Need Advice: Dad Giving Me His '71 Bronco

[Blue Bastard]

Here are some parts that may help you out. Also, there is a procedure to adjust linkages to make shifting better.

Here is a write up by dirtdonk on how to adjust the linkage.

There is actually an adjustment procedure. I'll see if I can find it in the book, but until then, basically you do the following:

1. Disconnect the shift rods at the shift levers on the side of the transmission.
2. Make sure that both levers are clicked fully into their Neutral positions.
3. Back up at the shift arms on the column, line them up and put a drill bit of the appropriate size through the small aligning hole just below where the shift rods connect.
4. This is the time to feel around to make sure there is no excessive slop in any component. Whether a rod, a bushing, the column itself (the shift tube can wear out and actually break) or the transmission itself by how the levers feel.
5. Now go back down and try to line the shift rod adjustable tips up to the holes in the levers. If they pop right in, you're set. If not, then twist the adjusters until the tips line up in the holes.

I seem to remember preferring to put them at a certain tension one way or the other, but it's literally been 30 years since I had to adjust one, so it's hard to say which way I biased it from memory.
Just put them in where they feel good and see what you get. From there you can easily add or remove some adjustment.

Oh, and don't forget to "pull the pin" (drill bit) before you try shifting!

Paul

https://shop.broncograveyard.com/mo...ft-Rod-Bushing-With-Sleeve/productinfo/17070/
https://shop.broncograveyard.com/mo...o-Shift-Rod-Retaining-Clip/productinfo/17072/


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[DirtDonk]

As a reminder, I've never driven a manual transmission before, much less 3-on-the-tree.
Went fairly well, and I was able to get going in 1st and into 2nd. We didn't have enough room for 3rd.
First time driving a car without power steering or without disc brakes. Wow! That's a lot of work. I'm glad there were no cars of pedestrians in the lot!

This is my first time ever doing any sort of work on a car, so I appreciate your patience. I will say that in a way it was a blessing to have something go wrong, because I learned more about my car in that hour or so than I've ever known about cars. Up to now, you just turn the key and they go, so it's going to be fun to learn a bit more about the mechanics as things like this go wrong over time.

Hey, congrats on your first manually shifted vehicle, and an old one at that!
It is kind of fun in a strangely strange way, isn't it!
Good choice on the big parking lot too. It's kind of like learning to drive all over again when you're used to modern, power-everything easy to drive comparisons.

One issue we had was that any time I stalled out in gear, we could not get the car to shift out of neutral after starting it back up. We fixed it by crawling under the car each time and manually resetting where the shifter rods connect to the transmission. Once we did that, we were able to row through the gears. Without doing this, the shifter was basically stuck in neutral.

Classic case of out-of-adjustment shift linkage. And maybe a bit of the clutch as well, but the linkage for sure.
You finding the loose one was for sure at least part of the problem.
Thanks to BB for the link to the adjustment procedure. Once you get the rod clipped back in permanently, check the adjustment anyway.
It might be perfectly fine once connected, but at least now's a great time to verify it.

So, the rod that was loose was missing a fastener to keep it in. I don't know if it fell off on the road or was not put back properly by the shop. Either way, we were able to literally secure it with a shoestring and drive back home. Now, I need to figure out if I need some special, specific Bronco part to fix this or if this is just some run-of-the-mill part I can buy at any auto parts store.

Your first roadside fix. And on the first outing even!
Did the rod have a groove in it? If so it likely takes this type of retainer: Shift Rod Retaining Clip
It works down at the transmission end, but don't remember for sure if it's the same as up on the column.
Available locally at some stores more well-versed in odd parts lookup, if you can't find it the vendors like us carry them.

On a side note, I'll try to upload a few pics of the actual car now that it's home and on some new tires.

Love to see pics!
You can do it a few different ways, but to upload directly to the forum from your device, you need to be a contributor (12bucks a year). However you can upload some limited images to your "Garage" or use another online image hosting site like Super Motors and the like. A couple of other ways as well, including e-mailing the images to one of us with the yellow "contributor" below their name. You can send them to me at paulb@wildhorses4x4.com if that's preferred.
But uploading to your Garage is quick as well. If you think you'll be sharing a lot of them (hopefully!) the 12 dollars is well spent I think.

Have fun!

Paul

 

[green61bug]

That's a great looking bronco!!! Try looking at specialty tires of america for L78s... That's what I put on my stock bronco. They look period correct, ride great, quiet and 4 wheel incredible!

I know a lot of people say to put a roll bar in it. I am a not a fan of a roll bar in an early bronco. Especially a stock one and especially with the top off. I do agree with everyone that safety is a must! There is a lot you can do to be safe without drastically changing the look of your vehicle. Good seat belts properly installed is definitely a must, although I still have yet to do this. Good tires, properly installed fresh suspension, steering components, and brakes are the best things you can do to ensure the safety of you and your vehicle. You are trying to save the bronco too, remember that. Also, just paying attention while you are driving. Don't get comfortable and get on your phone. Only change the radio or music at stop signs or stop lights. If you have ever ridden a motorcycle on the road I suggest treat driving your bronco the same. Stay alert and pay attention to what everyone else is doing much more so than you do in your normal everyday vehicle.

If you are super concerned about rolling your bronco over then maybe a roll cage is for you. If you are planning on lifting it tall and 4 wheeling a bunch then maybe a roll cage is definitely for you. haha I included a pic of mine with and without a top. You might like the idea and look of a cage but I personally love it without. Mine is also a factory bench with a wagon top... I suggest just adding a rear seat if that's what you want... I have actually grown quite fond of the bench seat even though I originally wanted buckets.

Post some pics so we can see some more of that thing.

 

[Nobody]

Once we did that, we were able to row through the gears.

On a perfectly working system, shifting would never be a problem. However wear on parts from the shifter to the transmission can stack up to quite a bit of slop.

Some advise on shifting a three in the tree/column shift... Save the rowing for the floor shifters. Shift in slow deliberate square shifts. Even with a perfectly functioning column shift, this will help prevent premature wear.

You can also convert to a floor shifter, but three in the tree is much cooler for a stock bronco.

 

[bronkenn]

You can get pretty good at shifting those 3 on the trees. I remember back in the 70's doing some serious speed shifting with them.

 

[zeppelin_71]

Here are some parts that may help you out. Also, there is a procedure to adjust linkages to make shifting better.

Here is a write up by dirtdonk on how to adjust the linkage.








https://shop.broncograveyard.com/mo...ft-Rod-Bushing-With-Sleeve/productinfo/17070/
https://shop.broncograveyard.com/mo...o-Shift-Rod-Retaining-Clip/productinfo/17072/


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I really appreciate the post and the links. I think that retaining clip is exactly what I need!

 

[Blue Bastard]

Inspect those bushings while your there, try to remove as much slop as you can.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[zeppelin_71]

Hey, congrats on your first manually shifted vehicle, and an old one at that!
It is kind of fun in a strangely strange way, isn't it!
Good choice on the big parking lot too. It's kind of like learning to drive all over again when you're used to modern, power-everything easy to drive comparisons.



Classic case of out-of-adjustment shift linkage. And maybe a bit of the clutch as well, but the linkage for sure.
You finding the loose one was for sure at least part of the problem.
Thanks to BB for the link to the adjustment procedure. Once you get the rod clipped back in permanently, check the adjustment anyway.
It might be perfectly fine once connected, but at least now's a great time to verify it.



Your first roadside fix. And on the first outing even!
Did the rod have a groove in it? If so it likely takes this type of retainer: Shift Rod Retaining Clip
It works down at the transmission end, but don't remember for sure if it's the same as up on the column.
Available locally at some stores more well-versed in odd parts lookup, if you can't find it the vendors like us carry them.



Love to see pics!
You can do it a few different ways, but to upload directly to the forum from your device, you need to be a contributor (12bucks a year). However you can upload some limited images to your "Garage" or use another online image hosting site like Super Motors and the like. A couple of other ways as well, including e-mailing the images to one of us with the yellow "contributor" below their name. You can send them to me at paulb@wildhorses4x4.com if that's preferred.
But uploading to your Garage is quick as well. If you think you'll be sharing a lot of them (hopefully!) the 12 dollars is well spent I think.

Have fun!

Paul

Another great post. Thank you so much. The rod did have a groove around it where it fits through the column shifter (I'm making these names up as I go). I think the clip you're posting would work. I need to take a closer look.

I'll see if I can go through the adjustment procedure you mentioned. I'll also work on getting new pics uploaded somehow. If I'm able to link to a site like tinypic, that'll be my best bet.

 

[zeppelin_71]

On a perfectly working system, shifting would never be a problem. However wear on parts from the shifter to the transmission can stack up to quite a bit of slop.

Some advise on shifting a three in the tree/column shift... Save the rowing for the floor shifters. Shift in slow deliberate square shifts. Even with a perfectly functioning column shift, this will help prevent premature wear.

You can also convert to a floor shifter, but three in the tree is much cooler for a stock bronco.

If "rowing" is a term of art, I may have misused it. I merely meant that once we adjusted the linkage to the neutral positions, we were able to get the column shifter out of neutral and into 1st/2nd/3rd while pressing the clutch in.

 

[zeppelin_71]

That's a great looking bronco!!! Try looking at specialty tires of america for L78s... That's what I put on my stock bronco. They look period correct, ride great, quiet and 4 wheel incredible!

I know a lot of people say to put a roll bar in it. I am a not a fan of a roll bar in an early bronco. Especially a stock one and especially with the top off. I do agree with everyone that safety is a must! There is a lot you can do to be safe without drastically changing the look of your vehicle. Good seat belts properly installed is definitely a must, although I still have yet to do this. Good tires, properly installed fresh suspension, steering components, and brakes are the best things you can do to ensure the safety of you and your vehicle. You are trying to save the bronco too, remember that. Also, just paying attention while you are driving. Don't get comfortable and get on your phone. Only change the radio or music at stop signs or stop lights. If you have ever ridden a motorcycle on the road I suggest treat driving your bronco the same. Stay alert and pay attention to what everyone else is doing much more so than you do in your normal everyday vehicle.

If you are super concerned about rolling your bronco over then maybe a roll cage is for you. If you are planning on lifting it tall and 4 wheeling a bunch then maybe a roll cage is definitely for you. haha I included a pic of mine with and without a top. You might like the idea and look of a cage but I personally love it without. Mine is also a factory bench with a wagon top... I suggest just adding a rear seat if that's what you want... I have actually grown quite fond of the bench seat even though I originally wanted buckets.

Post some pics so we can see some more of that thing.

I ended up getting BFG A/T K02's in 30x9.50. They look fantastic. I don't plan to lift.

I like the bench seat up front and will probably put one in the back, too. I have three kids, so that will hopefully allow us to all pile in.

I like the look with and without the cage, but I think a bikini top would be cool, so I'm pro-cage.

 

[zeppelin_71]

Inspect those bushings while your there, try to remove as much slop as you can.


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The whole setup looked pretty old and worn out to me. Might be worth doing more work while we're in there.

 

[DirtDonk]

I think the word "rowing" can have multiple levels of meaning in this context. I knew what you meant, and personally think that you can use it that way myself.
But I also remember that most of the people that used it in print were talking about shifting "in a sporting fashion";D so I get where Nobody was coming from too.

There is definitely a happy medium though, and careful shifting, even if somewhat fast, will definitely help things last longer.
And keep the clips where they belong!

Paul

 

[Nobody]

I ended up getting BFG A/T K02's in 30x9.50. They look fantastic. I don't plan to lift.

I like the bench seat up front and will probably put one in the back, too. I have three kids, so that will hopefully allow us to all pile in.

I like the look with and without the cage, but I think a bikini top would be cool, so I'm pro-cage.

I've got three kids as well. The stock rear seat isn't really going to work for three. The :cough: Jeep seat is a great upgrade and will fit three. Here's some pics and info on mine.

http://www.classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226788

 

[Nobody]

I think the word "rowing" can have multiple levels of meaning in this context. I knew what you meant, and personally think that you can use it that way myself.
But I also remember that most of the people that used it in print were talking about shifting "in a sporting fashion";D so I get where Nobody was coming from too.

There is definitely a happy medium though, and careful shifting, even if somewhat fast, will definitely help things last longer.
And keep the clips where they belong!

Paul

Yeah, I was just trying to help prevent him from crawling under the bronco so much. Sloppy linkage makes for excellent anti-theft ;D

 

[DirtDonk]

Hah! Yeah, sadly just a three on the tree does sometimes too!
They'll probably keep trying to shift the T-handle automatic on the tunnel.

Paul

 

[zeppelin_71]

I've got three kids as well. The stock rear seat isn't really going to work for three. The :cough: Jeep seat is a great upgrade and will fit three. Here's some pics and info on mine.

http://www.classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226788

I was actually planning on a Bronco bench and the third, oldest kid sitting in the front in the middle. Assuming I could maybe add a third belt to the front bench.

I like your idea, too, though.

 

[sprdv1]

The whole setup looked pretty old and worn out to me. Might be worth doing more work while we're in there.

Yes sir, take care of it all at once..

 

[sprdv1]

I was actually planning on a Bronco bench and the third, oldest kid sitting in the front in the middle. Assuming I could maybe add a third belt to the front bench.

I like your idea, too, though.

They kids will love it and be hooked..

 

[zeppelin_71]

Bronco back into the shop today for some major upgrades -- power steering, power disc brakes, roll cage, automatic transmission, rear bench seat, possibly fuel injection, etc.

They're recommending a new suspension, which I'm agreeable to, but I'm wondering if I should leave it stock height or not? He's recommending that I do a Wild Horses 1.5" lift.

It's sitting on 30x9.50 BFG AT2s. My goal here is to have a Bronco that looks very vintage/patina but has upgraded components. My bias is probably to leave it stock, but I'm curious what you guys think.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Scoop]

All sounds great - it will make a more comfortable and drivable Bronco. I would go with a 2 1/2” lift (WH or Duff’s) so that you can go with 31x10.50 tires in the future.