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NP203 shifter thread
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I don't think there is anything fancy or tricky about it. They usualy are just so full of crud that they don't want to work. So take it appart, clean, lube with light grease and reassemble.
Or you could make it into a twin stick...again there is nothing tricky about that.
Or you could make it into a twin stick...again there is nothing tricky about that.
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Thanks guys
I have 2 shifter assemblies here so I took one apart today and cleaned and greased it and it still didn't wanna work. I got frustrated and started twin sticking it. Hope to finish it up tomorrow
I have 2 shifter assemblies here so I took one apart today and cleaned and greased it and it still didn't wanna work. I got frustrated and started twin sticking it. Hope to finish it up tomorrow
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Twin stick is done!
I should have done it long ago, works killer! And it is contained in the stock 203 shifter casing and bolts into the stock location. Since I had the two shifter assemblies already, it didn't cost me a dime. I'll be glad to share detailed info with anyone who wants to do it this way.
Peace :smokin:
I should have done it long ago, works killer! And it is contained in the stock 203 shifter casing and bolts into the stock location. Since I had the two shifter assemblies already, it didn't cost me a dime.
I'll be glad to share detailed info with anyone who wants to do it this way. Peace :smokin:
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I have already had a couple requests for this info so I did a write up and am posting it here. Please excuse me if my terminology is incorrect :flipoff2:
The way I did it was to start by taking apart one of the shifters paying close attention to the way the plates go together. To take apart the casing, bend the little tab straight, remove the two 1/4" nuts/bolts, and the large nut/bolt that the unit pivots on. Leave the bolt itself going through to hold the plates in place. Lift off half the casing.
This is where you pay close attention to the way the plates are layed in there. Study it until you know it very well. Mark them somehow if you need to. One of the engagment plates is longer than the other. Make sure you don't flip flop them or you may not have enough adjustment in the rods.
Take it apart cleaning all parts completely as you go. When you get down to the shift lever itself, you will notice that the little detent pin is inside a casing that is spot welded to the lever in 4 places. Remove the detent pin and all components. Take a grinder and grind down the 4 spot welds until you can remove that casing from the shift lever.
Now take your clean shift lever and clamp the apropriate plate to the lever in the same position as if the detent pin was still there. When you are sure it's right, spot weld the engagment plate to the shift lever.
Now you will take apart the other shifter assembly and all you need out of it is the shift lever. Again grind down the 4 spot welds and remove the detent casing from the lever. the only other parts I used were 4 washers that will fit around the pivot bushing.
This is where you will need to re-shape the 2nd lever a bit. All I did was hold them together and mark 2 spots where I wanted it to bend, then I cut a groove in it about 3/4 of the thickness of the shifter with my grinder so I was able to slowly bend it to the shape I wanted it, then welded the grooves back up. If you have a torch you could probably heat and bend it also but I just used what I had. You may also have to turn the bolts for the chrome lever around so the heads are facing each other for maximum clearance.
What I did next once the lever was shaped properly was to use a 1/4" bolt going through the neutral alignment holes in the bottom of the engagment plates to hold them in position as they were stock, and clamp the 2nd engagment plate and 2nd lever to the other plate/lever while aligning your shift levers so they will be even in the cab. Keep in mind that the 2 engagment plates go BETWEEN the 2 levers so they ride close to each other as they did stock. when satisfied, spot weld the 2nd plate/lever as before.
You will need to grind the pin and the upper "bump" from the inside of one of the shifter casing halves so there is no obstruction. The other side needs nothing done to it.
At this point I did a preassembly of the parts as follows.
You will have 1 washer on the inside against the casing, then your inside shift lever assembly, followed by 2 more washers, then the outside lever assembly, and one washer on the outside against the outside casing which I filed down slightly so that it was the exact thickness so the levers move freely when the pivot bolt is all the way tight yet will not be loose enough so the shifters rattle.
Once you have them pre-assembled, you will see that the levers will move more in one direction than the other. I was unsure if it would be enough throw for engagment so I marked the plates where they hit the casing on the short side and took it back apart and used a grinder to cut a notch in the long plate and ground some on the shorter plate also. When I was satisfied that there would be enough throw to the levers, I simply assembled it all as before using light axle grease on all the pivot points and the pivot bushing.
Install your new assembly back on the truck, align the neutral position with your 1/4" bolt and adjust your rods accordingly. I had to cut my floorboard back about an inch or so but I have a 3" body lift so I am unsure if it would need it without the body lift.
Reading back over this, it seems a little confusing and pretty involved but it's really not very hard. I wish I had taken pictures before installing it. If you need me to clarify anything feel free to send a PM or contact me at
[email protected]
Mario :grinpimp:
The way I did it was to start by taking apart one of the shifters paying close attention to the way the plates go together. To take apart the casing, bend the little tab straight, remove the two 1/4" nuts/bolts, and the large nut/bolt that the unit pivots on. Leave the bolt itself going through to hold the plates in place. Lift off half the casing.
This is where you pay close attention to the way the plates are layed in there. Study it until you know it very well. Mark them somehow if you need to. One of the engagment plates is longer than the other. Make sure you don't flip flop them or you may not have enough adjustment in the rods.
Take it apart cleaning all parts completely as you go. When you get down to the shift lever itself, you will notice that the little detent pin is inside a casing that is spot welded to the lever in 4 places. Remove the detent pin and all components. Take a grinder and grind down the 4 spot welds until you can remove that casing from the shift lever.
Now take your clean shift lever and clamp the apropriate plate to the lever in the same position as if the detent pin was still there. When you are sure it's right, spot weld the engagment plate to the shift lever.
Now you will take apart the other shifter assembly and all you need out of it is the shift lever. Again grind down the 4 spot welds and remove the detent casing from the lever. the only other parts I used were 4 washers that will fit around the pivot bushing.
This is where you will need to re-shape the 2nd lever a bit. All I did was hold them together and mark 2 spots where I wanted it to bend, then I cut a groove in it about 3/4 of the thickness of the shifter with my grinder so I was able to slowly bend it to the shape I wanted it, then welded the grooves back up. If you have a torch you could probably heat and bend it also but I just used what I had. You may also have to turn the bolts for the chrome lever around so the heads are facing each other for maximum clearance.
What I did next once the lever was shaped properly was to use a 1/4" bolt going through the neutral alignment holes in the bottom of the engagment plates to hold them in position as they were stock, and clamp the 2nd engagment plate and 2nd lever to the other plate/lever while aligning your shift levers so they will be even in the cab. Keep in mind that the 2 engagment plates go BETWEEN the 2 levers so they ride close to each other as they did stock. when satisfied, spot weld the 2nd plate/lever as before.
You will need to grind the pin and the upper "bump" from the inside of one of the shifter casing halves so there is no obstruction. The other side needs nothing done to it.
At this point I did a preassembly of the parts as follows.
You will have 1 washer on the inside against the casing, then your inside shift lever assembly, followed by 2 more washers, then the outside lever assembly, and one washer on the outside against the outside casing which I filed down slightly so that it was the exact thickness so the levers move freely when the pivot bolt is all the way tight yet will not be loose enough so the shifters rattle.
Once you have them pre-assembled, you will see that the levers will move more in one direction than the other. I was unsure if it would be enough throw for engagment so I marked the plates where they hit the casing on the short side and took it back apart and used a grinder to cut a notch in the long plate and ground some on the shorter plate also. When I was satisfied that there would be enough throw to the levers, I simply assembled it all as before using light axle grease on all the pivot points and the pivot bushing.
Install your new assembly back on the truck, align the neutral position with your 1/4" bolt and adjust your rods accordingly. I had to cut my floorboard back about an inch or so but I have a 3" body lift so I am unsure if it would need it without the body lift.
Reading back over this, it seems a little confusing and pretty involved but it's really not very hard. I wish I had taken pictures before installing it. If you need me to clarify anything feel free to send a PM or contact me at
[email protected]
Mario :grinpimp:
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get a red star and post some pics! :flipoff2:
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Update
I have found that the T-case shifter boot from a 86 Bronco II will work great for this. I picked up 2 of them today at the local salvage yard and it will be perfect. My shifters are about 2" apart. These boots are rectangular and measure about 2.5"x7" so if you overlap the bottom plate they will work great. They are very flexible so if your sticks end up a little closer or wider(depends how you modify your levers) , they will still work. All you need to do is fab up a hold down ring to go around both.
I just bought my red star tonite so as soon as I finish it up I will post pics.
I have found that the T-case shifter boot from a 86 Bronco II will work great for this. I picked up 2 of them today at the local salvage yard and it will be perfect. My shifters are about 2" apart. These boots are rectangular and measure about 2.5"x7" so if you overlap the bottom plate they will work great. They are very flexible so if your sticks end up a little closer or wider(depends how you modify your levers) , they will still work. All you need to do is fab up a hold down ring to go around both.
I just bought my red star tonite so as soon as I finish it up I will post pics.
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cool thread and good idea on the shifter boots.
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Ok ladies and gentlemen, here are the pics I promised.
The trim ring you are seeing here is from a Hurst single shifter boot available at Kragen or the like that the previous owner had in there. I think Hurst has a big one and a smaller one, this of course is the bigger one. The ring just happened to be the perfect size to fit around the 86 Bronco II boots which are overlapped a bit at the bottom as mentioned before. Mine are a little squishy at the top due to the 3" body lift but if you have no body lift, there is still plenty of expansion in them. And please, no comments about my birdshit welds :flipoff2:. They aren't too pretty but they work and are under the floor anyway . Enjoy!
The trim ring you are seeing here is from a Hurst single shifter boot available at Kragen or the like that the previous owner had in there. I think Hurst has a big one and a smaller one, this of course is the bigger one. The ring just happened to be the perfect size to fit around the 86 Bronco II boots which are overlapped a bit at the bottom as mentioned before. Mine are a little squishy at the top due to the 3" body lift but if you have no body lift, there is still plenty of expansion in them. And please, no comments about my birdshit welds :flipoff2:. They aren't too pretty but they work and are under the floor anyway
. Enjoy!
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I tried to add the text "How to twin stick your NP203 shifter" to the title but it doesn't show up in the thread index that way. Help? Does that have to be done by a moderator or would I have to make a whole new post to change the index title?
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