How to change to an old style (A4487) shift knob

I might be wrong here, but I think the chrome knob you have is for a 613 roadranger. They were a progressive shift trans where you went either to 3rd in low, then over to 1st in intermediate, or, if you went to 5th in low, then to 3rd in intermediate. I had a 1980 ford with a 12513 and the chrome head. If I remember correctly, the chrome head had only the direct over button, and the range select was an up/down on the stick, separate from the main chrome handle. However, looking at this, I don't know, maybe there were some that incorporated everything into the one knob. But I do know that my 12513 was like the one on the right. Actually, now that I think about this, I am pretty sure I drove a cabover KW that had the 3 position knob. How many air lines do you have to connect? There may be a shared supply there somewhere.

 

The old chrome knob needs only 3 lines. Unhook the green line from your current knob and leave open. Go down to the Trans and unhook this line and plug the port with a 1/8 pipe plug. I will have to go look at mine and see where the red, black and blue lines go on the chrome knob. The only other thing you need to do is switch the high and low big rubber lines on the range cylinder on the back. That's it. It will work, others say it won't. But it will.

 

Just make sure, as stated, that the chrome knob you want says Lo, DIR, and OD

 

I'm leaving out in an hour or so. I'll get the ports where they go and let you know.

 

aint it fun doing your own shifter setup....I am waiting on my extension to be finished than I am painting my shifter and extension of 10 inchs blue to match my truck with an eight ball wheel knob as the head with a high low switch on the dash and a 13 splitter on the shifter shaft. I had this setup years ago on a rig I built and sold it with the truck, I loved how when I was idling the 8 ball would just spin round and round. though it took while getting use to reaching to the dash for the high low switch and down on the shaft for the 13 splitter.....

 

You're right, one of the perks of owning rather than being a company driver. I did something similar, except that I mounted the 18 speed head right on the side of my seat, so that I could have a cat handle on the stick, just like the old days. You get a lot more feel out of the stick with a cat handle, or knob as you mention, rather than the bulky air shift factory unit. The ones that kind of crack me up are the ones where the gear shift is about as tall as the driver. I could never quite figure the rationale behind those, your sure wouldn't want them in the bush, or anywhere you have to make lightning fast shifts.

 

My classic will be 10 inches taller than stock which puts me dash level the key to quick shifting a tall shift is to grab the shaft....lol that sounds so wrong...But yea a bud of mine has a custom shifter he made from the ground up. its 7/8s log chain welded up and show chromed with a cue ball on the top. he took hes factory shifter knob and mounted it on the floor by the door right in front of his train horn vavle. I drove his truck a few times and its pretty wild. Its only a ten speed so you just flip the switch with your heel....he also has a matching steering wheel in which he welded the ends of the chain flat together and grinded the middle out some so you can hook you 2 fingers in it and ride...also show chrome dipped...looks wild but wow in the winter you have to have either hand warmers or start the truck 2 hours before leaving...lmao that chain get cold as