My questions.

Are the shifter levers on the bottom of the floor shifter different lengths by year and application? 

Were the shift levers on the transmission different by year and application? 

Anyone have any idea what I need to get this setup working good for my dad? We’d like to keep the stock setup instead of an aftermarket

Thanks everyone.

Seth

Can you take a picture of your linkage setup?  What parts are installed now?  Any of the original parts from the column shift reused?

I suspect it would be one of the the throw arms is too long, if it is moving too far.  I have a 1972 GTS with a floor shift, but it is stored for the winter on a lift and I have another car under it that I can't move, so not sure I can get to my linkage to take measurements.  I can try to go through the parts catalog to see if it lists the part numbers or measurements.

the car is originally a column shift?

cable operated?

 

how much did the 'angle of attack' of the column cable change to that of the floor shifter?

check out these clamp on linkage arms, i don't know if it's the solution or not but could be a start, something to work off of to fab an arm of the correct length?

B&M

https://www.summitracing.com/search/brand/b-m/department/transmission-drivetrain/part-type/automatic-transmission-brackets-and-levers/product-line/b-m-transmission-brackets-and-levers?N=part-type%3Aautomatic-transmission-brackets-and-levers%2Btransmission-manufacturer-code%3Ac6&PageSize=100&SortBy=DisplayPrice&SortOrder=Ascending" rel="nofollow - https://www.summitracing.com/search/brand/b-m/department/transmission-drivetrain/part-type/automatic-transmission-brackets-and-levers/product-line/b-m-transmission-brackets-and-levers?N=part-type%3Aautomatic-transmission-brackets-and-levers%2Btransmission-manufacturer-code%3Ac6&PageSize=100&SortBy=DisplayPrice&SortOrder=Ascending

TCI

https://www.autozone.com/shifter-and-shift-accessories/floor-shifter/p/tci-auto-ford-c4-and-c6-universal-shift-lever/432679_0_0?cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:PEL:19489353544&&CATARGETID=120054150001289864&CADevice=c&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgdC6BhCgARIsAPWNWH1kRYTDUgvjsL8tJ94kJEnn4CU7EL23Pghs6NQDWSz-W6KLTpg9HRUaAsxJEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="nofollow -

https://www.autozone.com/shifter-and-shift-accessories/floor-shifter/p/tci-auto-ford-c4-and-c6-universal-shift-lever/432679_0_0?cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:PEL:19489353544&&CATARGETID=120054150001289864&CADevice=c&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgdC6BhCgARIsAPWNWH1kRYTDUgvjsL8tJ94kJEnn4CU7EL23Pghs6NQDWSz-W6KLTpg9HRUaAsxJEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="nofollow - https://www.autozone.com/shifter-and-shift-accessories/floor-shifter/p/tci-auto-ford-c4-and-c6-universal-shift-lever/432679_0_0?cmpid=LIA:US:EN:AD:NL:1000000:PEL:19489353544&&CATARGETID=120054150001289864&CADevice=c&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgdC6BhCgARIsAPWNWH1kRYTDUgvjsL8tJ94kJEnn4CU7EL23Pghs6NQDWSz-W6KLTpg9HRUaAsxJEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

if i were to use a stamped steel clamp on linkage arm, i'd not call the job done until i tack welded the arm to the round barrel of the transmission linkage piece. in my experience the clamp can / will come loose leaving you Fered and not

I found these images, they are earlier but note the difference. 

This first one appears to be a Floor shift lever...

Where this one appears to be a column shift.

Note the length and orientation. The basic part number is 7A256-xx where XX is the application indicator, but I am haven't had time to go find the correct number.

Good luck!

Sethro12 wrote: ... I’ll show you what we got for a temp setup so he can at least move the car. Don’t judge though it ugly since we were trying to fabricate it to work.

don't judge? at one point i had the FMX column shift cable hooked up to a C6 don't know what linkage arm was on that but the ranges on the column indicator were backwards. the trans arm was upside down and i drove it like that because that's what i had. another point i put in a C4 and had a metal shifter rod stuck in the trans lever arm and i changed gears through the 4 speed shifter hole in the tunnel. no judging here man, Ford trans linkages are a little more involved than many bargain for and i feel your pain. been there done that

Note those great pics by Pete, those should be the two basic possibilities for the trans shift linkage. Over the years Ford most of the time used two possibilities to operate the floor shift versus column, plus cars and trucks.

There is often a different mounting bracket for the cable where it connects to the trans. Those and the different shift levers inside the trans, together usually decided what works with a given shifter type.

The trans shift lever is held on by an internal nut, and it's no too hard to swap(there will be a drift pin pushed into a vertical hole that locks the lever from moving in/out).

So most likely you can get it working with OEM parts. But you need to figure out which direction the cable moves, plus the effect of the given trans shift lever. One way it will pull or push, and the distance is also affected. I had an AOD mocked up in my 73 Ranchero before I moved and stored it away. I had to swap the original shift lever to one from a 90s F150, plus the matching bracket.