WD 45 trans tower rail detent reinstall????

[greenandred]

Had to work on the tower of the 1954 AC WD45. Had a detention pop out ( finally found it)… But how in the world do you get it back in??? We have tried a brass rod and c-clamp, pushing the ball down as sliding the rod back i! After using the small magnet a hundred times to retrieve the detent ball we decided there has to be a proper way that obviously we can’t figure out. It would always pop out the backside of the rod guide and had to be fished out. Open to any and all ways it works for any of you. THANKS

 

[DrAllis]

Clamp the shift cover solidly in a vise with the rails up and down. Use a punch probably 1/4" diameter. Press in the ball deep while trying to slide the rail downward keeping pressure downward on the rail. I usually then tap it home with a hammer. I've done this dozens and dozens of times and seldom have a misque.

 

[greenandred]

Appreciate the response. We did not have it clamped in a vice, we tried a 1/4” piece of brass rod and a a c-clamp, pressing it down with a punch and after 30 tries the detent ball would always pop back throughth the rain slide.. obviously we are not getting something right. It seems it must be depressed enough fort the rail to be past ball center for it to slide by whe tapped in. We are also Leary hitting on the cast steel forks, not sure what is safe. We did not have to completely dissemble the tower so we can’t hit the end of the rail through the Welch plug hole to tap it back in. We have a pull in 3 days so we will be at it again today. We are not mechanically illiterate … BUT WATCHING US YESTERDAY YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE WERE

 

[DrAllis]

Don't hit the fork. Drive directly on the end of the rail so you don't get any rebound.

 

[greenandred]

Don't hit the fork. Drive directly on the end of the rail so you don't get any rebound.

I can believe how well that went after tussling with it for 2-3 hours the nite before! Thanks

 

[DrAllis]

Glad you got it.