Need Dash Gear Shift Selector Parts

fatty74271 · November 24, 2008, 04:29 PM

Sent: 3/6/2004 6:50 AM

WOW i didnt know other ppl are as obsessed with their Winnebago's as i am lol. I love that thing. I also love the looks i get when i drive the 72 18' brave down the road. But anyway I am looking for a place to buy parts im not sure if this is i right room to be putting this in or not. But im looking for a gear shifter that is on the dash. Any help will be great. Thanks Chris

denisondc · June 18, 2013, 03:01 PM

Sent: 3/6/2004 8:59 AM

We arent obsessed, everyone on this ward is normal! Obsessed is the word for those Bentley or Bugatti fans who have the logo embroidered on their jockey shorts. Just having the winnebago logo on your pajamas or tattoed on your arm - just healthy enthusiasm.

Your shifter on the dash consists of the bezel in front of the dash, a support plate for the acutator, and the actuator, which is behind the dash, and is what the knob screws onto. Then there is the shifter cable, that runs down to the tranny. This same scheme was used on tens of thousands of Dodges, from the mid 60s small van, A100, on through at least 76 on all their trucks with auto trannies. It should be around in junkyards.

I think the acuator is pretty reliable because it is out of the weather.
The shifter cable however can kink up if its not relubed eventually. It gets sticky inside because it runs close to the exhaust pipes, which bakes the grease, and it is down where it gets sprayed with rain and road salt too. Once kinked it wont work reliably, even if lubed well. The kink happens near the top, behind the dash. Then you can put the lever into park, but the tranny might still be in neutral or reverse. Putting the lever into park is pushing on the cable, shifting down into 1st is pulling on the cable.

In the parts catalog the shifter cable has a part number that is the same for all motorhome trannies up through about 1974. Its called a Control Cable, mopar # 3641-309. I think if you got a cable from a junkyard, and if it was the same length, then it would fit the dashboard end okay, but you might have to make up an adapter for the threads at the other end. There werent many different lengths, they might have all been the same. If you get one from a junker, get some lubricant/solvent down into it and work it free before installing!

If its really the bezel or support or actuator you need, the mopar name is:
Actuator, Gearshift Control, pn# 2953151,
Support, Actuator is pn# 2515800,
Bezel, Gearshift Control Selector w/Lens and Housing, pn#3634737 for the 72-73, pn#2908355 for the 71 and earlier.

Even though your winny is a 72, make sure it isn't on a 71 chassis - this disparity was pretty common.

I got my shifter cable from an online seller of OEM mopar parts, dartman67-at-aol.com. Except type the @ in place of the -at-. This is to avoid the software that harvests email addresses for mass mailings. His prices are much better than the dealers, and he has gotten parts that I found no where else. The shifter cable was $108, and I was glad to pay it. Imagine wanting to park your RV on a slope, where you cant get it into park, and no one is with you to run out and put blocks ahead of the tires to keep it from rolling! Its also likely your handbrake cable is stuck, for the same reasons the shifter cable kinked up - too old and too close to the exhaust manifolds.

The same seller has items on ebay often, his ebay name is dartman_67. I always try to give him the mopar numbers, as well as the chassis year and size. I pay him with money orders. I once priced the actuator from him, it was well over $100; thankfully my actuator turned out to be okay. I also got my handbrake cable from him, it was about $70.

denison

fatty74271 · June 18, 2013, 03:02 PM

Sent: 3/7/2004 2:00 AM

I think there was a different in the year of the Chassis to the camper i cant remember, but ill check. The part that is broke is where the cable housing attaches to the shifter. One side of it is broke so i have to reach under there with my left hand and hold it into place then with my right hand place it in witch gear i want. Which is a problem when driving in the hills. It does go into park and the rest of the gears fine. VIN M39CG2S597561 1973 D18
Thanks for all the help Chris

Sea Hag · June 18, 2013, 03:03 PM

Sent: 3/7/2004 10:44 AM

Your Vin# indicates you have a 1972 M300 Chasssis - if it is the part on the shifter side it is the Actuator, gearshift controll for 72 I have part number 3634 739 - if it is on the cable side the control cable is part number 3641 309 - -

There are several versions and updates of these parts catalogs and they somtimes conrtadict each other - so I'm not saying the numbers that Denison gave you are wrong and he is more familiar with the early 70's chassis than I am . If you need a breakdown one of us may be able to email you something . Sea Hag

denisondc · June 18, 2013, 03:05 PM

Sent: 3/8/2004 7:14 AM

Sea Hag is right. Im in the office now, and looked in the parts catalog I keep in my desk (Im not obsessed, I just like to be able to fondle the document from time to time). The actuator part number in this later edition is 3634739. Maybe I typed it wrong twice, maybe that other part number is also an actuator, or who knows?

And speaking of catalog confusion: I see in the parts catalog that the 440s had valve stem oil seals for both intake and exhaust valves, but the 413s only had these seals on the intake valves! This is the way my 413 is or I would think it was a catalog error. Why not the exhaust valves? Another mystery. denison

Sea Hag · June 18, 2013, 03:06 PM

Sent: 3/8/2004 10:08 AM

No Denison you didn't type wrong , the part # you had is correct for 69-71 in the version I'm currently fondeling ! * I mean looking at . I found the gearshift section on 3 different pages - listed on two by year and one by tranmission assembley number It's like they just kept adding pages over the years . These catalogs are a bit confusing so forgive us if we get you an improper number or couterdict from time to time .

I tried to see if chrysler had a class for these manuals , but they told me the guy who taught it had long since retired and was last seen driving the dodge Motorhome chassis he took home in his lunch box peice by piece over his long career and assembled in his back yard , - off into the sunset - Sea Hag

fatty74271 · June 18, 2013, 03:07 PM

Sent: 3/8/2004 3:06 PM

The numbers you guys gave me do i just go to a dodge dealership and tell them the part number. OR do i have to get the same catalog you guys have. THanks for all the help you guys are great.. Chris

Sea Hag · June 18, 2013, 03:08 PM

From: Sea Hag Sent: 3/8/2004 8:55 PM

Chris - call a dodge truck dealer prefeerably one that sells heavy duty trucks and give the parts department the number - they should be able to recognize it and punch it into the system . tell them you have a 1972 M300 Dodge chassis . not a winnebago .

BTW they won't have the parts catalogs as they have been out of print for some time now . Sea Hag

denisondc · June 18, 2013, 03:09 PM

Sent: 3/9/2004 6:50 AM

The dealership should be able to order the part for you using that number if it is still in their data base, though a dodge truck dealer would be more familiar with it! But it might be obsolete, out of the Chrysler system. Then you could try the online seller I mentioned, or others like him.

I think if you go to ebay.com and do a search on the simple word 'mopar', that among the thousands of items, you would find some were being sold by people who specialize in obsolete mopar stuff. You could contact them via the ask-seller-a-question link, and ask them about the part you are looking for, which is exactly how I first dealt with dartman67.

Finding and providing obsolete mopar items is an industry that has grown vastly with the internet. About the time that exhaust manifolds were getting really scarce for my 413 engine, somebody recast a quantity, and the price for new ones stabilized. I now have extras!

And there is nothing wrong with asking the guys at the dealership if they have an old one in a bin somewhere. I asked to talk to one of the mechanics at my local dodge car dealership, and he told me some valuable tips about things to check on my winnebago, from having worked on them years earlier.
AND: The VIN for your RV having a G in the 5th position, indicates it has the 318 in it. It is NOT the same motor as what the passenger cars had. It is a 318-3, a truck engine with just enough differences to be confusing. If possible always take the old part with you to get a new one! Most auto parts places dont have the listings for the engines that went into chassis for trucks over 1 ton. denison

oilmaninpowell · June 18, 2013, 09:20 PM

I'm parting out a late 70's Winny with a gear shifter on the dash. Could pull and ship to ya if you need.

Is it really weird to embroider Winny on all my underwear??

Oz · June 19, 2013, 08:27 AM

This is an older post and the original posting member doesn't need it anymore but, the shifter - especially the cable is a much sought after item so, if anyone needs one or wants a spare...