How do 203 shifters fail? How to test out of the truck?

[BadDog]

I have a 203 shifter body that someone wants to buy and I have no idea how to check it effectively, or what areas to look at where they "typically fail". I don't want to send it without knowing it's good... Also, it's covered with grease, would a good dunking/soak in diesel fuel clean it without hurting it? Are there any rubber bushing type things inside that would be damaged? I could dissassemble it, but frankly, it's not worth fooling with it that much...

 

[zakk]

usually, AFAIK, there is a spring in the range box of the 203 that goes weak and that's how the shifter "pops" out of gear.

I'm not sure what is inside, but a quick blast of degreaser never hurt anything...not off a t-case, anyway /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Frank74]

My old shifter was junk. It was filled with all kinds of dirt, grit, and grease, would pop out of gear easily, and was difficult to shift. I pulled it and soaked it in carb cleaner, worked better but still not great. It would be hard to dissassemble it, as the case was riveted together on mine. I just went to a junkyard and got another one, works a lot better.

 

[FWP]

They're pretty durable, metal on metal. Biggest problem is just what you have- Dirty. 99% of the time a good cleaning and new grease inside will make it happy again.

 

[Twiz]

The shifter rivets work loose, and the shifter body gets filled with crud.

it's all metal, as far as I know, so no fear there.

I just cleaned it out in our parts washer. Chucked it up in the vise. "Crimmped" it tight, worked it though the pattern to make sure there was no binding. Then welded up the rivets to the body, and greased it. The thing works as smooth as silk now.

From Neutral, the lever should push one step forward and one step back with solid detents. Push down, and one step futher, in either direction to engage the locking "leg" of the shifter. Everything should have a soilid detent feel to it.

 

[BadDog]

Thanks for the info guys! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif