Aftermarket gear indicator fit

[Doug Long]

My son broke his off yesterday. We got the truck out for the first time in about 3 weeks after working on it. New tires and rims, new shocks, tore the dash out and ordered a new one from LMC. His is driving it without the dash cover so just gauges showing. We got home and he told me the gear indicator snapped off. His comment was we have something else to fix and drove it to work today. I may buy one since the dash is apart already.

Do you recommend LMC or Classic Car parts?

 

[Goldie Driver]

My son broke his off yesterday. We got the truck out for the first time in about 3 weeks after working on it. New tires and rims, new shocks, tore the dash out and ordered a new one from LMC. His is driving it without the dash cover so just gauges showing. We got home and he told me the gear indicator snapped off. His comment was we have something else to fix and drove it to work today. I may buy one since the dash is apart already.

Do you recommend LMC or Classic Car parts?

I used the LMC one and it appeared pretty nicely made. The P R N D L L2 was not matched on the new one - it read P R N D 2 L IIRC.

So, I put the new trolley in my old sheet metal housing.

Most people would probably not notice or care, so the LMC would work fine. $ 29.95, again, IIRC.

shipping was like 8 or 10 bux - they always nail you ...

 

[Doug Long]

Yes shipping costs are ridiculous from LMC. They should have a prime membership considering we all need parts for our square bodies!

 

[Raider L]

@AuroraGirl,

Yeah, I got so tired of feeling for a gear, remember I had put in a bolt as a shifter, I was seriously thinking about putting in a floor shift and not go back to column when I was doing all that recently. I had already checked out all I would need to convert to floor in my truck. I even located a Trans-Am shifter just to be different.

 

[Raider L]

@Goldie Driver,

The indicator's for overdrive I think are P R N D D 2 1. They are also for four speed trans. but does that mean 200, 700R4's? There isn't a such a thing as a four speed auto trans (like a TH350) that's not a R4 is there? That would be cool as heck wouldn't it?
"trolley"? Are you calling it that, or is that the right name for it? I figured some engineer made up a name for it but I didn't know what that was.
That's what I was talking about in my text above and that was to swap over everything to one of my old gear indicator so it would work smooth.

 

[Raider L]

@Goldie Driver,

I found another source for indicators on Ebay. Their name is "West Coast Autoparts.com"
The Ebay picture shows the 4 sp. indicator has written above the gear lettering "automatic overdrive". That's pretty cool.

I just went on that site and I can tell that their's is much better made due to how much space there is between the "trolley" (@Goldie Driver)'s name for the needle part, has in the slot it rides in over the one I bought from Classic Parts.
But it doesn't matter because they say "Out Of Stock". And since it probably comes from China, they may never get it in. It's 4 sp shift pattern says P R N D 3 2 1. That's different. And it's for '85-'91 though. I was looking at the 3 speed one's like ours, the sucker was $44.95!!

 

[Raider L]

@Doug Long,

Well, Doug since I've given the essy on the one I got from Classic Parts, and @Goldie Driver says his one from LMC may be better, I'd say LMC. If you spring for it when it comes in please show it so we can compare notes on how it's made, for all our benefit. It's hard to find good parts and since shipping is so high be prepared to probably spend over $40 for it. If you can find somebody who has a good one you might be better off getting it from them.

 

[AuroraGirl]

@Goldie Driver,

The indicator's for overdrive I think are P R N D D 2 1. They are also for four speed trans. but does that mean 200, 700R4's? There isn't a such a thing as a four speed auto trans (like a TH350) that's not a R4 is there? That would be cool as heck wouldn't it?
"trolley"? Are you calling it that, or is that the right name for it? I figured some engineer made up a name for it but I didn't know what that was.
That's what I was talking about in my text above and that was to swap over everything to one of my old gear indicator so it would work smooth.

The 4l60e and the 4l80e in 91 would have been P R N D 3 2 1
D would just have an O around it

 

[Raider L]

@AuroraGirl,

Thanks. I don't know anything about the later model trucks, so much changed from '85 on I don't even recognize those parts. When someone has a problem with one of those years trucks I just watch and learn, unless it's something common. I thought it was cool that it went 123D. It reminds me of a four speed stick. That's why I said it would have been cool if GM had made a trans like the TH350 but with four forward speeds you could shift like a stick. That would have been killer on the street. But not the 700R4, just a straight shift, no "overdrive". Just a final drive like .78 or something.

 

[AuroraGirl]

@AuroraGirl,

Thanks. I don't know anything about the later model trucks, so much changed from '85 on I don't even recognize those parts. When someone has a problem with one of those years trucks I just watch and learn, unless it's something common. I thought it was cool that it went 123D. It reminds me of a four speed stick. That's why I said it would have been cool if GM had made a trans like the TH350 but with four forward speeds you could shift like a stick. That would have been killer on the street. But not the 700R4, just a straight shift, no "overdrive". Just a final drive like .78 or something.

On the shifter thing, that was pretty common for GM to retain that until early 2000s when various vehicles started chopping down to PRNDL or something to that effect. not sure what defined htat happened but Ford of course was popular to use PRND21 but then the shifter had a button to block out overdrive in D so it would become "3" also engage the coast clutch

I think gm transmissions engage their clutchs in 3.. unless it was to. when not on throttle it will apply more engine braking

 

[AuroraGirl]

You must be registered for see images attach

This is a TH400
PRNDSL

 

[Goldie Driver]

@Goldie Driver,

The indicator's for overdrive I think are P R N D D 2 1. They are also for four speed trans. but does that mean 200, 700R4's? There isn't a such a thing as a four speed auto trans (like a TH350) that's not a R4 is there? That would be cool as heck wouldn't it?
"trolley"? Are you calling it that, or is that the right name for it? I figured some engineer made up a name for it but I didn't know what that was.
That's what I was talking about in my text above and that was to swap over everything to one of my old gear indicator so it would work smooth.

LOL- trolley sounded good, so I went with it. If it happens to be correct- even better!

I think I have a pic of my old one that I am still using.

Actually, here is both - you can see the difference.

New on top.

 

[Raider L]

@AuroraGirl,

I'm going to make the obvious joke here, what does the "S" mean..."slow"? lol

Seriously, what does the "S" mean?

 

[Raider L]

@Goldie Driver,

Cool! I think I like the "L1", "L2". I still say GM should have made a true four speed trans that had the P R N D 3 2 1. Wouldn't that have been cool?! Man that car would have hauled A*s! And gear it just like a stick 4 speed. But you would have had the speed of the automatic.
Of course when I used to race I could hit gears just as fast as any automatic. Guys would tell me that. They'd say, "Man, that sounded just like an auto." "We didn't hear any space between gears, it just went from one to the next without any rpm drop!" I learned to shift from other racers who'd shift without using the clutch they'd shift so fast through the gears. Of course it's hel* on syncronizers, it busts them up after a few times. What I'd do instead of that is I wouldn't ever take my foot off the gas. And I'd just stomp the clutch and shift as fast as I could. That's why the guys would say they couldn't ever hear any rpm drop. It wouldn't.
That was back when I had my '69 Mustang 351 3-speed. I put a 500 cfm Holley 2 bbl. on it. That sucker would scream. That is until I got caught by the inspectors one day and they tried to put me into "modified production". Then I had to put the stock Autolite 2 bbl. back on the motor. Then I started loosing a lot. I was running "J Stock".

 

[AuroraGirl]

@AuroraGirl,

I'm going to make the obvious joke here, what does the "S" mean..."slow"? lol

Seriously, what does the "S" mean?

Drive
Second
Low

My guess