The Dodge Challenger Message Board

Well, I finally got my car inspected and licensed and on the road! Now that I'm driving it a bit, new "projects" start popping up. I've got a manual valve body in my transmission, and we all know what that means. Well, today the "stop" in between 1st and 2nd seems to have gone "bye-bye" in my Slap-Stik mechanism. 2nd to D still works fine, but I can go right from 1st to D 90+% of the time. Anyone else had this little problem? Is it an easy fix or not? I've got the long weekend coming up, so I'll have some time to work on it. Any help would be appreciated.

Doug

Well, I guess none of you folks have ever had to clean up your Slap-Stick shifter mechanism. That's all it took. I removed the console and uncovered the shifter mechanism, and low and behold the spring-actuated rachet lever was sticking. Some judicious use of cleaning fluid and then some light lube and it's working just fine. Thought I'd pass that on in case anyone else runs into this little annoyance.

Thanks for that update Doug. It might help someone out in future.

dave-r wrote:Thanks for that update Doug. It might help someone out in future.

YEP ME !!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, the "Slip-stick" behavioir has returned. I took it apart again and it's all still pretty clean from the last time I did this. Kind of looks like the spring on the ratchet mechanism has gotten a bit "tweaked" i.e. several of the coils are separated pretty badly. I saw a re-furbished shifter on Ebay, but I got sniped while out doing an errand for the wife. (Some guy with "corvette" in his userid got the whole shebang for $51 including shipping! ). Looking at the pics on Ebay though it seems like the spring in their shifter has a wire diameter almost twice the diameter as that on my spring. I'm going to have to look around a bit to find another spring.

I have my '70 shifter stored in my garage. I use an after market shifter.

Do you need me to check it out? Photos or anything like that?

Dave,
A photo of the left (driver's) side of the shifter mechanism showing the profile of the rachet piece and the spring would be most helpful. By the way, are you going to get those eyebrow spoilers I sent put on your car when you put her back together?

The spoilers are fitted to the front vallance mate.

But the front vallance panel isn't fitted yet.

Is this what you wanted?

Now mine has been stored for years the spring is not pulling up on the stepped plate as hard as it should. It probably needs soaking in oil or even stripped apart to get rid if the rust between the moving parts.

Thinking about it. If yours is like this I would be tempted to cut out the two outside rivits and pull it apart. Then, after polishing it all up with a wire brush in the drill and greasing it, either replace the rivits or bolt it.

Doug.

This is what happened with the chin spoilers you sold me.

First I had to straighten the front valance out somehow. It had been flattened a fair bit in places over the years. Plus the 'glass spoilers were a bit twisted and not a perfect shape anyway.

So I drilled the mounting holes in each spoiler first. Using larger bolts.

Then I drilled a quarter inch thick laminate strip to sit inside each spoiler so the bolts would never pull through if the spoilers were hit. Plus it would take the twist out of the spoilers by pulling they tight to the vallance.

I also drilled out some steel exactly the same that would sit inside the vallance while I straightened it out to make the spoilers fit better.

So with the 'glass strips on the inside and the steel on the outside I started to tighten the bolts so that the spoilers and vallance were pulled together. With a little help from a hammer on the inside the vallance shaped itself to the shape of the spoilers.

When I was happy I removed the steel and bolted everything back up.

I was going to leave the 'glass strips inside the spoilers to help keep the spoilers tight to the shape of the valance and also stop the bolts pulling through but my painter seems to have lost them so I have to make some more. Either laminate again or ally.

Dave,
Glad to hear about the spoilers...can't wait to see 'em on the finished car!!

Yep, that's the picture I needed. My unit is pretty much in the same kind of shape as yours. I did think about tearing it apart and cleaning it up, but I haven't done so yet. Looking at the picture I think that my stepped plate is no different than yours, but your spring still seems beefier than mine. My wire dia. measures 0.038". Any chance you could measure the wire dia. on your spring?

Thanks for the help!!

0.038 same as yours mate.

So much for that idea. I'll go the lubrication route next, and still try to find a beefier spring, but if that doesn't work I guess I may have to take the "re-build" approach.

Thanks.

I like those chin spoilers Dave. I had a duckbill and chins with the car when I bought it. I have since sold them to a man who was concourse restoring a Challenger T/A,(Steve Schweitzer's T/A), they were original Chrysler. My car wasnt coded for them so....I love the "look" and functionality of them though. BTW, on the shifter mechanism Dave, couldn't you use Metal Ready made by POR-15 that "dissolves rust and oxidation but leaves the mechanism intact. Then after dissolving the rust grease and use. You wouldn't have anything to lose and if it still doesnt function correctly then you could drill and take apart. Eastwoods make's their version of a corrosion dissolver as well.

Thanks AFE. I've got some rust dissolvers available, so I'll try those as well. I'll let you know if there's success with any of them.

Valid point Eddie but I like to polish parts that rub together as well as grease just to loose as much friction as possible so the action is real snappy.

Yeah the polishing will really help out there! I just don't want to be stigmatized as a "knob polisher eh Dave"!!

Too late for that Eddie.

You too? Hey I have a t-shirt that proclaims it man!!

Oh good grief!

I haven't had any time to do anything on my car lately, and now I can't even get it re-registered 'cause the shifter's apart. I was wondering if the shifter spring might still be available from Mopar. Maybe Transman might have the answer?

I haven't heard anything from Transman on this, and now the spring seems to have wandered off somewhere Anyone have a part # for this spring so I can contact my local MOPAR parts guys to see if they might still have one??

I don't think it is a separate itemised part. I can't see it on the diagram or in the parts list.

Dave, thanks for the help. I was afraid it might not be a separate item. Looks like a call or visit to my local Mopar parts department may be my next step (it's only a few miles away).