It should not be difficult to get into first if the whole set up is adjusted properly in my opinion.

There are some excellent articles prepared by others on this site on the process of adjustment of the shift linkage to get both the shift lever and the gearbox properly centered and aligned. If a mechanic has not come across one of these rear gearbox linkages before they may have struggled to get it correct without some of the wisdom contained in the advice on this site. 

Further the 3d printable centering tool also published here was a big help to me in getting the gearshift at rest alignment correct. There is a point where you may want to get it home and do some adjustments yourself.

The help and assistance accessible through this site is second to none. Be sure  if you have any issues there is a depth of past knowledge accessible and many ready to assist.

@Percy posted:

....There is a point where you may want to get it home and do some adjustments yourself.

The help and assistance accessible through this site is second to none. Be sure  if you have any issues there is a depth of past knowledge accessible and many ready to assist.

I have PAST that point.  (even though my mechanical abilities have drindel a lot in the past years)

Over the years i have forwarded the "manager" information and not sure it gets past to techs.   last night I found an oild email with info from servide manual, TSBs, and comments from here on just this and forward to "mamanger" owner and all the common adresses for shop!

I just noticed in this pic, on my first time back behind the wheel, without realizing, I maintain my gansta reputation.   like a where is waldo, can you spot "IT"

All I can see is the handle of the Glock....? 17C or 18C?

5177 is back home!

HOWEVER....

my bad luck seems to contine.   about 3 miles from home and the roll back had to come pick it up.    coolant tube hose blew off.   at least they were able to make repairs.

BUT .. .

still more things not right.   I started some, but a big problem with charging will need more than what I am able

tonight on battery charger and mybe car show tommow

another question.

was the shoulder belt seperate, fitting into a hole the the lap buckle?

I currently don't have shoulder and the lap retractors not working,   that plastic string looks out of place.   oh, to remove the lap retractor i though the seats were going to removed)

oh well. pays your money, takes your chances

Regarding the belt..  mine (5357) has the two piece units…. A retractable lap belt, and a fixed shoulder belt that has to be connected before you plug in the lap belt…

yours may be the same…

I started to back out with the problems, but I went to Cotton Festival Car Show.

actually had a good time talking and showing features of 5177.   definately got the attention from visitors, but the "judges" just walked by!

several questioning why I painted the deloren!

Joe - Glad you made it to the show!  Car looks great!

I was at a show in Tucson, and they parked me next to the DeLauren dude!  The guy was insufferable!  I had to move my car over with the other Panteras!

Chuck

Another possible Pantera quirk I forgot.

when you turn key to crank, and it fails to crack, do yo have to turn key all the way back to locked steering before able for second try to crank?

Yes.

sorry about not getting some glamour shots, but the problems have me over whelmed.   ------------

earlier I asked about rear tube lenght . . . well mine had been cut.   actually worked goog for  car show, leaving in and still seeing motor and tran.   (also having a gravel drive is going to be a challange for dust)

can any one tell if this is a long throw slave?   I actually have too much clutch travel (if throw out is set right)

Joe- looks like a stock standard unit to me .

surprising, comparing TR6 clutch where I go to the carpet and with what seems like less than an inch up the clutch is ingaging.   But the Pantera has to come what feels like inches almost at top, before engaging.

trying to control the realy hard to hold clutch and the super easy reving throttle has lead to some interesting rolls from stopped.

after a few minutes driving with a lot of shifting both legs are cramping up, one for the workout and the other for isometric

If the clutch doesn't start to engage until the clutch pedal is near the top of its travel, try increasing the free play at the slave cylinder.  

Aluminum slave cylinder = long throw

Iron slave cylinder = standard throw

John

...unless it's a stainless long-throw slave cylinder.

Need to check your adjustments per the Technical Information manual. Do you have the pedal effort reduction kit?

i have that linkage.   when i can get assistane i will measure the full clutch clearane & throwout clearane at full engage.    feel like the thowout is clear.

clutct functions, just wasted travel. I had a quick thought of adjustable pedal stop.   But that would be out of the effective travel for the effort reduction, so fine tuning the slave sometime.

any one know which one is left handed. 9 or 11

Or with both rods 12a and 12b the same lenght the ends could be swapped

9 is left handed.

On miss P the shafts (12a and 12b) are about two inches different in length.

The shaft with the left handed nut is the shorter one and is to the rear.

Left handed nuts usually have little notches in the 'points' of the hex.

continuing with a shifter question.   when shifter is center of 2/3 and fixing to wedge down to tighten jam nuts.    How much side to side free play is expected or too much?   I am going about 1/3 to the 4/5 slot back to the 2/3 slot.

Joe, FWIW, my stick in neutral is ever so slightly left of center of the 2/3 slot.  Last time I had to do the jam nut thing it took several tries even with 2 people, but I never wedged the stick.  Just tightening the nuts tends to "change things" from what you intended, but wedging should help considerably.  And we both have fresh rebuilds by Ron McCall, so I assume should be similar, and I'm pretty well adjusted within the shift gate at the moment.  If I need to come down to help, I don't mind, just can't tomorrow/Wed.  That said, I assume a lot of that could depend on all the linkage geometry and orientation.  You have my cell in the NC thread if needed.  By the way, your car looks amazing, I should have come to the Cotton Festival, but the Norfolk event showed me I need to address a couple of things, which I started today.  (Hint:  Keep an eye on your header bolts with your new rebuild, they will need some tightening pretty soon, also snug up intake bolts).

I been thinking, I wish someone with "OK" or good shifting could let shop try.   Even let me try, maybe I have lost a lost of desterity

Do you know if the detent in your cabin shifter box is intact?

It centers the shifter in the 2-3 gate.

If the turnbuckle is loosened, you should be able to feel it settle in. If you use wedges to center the shifter, try and be sure you're in the detent.

The transmission also has detents. Again, with the turnbuckle loosened, you should be able to manually get it to settle into its 2-3  detent.

Now tighten the turnbuckle. Both the cabin shifter box and the transmission should now settled into the same detent position and not resisting each other.

To center the shifter fore and aft, loosen the shift shaft U-joint pinch bolt at the transmission. It must be loose enough to slide back and forth on the splines.

Manually position the stub sticking out of the transmission to its center position. You'll feel where it wants to settle in. Slide the u-joint on the splines to center the shifter and tighten the pinch bolt.

In fact, tighten all the shift shaft u-joint pinch bolts as tight as you can. Every problem I've had with shifter adjustment has been the u-joints slipping on the splines.

Good advice - makes sense…. It might be fun to use the detent I removed, and readjust my linkage!

Thanks!

Also make sure none of the u-joints are coming in contact with body as you shift through all the gears.

MAJOR UPDATE

hearing how i was not happy, the Owner and Main Tech flew over this AM.

the master tech and I discussed all the instructions on how to adjust.   as found trans detent was up in 2nd.  ajusting to bring two detents together, holding in 2/3 center to loosely jam nuts.    To me it was such a GREAT improvent.   as I sat going through 1 thru 5 smoothly.   Tech and owner had to agree it was better.   the tedius came setting jam nuts.   first try 1 thru 5, but no revered, second try reverse but no 4 & 5.   sever trys got a good compromise to get all gears (not perfection, but very drivable.

ALL linkage was new bought assembled.   (I might even have a new shifter)

So I can now drive 5177.   It just makes me nervous (and scared), after driving pick up, this thing is QUICK.

Engine screen from a relatively new resto (GTS 7233).  I think it’s the same design as your screen…