Hello, I have the 123 five speed tranny in my 39 studebaker truck. The shifting is very vague and difficult to engage third gear especially when I want it. I think the bushings are worn out in the shifter. I have a pretty great looking five speed shifter from a 124 (I think). I am wondering how different they are and if I could bolt the one in where the other is now. It shows the correct shift pattern with reverse under fifth.?????

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Ultimately it is the action of the operating levers of the shifter that matter not the action of the shifter lever or the pattern of it's operation.

You would have to compare the movements of the transmission's operating levers to determine if there is interoperability between the shifters. Another aspect is the bolt pattern of the shifter base, the 123/126 shifter possibly has different bolt pattern than the 201/124/129 shifters.

The shifter levers extending below the shifter are definately different in length, position and I'm pretty sure connection to the shifter rods.You'r best bet might be renewing the bushings between the rods and levers from the shifter and those on the transmission shift levers; and, rebuilding the worn bushings in the shifter itself.

In the past I've rebuilt a 124 shifter and the result was a great improvement not only in function but in the feel which was more precise and solid after the rebuild, completely eliminated the slop.

Just got your PM. Attached are some snappies.

Attached Thumbnails

         

When I had this problem with my 201 5 spd tranny, the problem was looseness in the arms on the transmission that shift rods engage. If you take the shift rod off and you feel slop or lost motion in the connection between the arm on the tranny and the internals, this is the problem. You should feel a center detent when it is straight down, and a definate sound and feeling of it engaging the gears as you move it fore or aft.

You can get up in there and tighten it with a 6mm allen key, you may have to modify it to get in there, it depends on how close the fit in the transmission tunnel is. Once you've tightened it a couple times, the temptation is there, but don't- the internals will shift a bit and it's really hard to get the cap screw back in by accessing it from below.

I removed the cap screw to locktite it in place and then it was real hard to it get back in with the w201 transmission tunnel clearance. I ended up drilling through the transmission tunnel so I could push on the cap screw hard enough from the inside car to get the cap screw to align and start threading.

My 201 shifter was also beat, but the bigger part of the problem was slop as discussed above.

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Thanks so much Mark!

On my 124 shifter the arm on the left is the shortest, then the middle lever is about 1.25" longer and the outside arm on the far right is about 3/8" longer than the middle lever. So I'm guessing the arms on the tranny are different lengths too.

Wonder if the tranny arms are interchangible?

The two 6(?) mm bolts on the bottom of the shifter are for taking up when there is wear? (This is on the 124 shifter).

Thanks also to Buster and Moon!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

So I decided the only reasonable course of action is to rebuild the five speed 123 shifter. Greazzer was kind enough to supply the part number I needed and I ordered it here at Pelican parts.

Thanks Mark and PP!

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.