I need some input on my C4. Then again, perhaps I just think I know what I am doing! I am installing a rebuilt C4 into my 71 Comet GT. From what I can tell, it is a 66 C4. Is this different than later C4's? It has but one handle on the tranny shifter to hook up the shifter/ no handle for a carb kick in rod. The bigger problem is that this handle is in the up position, so I have to install the reverse neutral switch on the bottom. I have seen some C4's on Google images with this. Now, the car will only start... in reverse?... but the tires are rolling forward. I know it must be something simple....
There are two versions, floor shift uses a short lever that in neutral points straight up... A column shift arrangement uses a longer lever that points upward approx 10:00 when in park... Lever moves downward to engage other gears...
The kick down mechanism rod arm bolts onto the same place that the shifting rod goes and usually stays on the rod when removed from vehicle, it is a sorta oval shape so it locks in place. In hooking up the shifting linkage before you hook it up move shifter arm through the gears and make sure that you have distinct clicks going from park, reverse, neutral, drive, second and first. You may not be getting it into park as some times it is hard to get it in park without turning the driveline and setting the parking pawl. When installing the reverse/neutral safety switch there is a hole in the switch that you put a pin through when in neutral and will align it and then tighten it down. A picture could be worth a thousand words as to which type of linkage you have but I suspect that it is just a linkage hooked up wrong problem. I believe that the manual says to hook everything up with transmission in neutral but easy enough to check by pulling shifter rod off and making sure it is in gear selected by manually shifting and counting clicks. BTW what did you finally do to cure previous problem with grinding of bell housing on converter bolts
Thanks much. I have spent a lot of time under this vehicle! I have played with the shifter mechanism on the side of the tranny. It might be that I am not getting it into park very well. I will give that some focus as I've not been satisfied with it cleanly clicking into gear. Do you know if all of the reverse safety switches are the same? Mine is a 71 Comet, but it has a 66 C4. I am wondering about this, too. I hope it is not a bad tranny. Just rebuilt by a reputable shop,
From some research I just did there is a difference in the switches, the main difference being if it is a floor shifted or column shifted car. Since your car has the shifter arm pointing up I think you need a floor shifter mounted switch. I am in a little bit of disagreement with Krazy Comet about the linkage for a column shifted car pointing up as the ones I have encountered have pointed down but Ford did so many different things through the years and much of his knowledge is spot on, regardless with it pointing up it should work Either way linkage arm can be changed but requires the pan and valve body be dropped and different arm installed. Some people have changed it without removing valve body.
Another possibility is that the shop put the valve body in wrong, very easy to do but I would hope that a reputable shop would not do that. The valve body has a spool valve inside that the linkage fits into a slot but can easily be put into a different slot in the valve and bolted back in without ever knowing it was wrong until shifted. If there is no way that you can get the linkage to engage all 6 gears then it is a distinct possibility that you have a problem there and would create all kind of shifting scenarios like you have with being in reverse and tires spinning forward. Also when the kick down rod is installed it should be able to be turned a little and spring back.
Well you are correct, I missed the bus by approx hour & half, lever on my column shift is at approx 8:30 when in park... Neutral safety switch is on the base of steering column, is moved to transmission for floor shift versions...
no expert but have tinkered with a few C-4s in the past... shift it into park without the linkage hooked up...then try to start the car. that should tell you if anything is wrong in the transmission. as mike said, there is a rooster tail and shuttle valve that could be out of adjustment. both will require removing the pan to correct.
