The Dodge Challenger Message Board

1973 Dodge Challenger with a 340. Under the hood, drivers side inner fender, between the battery and shock tower there is a little metal box with a number of leads running into it from the wiring harness (positive battery cable, harness to the headlights, etc.) and I cannot find it anywhere in my shop manual or on line. Most importantly, I don't know what to call it to descibe it to anyone. I'd like to see if it's reproduced so I can purchase a new one. Sorry for the confusion in the e-mail but again, I don't know what to call the thing or how to describle it.

Starter relay.

Dave, thank you so much....Trep

They should be available at any parts store. They are going to be cheaper than any of the restoration companies.

If you ever have a NO START situation and the battery is good, either the starter relay or the nuetral saftey switch are the likely culprits.

burdar wrote:They should be available at any parts store. They are going to be cheaper than any of the restoration companies.

If you ever have a NO START situation and the battery is good, either the starter relay or the nuetral saftey switch are the likely culprits.

Regarding this issue "neutral safety switch" is this the thing that brings Voltage to the ignition key? Where can i search for this? My car only starts in "P" sometimes, always in "N" I havent fixed this issue yet, can you guys help me solve this & i will be greatful...

Jimi the neutral safety switch is on automatic transmissions (near to where the speedo cable connects) and prevents you starting the car when in gear.

If the car will start in neutral but not in park (or the other way around) it is usually down to the shifter not being adjusted so that it engages each gear position on the transmission correctly. VERY common with aftermarket cable operated shifters. They are quite tricky to adjust so that the car will start in both locations.

Also if the cable is routed sp that it gets very hot it will actually expand the length of the cable. Which changes the adjustment.

So cable operated shifters need to have the cable routed away from heat sources like the exhaust. Insulating the cable helps too. This way the shifter works correctly when the car is hot or cold.

Ok Dave, thank you! I have no aftermarket shifter, i have the slap stick from factory, but you are right, i forgot to meantion that my parkbrake does not always lock in "P".... any tip on how to adjust this?

I think (from memory) there is a lever that you can adjust the length of after loosening a screw.

Yes. There it is at the bottom of that vertical rod.

Loosen it and then make sure the lever on the trans as well as the shifter is pushed all the way into PARK. Then tighten the adjuster and check the shifter finds every gear position.

Play in any of the joints on the levers will throw it out of adjustment.

Ok, thanks a lot Dave No need to touch nothing in the car under the console... =) That looks pretty simple... nock nock... i hope i am right..

This worked out fine, thanks again Dave... pretty simple.. But when i tested some drives along the street, i started digging in my levers for the kickdown... this i had earlier tuned so they early as possible kick down, but i never seen before my misstake, this stops my throttles to open 100%... i opened the throttles to max, then locked the kickdown lever... i got out of fuel, and i wait to another day with the testdrive, i assume, if this blocks for my downshifts, i can always make the cut where the linkage from carb run in the kickdown lever- a bit longer....(?) (So that i can tune throttle linkage wide open, still have my kickdown linkagage "kick in" earlie as possible) What do you guys have to say?

(I always make them gear changes manually, but if i remember right, i earlier noticed when this linkage to kickdown was wrong, it restraind and got my gear shiftings completely wrong even do i did manual shiftings)


Are you following my swenglish language?

For anyone else having trouble with a no start sutuation in PARK sometimes...look at the shaft that goes from the trans hump, down through the floor and into the bracket that is bolted to the trans. That white plastic bushing on the trans bracket can wear and cause slop in the linkage. The shaft on my Challenger (that goes through the white plastic bushing) is also worn. I'll have to have someone weld it up and machine it back down to the correct size.

Just to let you know Jimiboy...you should NOT shift your automatic manually unless you have a manual valvebody. That will shorten trans life. There is NOT always enough line pressure to the clutches when you shift manually on a torqueflight.

burdar wrote:For anyone else having trouble with a no start sutuation in PARK sometimes...look at the shaft that goes from the trans hump, down through the floor and into the bracket that is bolted to the trans. That white plastic bushing on the trans bracket can wear and cause slop in the linkage. The shaft on my Challenger (that goes through the white plastic bushing) is also worn. I'll have to have someone weld it up and machine it back down to the correct size.

Just to let you know Jimiboy...you should NOT shift your automatic manually unless you have a manual valvebody. That will shorten trans life. There is NOT always enough line pressure to the clutches when you shift manually on a torqueflight.

I noticed that my bushing was a great bit worn, i forgot to ask about that (are they available to buy somewhere?)

I do not have a manual valve body yet... I had some thoughts about it... I did not know that at all Burdar(?) I always shift manual when i accelerate hard... I find it hard to use the "D" as it shifts to earlie... I hope you follow up this thread and get me some further advice and explanation..............

Yes, the bushings are available NEW. Like I said before...the rod that engages the bushing is also worn quite a bit on my car so, just the bushing change wouldn't do much. The rod will have to be welded and machined.

If you are only manually shifting under full throttle(and have the kickdown adj. properly) you should be OK. The kickdown controles the line pressure of the trans. With the throttle to the floor, you should adjust the kickdown so that the lever on the trans is all the way to the rear. That gives you full line pressure under full throttle.

Thanks Burdar, exactly how i figured, BUT then i have to make a bigger hole in the lever, so that i can have 100% open throttle the same time...

Where do you buy the bushings? And what do they call them, so that i know what to ask for...

I got my bushing years ago but I have to believe it is still produced. I don't think it would be hard to find. I'd check Year One, The Paddock and R/T Specialties.

OK, I just checked R/T and came up with this. There is NO good desription of the part but it looks like the right bushing other than it is NOT white. http://rtspecialties.net/proddetail.asp?prod=3467800

There is another company called BE&A that makes some great parts. I just saw that they sell new "slap-stick" parts. (clear plastic gear selector, chrome housing exc...) I bought a set of thier tail panel/trunk mouldings that look great. They probablly won't have the bushing but they have some other great parts if you are ever in the market for them.

Man! You guys... There is probably nothing you can't find help for at this place, huh(!?) Appreachaite you all... Thanks!