NP435 shifter varaitions

[Johnnyb]

Until the other day, I was only aware that there were shorter and taller covers requiring different finger lengths on the shifter. It seems like there are variations within those as well in the depth of the groove on the shifter ball.
I have my old transmission on the ground and it has much shorter nubs inside the shifter hole. I have the badly rebuilt replacement transmission in the truck and it has much deeper nubs in the shifter hole.
I also have a replacement top cover which I bought from another member here online ( https://classicbroncos.com/forums/threads/np435-top-cover-w-bolts-shifter-price-reduced.325425/ ) and it came with a very short shifter and it matches the transmission cover that is presently mounted in the truck, longer nubs.
All of the finger lengths are exactly the same.

Has anybody else experienced this?

-JB

 

[JB Fab]

If by "finger length" you mean shift-forks, I have swapped several tall/short tops on NP435s and never known, of or experienced any issues...

 

[Johnnyb]

No I'm actually referring to the nubs that stick inside the shift tower where the shift ball sits in the transmission cover. Two of my shifters have deep grooves and two of my shifters has shallower groves, one cover has shorter nubs and it's corresponding shifter has shallower grooves. All have the same length finger that activates the shift rails.

 

[Johnnyb]

Here's the shifter

 

[JB Fab]

Oh, I understand now... I have not seen that before

 

[Broncobowsher]

I remember the headache of mix and match shifters back in the day. The anti-rotate pin on the shift ball can be had in small and large. I ended up with a small groove, large pin. I hacked it back in the day by grinding the groove a little wider with a cut off wheel.
I can remember the old farmers would run them so long the pin would shear and the shifter would spin. That is probably where the pin size increased.

Then the short tower and the tall tower. I want to say we figured the short tower was more of the pickup version while the tall tower was the school bus version. But never solidly confirmed that.