Shift lever loose and won't move the linkage back into Park, or any other gear. Key won't go to Lock position. Shift lever gave out when pulling it out of Park after starting vehicle.

Going to go, now, disconnect battery negative. Don't know if I have air bag or not. See if I can remove the shrouds on column. Saw a post about carefully removing the air bag, after power off for at least two minutes. Be back soon to check forum for any possible reply.

11:30 AM EST. No air bag. Back outside to see about the lower shroud (the one over the ignition key).

11:50 AM EST. Ignition key out of socket, lower shroud off. Shift lever is loose and resting in the R position. It will move up into the Park position (level and indicator), but linkage is disconnected somewhere and not actually putting it in Park.Can't move it out of Reverse either. I may have asked for help here in removing this column previously, but for a different reason. Go to search now for all my posts.

12:15 PM: Found no previous posts on steering column.
Couldn't see anything wrong with shifter up top near steering wheel. Guess I should drop the column and look down there. OR, maybe the problem is under the car at the transmission.

12:25 PM: Linkage at tranny not disconnected - guess that wouldn't have made sense anyway. Onward with dropping the column I reckon. Well, maybe after a quick lunch. Probably should search online some more for a loose shift lever though.

2:40 PM: Been looking over the underside of the column and can see nothing wrong with all that I can see. Am now suspecting one of the tubes I read a little about. Going to finally get my late lunch and finish removing the column for a closer look.


Thx much for any help.

 

I'm not sure of your year truck, but yours may be a cable instead of a rod, I don't have knowledge to help out, but...it bumps your thread up anyway

 

Thx Slip ford man,

It's a 1994 F-250 5.8 liter. Only two of those 4 bracket nuts remaing now before it comes out - well, and the one bolt on the u-joint where it meets the lower steering shaft. Soon as I finish lunch and get it out, I'll be post again. Thx for responding!

 

Hey Slip ford man, you still on?

Looks like I have tubes (I guess we were talking about two different things, when you mentioned cable) - the bottom part isn't locked in with the upper tube that connects to shift lever. In other words, when I rotate the shift lever, the bottom part (that must be the bottom tube) doesn't rotate with the upper part. This must be the outer and inner tubes I read about, and the connection between the two is broke, yes?

The u-joint below that connects to the steering shaft that goes thru the floor...Do I need to remove that 1/2" bolt on the lower half of that u-joint so the u-joint will pull off that lower shaft, or do I just go on and lower the column and it will separate freely from the upper part of that u-joint (where that large disc and spring is)?

 

I'm here, but with 0 Ford column shifter knowledge...somebody will come along and make it simple, or sound that way.

 

Go check out this site:
Steering Column Parts, Replacement, & How to Instructions

They charge for their instructions, but they're well worth it!

 

Ok Slip ford man! Sorry to disturb your Zzzz's there man :O)

 

Thx Phy, I'll check 'em out. Sounds great!

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...ge-broken.html This may help a little.

 

Thanks Lazy K, great info.

I ended up taking the column out to put it on my workbench. Now I can see the break in the tube. NAPA here in Fairfield (Cincinnati Area) said $33.00 plus tax for the whole thing.

Don't currently have a digital camera or I'd post some pics. Cell phone is about dead (all except call capability). Its camera no longer works. Ordered a new one last night.

I'll post back again tomorrow about my experience getting the old tubes off the column and the new ones back in...

Thx much for everyone's help.

 

For anyone that it might help, the part number for the shift tube on my 1994 F250, 5.8 liter, is F3DC-7215, just like the part number shown in the large pic of the shift tube, at the link posted by Lazy K in this thread, just a couple of posts back

 

It turns out NAPA gave me the wrong part (gave me one for a newer truck - mine's a 1994), but my Ford dealer had the correct one for $40.00, but it didn't include the inner "rod" that I was mistakenly calling an inner "tube."

Removing the tube is painless - I took the column and did it on my work bench - I just wanted to get a closer look at everything.

I had a hard time, initially, banging out the lower pivot pin (or whatever its called - not the upper pin that holds in the shifter arm), but was my fault because I was trying to push it out the wrong way. This pin is not of uniform thickness, end-to-end, because part of it has to be smaller diameter in order for the pivoting flat steel piece, that the pin goes thru, to pivot freely on this pin. I was attempting to drive the serrated end of the pin (the thicker end) thru the hole. You need to do exactly the opposite - drive from the other end. It will then come out easier because you're not trying to drive the serrated tip of this pin through the hole. I imagine that's exactly what the serrated tip is for.... so you cannot drive it through the wrong way (at least without great difficulty and damage to the serrations). I was just hot and impatient from the weather (workbench, at least one of them, is outside) - too much in a hurry - didn't take notice.

Ok, time to reinstall the column. Will post again about how much fun that was.

 

Anyone around that can tell me what order the pieces go on, at the end of the steering column steering shaft?

Not the bracket for the shifting cable, but the pieces that follow the larger bracket (the bracket that secures the column up and over those 4 large bolts). I removed that mounting bracket in order to get the column out (don't know if I had to for sure, but I did). The four pieces: black shroud or "Collar", large metal disc, smaller collar, spring.

Found a diagram that may not be exactly like my 94 F-250 (only a couple of smaller washers showing that I don't have (unless those are two pieces that are already in the larger black collar - that's gotta be it), unless someone else left '
em out at some point, before I got the vehicle), but I see no reason why this wouldn't work. Here's a link to the diagram. It's says
'92 and up:

http://www.supermotors.net/getfile/7...column92up.jpg

In case the link expires, the order is Large collar (of course), smaller collar, metal disc, then spring. Will be back to confirm that...

 

Any better, does it look right to you...not tilt

 

Slip ford man, I love ya! ( well, you know I mean :O)

Just now saw your post with the diagram. Yes indeedy, looks right on to me. What a great diagram, with Zoom no less!

Thank you!! (where'd ya get that diagram with Zoom?)

All went well - back in business!