81, J10, Slop In Range Linkage?

81, J10, 360, 727. The range linkage between tunnel and bucket seat, travel almost 180 degrees ? Should be closer to 90 degrees! Won't positively shift, either to low, or high lock. Takes some playing with to get it to shift? Not much external play visible? Something inside wrong, to repair?
I always get it where I need, but takes some time?
Help?
Thanks.

 

It's been a while since I worked on one of these but it sounds like it's time to look into the linkage pivots and mounts. Also I believe there is a adj at the T-case end that has a setscrew in it that might have come loose on you. If all of this checks out good then it must be inside the NP208 you have.

 

I'll look for adj screw. Linkage pivots have tiny wear but not enough to cause the extra long stroke. Could the shift fork be loose on low range box? It goes from h4 to h4 lock ok, but the to low range shift stroke feels mushy? And long!

 

Ordered a linkage rebuild bushing kit! Anyone got a guide to diy, or a schematic?
Looks close to tunnel from underneath?

 

The crown kit came in, not 1 piece in kit matches my linkage.
Ended up making a temp shift rod bushing out of some 3/8 fuel line and some o-ring.
It improved the slop 80%, but it will only be temperarry, as the rubber wears.
This is the 3rd item I've gotten from crown that was wrong(other 2 were for my cj).
Anyone else having this problem?

 

After still having trouble with hard to control shifter, I crawled back under to inspect all.
This time I found the problem. Theirs a bracket that bolts to TC that holds a pivot for the linkage. Factory bracket too thin, it was bending ,while trying to shift. I removed bracket, it just flat steel,bend was in very ends where bolts to TC. I layed bracket on piece of flat 1/8in and traced out another, cut, then welded them together. It don't bend now. Greased all pivots, assembled, and wow, it's never shifted so wel,, and the throw is now shorter, it not flexing anymore. Took me bout 3 hours,I'm old and slow, but after test drive on farm,it was worth it.