Hammer-grip ratchet shifter kit with cable, console, boot and brackets for TH400, TH350, C4, C6 and 727 automatics. Replaces B&M 80885.
Pulling a worn column shifter out of a Chevelle, Nova, Camaro or C10, or putting a Turbo 350 or Turbo 400 into a car that never had a floor shift? This is a complete hammer-style ratchet shifter kit built as a replacement for the B&M 80885. It arrives as a full kit rather than a bare mechanism: the chrome hammer handle and ratchet mechanism, a console housing with trim bezel and lighted indicator, a shift boot, the red-jacket shift cable, two micro switches for neutral safety and backup lights, a set of transmission brackets and levers, and the bolts, washers and clips to mount it.
Neither transmission knows what kind of shifter is in the car. Each has a manual shaft on the left side of the case that turns an inside detent lever, and that lever moves the manual valve in the valve body. GM's TH350 diagnosis sequence lists checking the manual linkage before the road test for good reason: if the outside lever never lands squarely in a detent, the manual valve sits part way between ranges. The ratchet mechanism fixes the human side of that problem. It steps one gear at a time on hard upshifts so you cannot overshoot into Neutral, and the trigger lockout keeps the stick out of Reverse unless you deliberately lift it. B&M designed the original Hammer to work with most popular three- and four-speed automatics, and it can be set up for either.
Disconnect the linkage at the transmission and move the selector lever by hand from Park to first. You should feel a clean click in every position. If the clicks are there and the transmission still slips or engages late, the problem is inside the unit; our TH350 delayed engagement guide walks through pressure and clutch causes. If the lever is fine but the column linkage is loose or the detents at the handle do not match the case, a cable shifter like this one is the right fix.
The kit is listed for the GM TH400, TH350, TH250 and TH200, the 700R4 and 4L60 family, Ford C4, C5, C6 and AOD, and Chrysler 727 and 904. On a three-speed such as the TH350 or TH400, B&M's instructions say to leave the four-speed stop bolt in place; it is removed only for a 700R4, 200-4R or 4L-series unit. The indicator strip in the kit reads PRND321, so on a three-speed you will have one unused position marking. GM electronic units with a PRNDL switch need an extra cable bracket, and B&M notes that a TH400 with a cast aluminum pan may need its bracket modified. Browse the full TH350 parts collection, and if you are unsure what you have, our TH350 problems and fixes guide covers the unit's identifying details.
If the shift shaft is already wet, replace its seal while the lever is off; the TH350 external reseal kit includes it. Prefer a vertical-gate shifter with a T-handle? Compare the 80675-style 3-speed floor shifter. Top off with DEXRON ATF afterward if any fluid was lost.
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Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Yes. Both are on the listed fit list. For any three-speed, leave the four-speed stop bolt installed so the shifter has three forward positions, and use the GM bracket under the left-side pan bolts.
The hammer handle and ratchet mechanism, console housing and bezel with indicator, shift boot, shift cable, two micro switches for neutral safety and backup lights, transmission brackets and levers, and mounting hardware.
B&M says to omit the pan spacers with a cast aluminum pan and that the cable bracket may need modification on a TH400 with one. Check clearance between the selector lever and bracket before final adjustment.
Check the linkage first. GM lists misadjusted manual linkage as the first cause of drive in Neutral; a forward clutch that does not release is the internal cause and usually also kills Reverse.
This kit is set up as a standard forward-pattern shifter. If your transmission has a reverse-pattern race valve body, confirm the shift pattern before ordering.
