I am having an intermittent problem with the first and reverse lever on the transmission remote control (located at the bottom end of the steering column) falling back when the shift control on the column is in neutral and the clutch is disengaged such as when you are down shifting into first at a stop light. The L-161 engine and transmission came out of a 51 Henry J and is in my 48 Jeepster. 99% of the time everything works great, but when that lever on the transmission goes back, it jams everything and you can't get it into any gear. At that point I have to open the hood and reach in and move the lever forward into the neutral position. When I reach in and move the lever forward into neutral, the lever operates smoothly and positively and you can feel it engage properly. I have tried adjusting the shift rods using the technique described in the manual with no positive results. It does not matter which position the OD control cable is in, but when it jams, you cannot move the OD control in or out-it too is jammed. I am wondering if there is supposed to be some means of preventing that upper lever and rod from falling back built in to the remote control that is worn out or broken. If anyone is familiar with the design of the remote control or has encountered this problem and can tell me what's going on I'd appreciate their wisdom. I suspect that the remote control is the problem but I hate to have to source a replacement part and then still have the problem!
