I broke the cable in my console shifter(it was the factory cable). Anyway, i was trying to figure out all the intricacies of installing the new cable without so much as a jack, when a friend noticed that when i shifted the tranny from underneath, with a wrench it moved something on the steering column. Long story short, with the console shifter knob depressed(or the cable broken) i was able to shift by spinning the sheaf of sheet metal that encircles the steering column. Has anyone heard of this before?

There is a rod linkage snake deal that goes from the shift arm connection on the side of the tranny to an arm under/behind the brake booster. That arm controls the collar on the steering column. The shift indicator in the instrument panel is linked to this. If the linkage is misadjusted/worn, it causes problems with the workings of the ignition key, so a lot of times that linkage gets tossed, like the one on my 71.

it's where a shifter would go on a column shifted car.

[This message has been edited by 79linetta (edited November 09, 2003).]

The shifting collar on the column is what rotates and controls the operation of the backup lights and the neutral safety switch as well. The switches are attached to the column on an automatic-equipped vehicle.

i understood most of that, still pretty weird that you can use it to shift.