Classic/Antique Car Repair: 1961 Plymouth Valiant V200, 1961 plymouth valiant, auto literature

Question
My husband drove the car and while he was stuck in traffic he put the car in Neutral and then in Drive. The Drive Button fell down. We have tried to put it back onto the fork and it will go back into gear and start driving forward but jump out of gear and act like it is in Neutral and it does this while in Drive or in Neutral. Some told me that the gear linkage needs to be adjusted. What would you advise? And were is the gear linkage and how do you adjust it? We just got the car and I am very mechanically inclined so I can figure it out if someone could me started in the right direction...Thank you for any help that you can give us. Uli

Answer
I think you have two separate problems, but fix the loose push button first - and maybe that will cure both symptoms.

The push buttons operate the transmission by moving a cable which goes down to the side of the transmission.  The button is held in place by the mechanism inside the push button box. These are somewhat tricky to repair, but if you take it apart and study it, you will see how it works. I don't know why the button is falling off, but I think you can probably figure it out by taking the mechanism apart.  You may have to find some replacement part, or you may be able to repair it.

Once you get the push button mechanism to stay together and work properly, you may still have a problem with the car slipping out of gear.  If so, you will need to adjust the bottom end of the cable at the transmission.  

This is a quite tricky operation, as the adjustment is very sensitive.  

You need to obtain a shop manual for this car before you get into the transmission adjustment.  You can sometimes find them on eBay, or you can go to one of the auto literature dealers and buy one.  I use Ed Faxon at www.faxonautolit.com, but there are others.  

I don't advise trying to adjust the shift mechanism until after you've studied the shop manual and understand it.

As you may already know, these cars are one of the longest lived and most reliable cars every built - take care of it and it will last until your grandchildren are ready to drive it!

Good luck.

Dick