205 Shifter bolt and washer

[74Chev]

The rattling shifter is driving me crazy. When I did the 205 swap I just used a bolt with an aluminum spacer over it. Does anyone know is GM still offers the bolt and special washer for the 205 shifter pivot? Part number?? The 205 is 71-73 vintage if that makes a difference.

Thanks

 

[dyeager535]

Th part number for the washer that I have is no longer good through GM. There was a thread a week ago or so about this, someone posted a link to a company that sold various wave washers.

 

[Triaged]

www.mcmaster.com will carry wave washers in the size you need. I think a regular bolt with a sleeve is a better way to go then the sholder bolt anyways because the regular bolt would be stronger.

 

[dyeager535]

You mean a sleeve that fits inside the shifter handle, right?

Just making sure...if the shifter is tight (not wave washer tight, tighter) against either the head of the bolt, or the adapter, every time you shift the bolt will attempt to work loose, and eventually it will.

If you don't use a wave washer, but keep tension between the bolt/shifter handle/adapter loose, it will rattle annoyingly.

I am tempted to say the whole thing is a stupid setup, but I can't think of a better way to make it work. If it weren't for finding wave washers, there'd be no problem.

 

[Triaged]

Threads in bending has never been a good idea in my mind. Using a sholder bolt just makes it worse because of the stress risor at the start of the threads. If you make a sleeve that has the ID of the bolt, OD a bit smaller then the shifter hole, and make it just a bit longer then the shifter is wide it should work just as good as that sholder bolt and be stronger to boot. Then all you need is a large wave washer (which are hard to find...but McMaster-Carr is a short drive for me) to go over the sleeve and you will be set.

What I can't beleave is that I haven't broken that stupid bolt! Before I learned to always shif the T-case with the truck moving and trans in nutral I put my foot on the dash to get enough leverage to pop it out of gear a few times /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif

 

[dyeager535]

Last time I pulled my shifter handle out I noticed cracks in the bends. Of course I heated it up to make it fit in my truck, but still, makes me worry when I'm reefing on it trying to get it out of 4WD. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I've never worried about the bolt, but like you said, I don't try to force it *much* anymore...neutral, stopped, rolling, reverse a bit, anything to get it to pop out more easily. Of course usually it still takes a bit of effort, but nothing like trying to yank it out of gear when everything is tight.

Would still rather have these problems than the chain drive cases. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif (no offense, this is a conversation between 205 owners heh)

 

[diesel4me]

I broke the bolt on my 74 K20's 205 right off flush in the adapter last winter--very embarassing to have the shifter drop toward the ground when I let go of it! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif--I had to crawl under it and shift it into gear by hand(and it wasnt easy!)I had to pull the tranny hump out of the cab and drill out the broken bolt,I made it bigger so I could put a 1/2 inch regular grade 8 bolt there instead of the weak shouldered bolt,and I found a needle roller bearing from a drawer of assorted machine shop leftovers in my shop that fit real close and I greased it well and I used a nylok nut on the other end , with a jam nut so I could take up all the end play slop without it binding--it works ok, but you can see the bolt wanting to bend every time you shift it--it needs a brace from that bolt to another bolt nearby to stiffen it,but I didnt bother to fab one up,it took 20 years to break the first one,and as long as I dont force it into gear at a standstill,I think it will be ok. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gifI agree it was not GM's best design--they could have done better. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif