i also wonder... how warn the shift detent is on the valve body inside the transmission..       perhaps buying a used valve body and with a round file modify the shape of the dent.. without deepening it...   well actually ... you would have to weld up  some of the notch.. then regrind it with a steeper ramp so it catches the detent ball at second..  and again at drive..

angles are totally important.. so you have to use a straight edge and scribe marks some how into it.. so your filing can place it back were it was originally ... this might take some experimentation.. as you don't want to end up with something that coming out of second.. you end up in reverse because you have to push so hard to get it up the ramp....

again.. these are just thoughts from a forward thinking mechanic...  i have not done these modifications...  

Thank you very much for all your input. I used to live in l.a. , and if o still did my column would be done by now. So many places and mopar heads. (memory lane). I will try to go to a bone yard in Modesto and tear one down or buy a nice used one. Very rare up here. I could get one in l.a. in 2 days for about 50 bucks. Trans is new heavy duty 904, and the shifting was loose in the column before change out.
Thanks again.
dale