Buckle up boys this is a little long...

I've read a lot of the Hurst+Console threads about shifters hitting the console, but no one ever posted back how they fixed this issue.

Here is my delima.

The specs:
68 Camaro
350 small block
3858403 Bell Housing
Muncie M20 (3885010 case, 3950306 side cover, 3857584 tail)
Hurst Competition Plus shifter (4340 shifter, 4106 stick)
Hurst Install Kit (4529)

Stabbed my rebuilt M20 in my car today and after getting the tranny in and installing the shifter I test fit the console and the dang thing hits in Rev, 1st, and 3rd. It also sits very close to the right side of the console opening. Glad I did a test fit! I crawled back under the car and tilted the shifter all the way forward under the car so that it would be shifted as far back as possible up above. Still hits with the rods installed. So I loosen the stick, tilt it backwards and tighten. Still hits, but just barely. Not good enough for me. :mad:

Ok... lets try the mismatched set of installation parts that were on it. 7773 mount, 2438 1/2 rod, 2139 3/4 rod, 3404 reverse rod, and a hodge podge of shifter arms (only one appears to be a Hurst part). After getting all this put in the shifter fits perfectly in the console like it should and does not hit! I note that it is sitting up higher as well. Cool, but compared to the correct rods and arms it shifts hard and clunky instead of easily and smooth.

I'm thinking that if I get the right shifter arms for this combo I should be in business. Using the Hurst web site I'm able to determine that most of these parts come in the 3163 install kit that is for pre-69 Chevelles, Malibus, and El Caminos. I call around town and of course no one has the 3163 install kit, but they can have it for me on Monday afternoon. Great... so much for getting her back on the road this weekend. More :mad:

So do you guys think that getting a complete 3163 install kit, or at least the right pieces, would work? It is also interesting to note that my car has no clearance issue with the HEI distributer. If it was to hit the firewall I think I'd be OK on the shifter as my HEI distributer clears by about 1/2-3/4 of an inch and the shift lever just barely hits the console with the correct install kit and everything at the extremes of adjustment.

I've also thought that maybe my car did not originally come with a console and they installed it to far back. It was originally a manual as it has the reinforcement plate around the opening in the tunnel. I know the gauges are not correct for a 68 as they have a black background instead of silver. If this entire console is out of a different model car would the consoles differ any as far as the placement of the console opening?

Also note that the 306 side cover is for a 69 muncie, but my tranny is using the stud style mounts as is correct for pre-69. I've been told that this wouldn't make any difference. Your thoughts?

I know this is long guys and I apologize. I just wanted to try and give all the details up front that I could. My main question is do you think getting the correct 3163 install kit components will resolve my issue?

MtyMini, The #3163 install kit fits 1964-68 Chevelle's. The #373-4529 install kit fits 1967-68 Camaro's. What shifter body and stick do you have, because from your post it sounds like you have Chevelle stuff which doesn't cross over to Camaro.
1967-68 Camaro W/WO console
shifter--------------------391-4339
install kit----------------373-4529
shifter body only----------391-4340
stick only-----------------538-4106
Hope this helps...Crash

Crazy isn't it? graemlins/clonk.gif I've got the 68 Camaro shifter and stick (4340 and 4106) so I order the correct 4529 kit to ensure everything is peachy and it doesn't work. I install the Chevelle and hodge-podge parts that were on it originally and it fits in the console perfectly, but doesn't shift smooth (binding due to wrong arms?).

I'm confused, but that is nothing new. :D

I will save us the real long post that I usualy retype every time this comes up.

The Chevelle parts will not work if you have a Camaro w/console. The Chevelle levers on the tranny are longer causing the throws on the shifter to be longer and then hit the tunnel.

The tranny must be the correct configuration for the year of the car and the shifter parts to work with a console. 68 has nuts to retain the levers on the tranny while 69 has bolts. The levers are not interchangeable. Saganaw is different from Muncie. graemlins/sad.gif

-Mark.

I swapped my '68 console car from PG to muncie a coupla years back. used the correct kit with the comp+, had same problem as you... Finally ended up moving the console back and to the right a touch... fits fine now.

I wonder if I'm going to have a similar problem if I ever get a console. I have a 68 that was originally a 3 speed on the floor. I put a M20 in it with Hurst Comp+ that I picked up used that was supposedly in a 69 Camaro. It fit OK and shifted fine but I always felt it was too far to the right. Since the shifter arm attaches to the body of the shifter with 2 bolts, I put a couple of washers between the housing and the arm on the lower bolt. That forced the arm over to the drivers side by probably an inch or 2 at the ball. It still shifts fine and now it feels a lot better. I guess if I ever buck up for a console we'll see.

I notched the neck of the Hurst shifter handle right between the two attaching bolts, so that it would travel another 1/8" in the tunnel hole (I didn't want to cut the tunnel hole). This does pinch the rubber boot a little bit when shifting into 2nd and 4th. The rubber boot is definitely under stress anyway with a Hurst shifter instead of the stock Muncie.

Hey Winch--I'm about 6 weeks away from swapping out my 3 speed for an M20.

I'm assuming you didn't have to widen the hole for the M20. Was this the case?

How did you route the speedo cable?

I'm not planning a console so I'm not worried about that issue.

Thanks

The M20 fit in there perfectly. At first I used the existing speedo cable. It was a stretch as my M20 has the speedo hookup on the passenger side. The old cable didn't last too long so I bought a replacement for a 4 speed car but it looked to be the same length. I know the 4 speed cable comes out of the firewall at a different place, more to the center and at an angle, but I just put the replacement back the way it was and it also was a bit of a stretch but it's been holding up fine.

I installed a Hurst shifter (T-10) into a 68 with console,
thought it worked great, untill I put the console plate in, damm thing hit, both front and back and to the one side.
Pulled the shift arms off the transmission, drilled new holes closer to the shift forks,
I had to manufactuer one rod (3/4) as the rods that I had with the shifter, this one rod was too short after drilling the arms.
I used an old Vega rod, bent it to match the bends in the original 3/4 rod, and cut off the shifter end, tapped the rod so that it could be adjusted. The 1/2 rod scraped on the tunnel floor so it got a slight pry bar modification. This solved the front and back hit, but it would rub on the 3 - 4 side of the console, pulled the shifter handle out of the shifter, and modified the bend slightly with a hammer and vise.
By the way I spent 20 bucks for one drill bit, as the arms are hardend steel and a regular drill bit won't touch it.
Who knows what parts I used, but it works slick now, I believe the shifter may have been Chevelle

Cool. Thanks Winch.

my 69 with console used comp + shifter part #4339 with install kit# 4529 everything fit well and shifted nicely but 1st and 3rd would barely touch the front of console plate after multiple adjust ments I couldnt make it any better I unbolted the handle and just above the bolt holes I cut a bout 4/5ths the way thru the handle from the back side bent the top back slightly and tig welded the now closed notch,it now fits and works perfect. I dont know if this is a common problem with the Comp + set up w/console or not but it was the easiest fix I could think of after adjusting for hours on it to no avail.I was told this was the correct part numbers for 69 w/ console.

Here is what I came up with.

I pitched all the Chevelle stuff and focused on making the correct installation kit work.

I elongated the adjustment slot on the mount to provide about an extra 3/8 inch of adjustment. This provided plenty of adjustment and allowed me to center the stick in the console front to rear. I had to use a die to extend the threads on a couple of the rods a few turns in order for them to fit properly.

The stick was still way to the right when in the 3/4 position. To resolve this I elongated the passenger side mount hold that is shared with the tranny mount about an 1/8 inch towards the rear. This allowed me to bend the upright portion of the bracket out about 10 degrees which corrected the left to right positioning. The 1/2 position is now dead center of the opening.

I'm headed back out to the garage now to install the driveshaft, fill the tranny with gear oil, and fire her up for the first time in almost two months. It is amazing how these projects drag out!

As far as the speedo cable, My Chevy parts dealer found me an extension that hooks into the original cable and extends over the trans for the passenger side cable hook up.
its about 12 inches long,