Tech 101: The Hurst Shifter Neutral Alignment Pin...
and you can make one for whatever shifter you have or are getting.
By
Jeff Smith
—
June 7, 2026Don’t have one? You can easily make it at home, too
When assembling a Hurst 4-speed shifter, the key to ensuring the shifter operates correctly is to always use a neutral alignment pin. All Hurst shifters come with a plastic pin but back in the day they were steel (arrow) and worth keeping in your toolbox for use anytime the shifter was serviced. If you don’t have a neutral alignment pin, a ¼-inch drill bit or any ¼-inch diameter rod will suffice.
This simple tool is placed in a small slot in the bottom of the shifter body and with all three plates in the shifter in neutral, the pin will slide all the way through the entire shifter body locking the plates in neutral. This allows you to correctly connect the shift arms to the levers on the transmission and the shifter. With everything properly aligned, this allows the shifter to transition smoothly between gears. If the shifter is properly assembled, the shifter lever will swing freely through the entire neutral gate with no hang-ups and without a “notchy” feel. This is when you know the shifter is aligned.