How to adjust shift cable
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 580
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From: Chippewa Falls, WI
How to adjust shift cable
He everybody, I am working on a 1998 expedition for a friend and the problem we are having is it will not start in park. First thing we replaced the neutral safety switch and ended up with the same results. After digging into the beast a little more I found that the shifter is not making it solidly into park because the cable is out of adjustment. Now our problem is I have no idea how to adjust the end of it. There is a black and yellow connector on the trans. end that both have saw teeth on them which is clearly for adjustment but I can't figure out how to move them on eachother. Being old plastic I didn't want to try too hard and break something doing it wrong. I see what I need to do but I don't know how to loosen it up to adjust.
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 76
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theres a bolt right under the p r 2 1 letters above the colum. look deep into there...its a galvinzed bolt. its there but hard to see unless you DROP colum i guess. might help cause mine came off and cable and shift went to hell.everything loose didnt start on p! i was lucky to feel bolt fall off while driving....use flashlite...bolt faces you clearly...was tricky getting it on cause i didnt drop colum. if cable is adjustable i think from trans side of cable thou...
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 580
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From: Chippewa Falls, WI
We pulled down the column cover and everything was fine there. The shifter feels just fine but it is out of whack to the selector on the trans. I couldn't see anything up there that would adjust the cable, only the little thingie for adjusting the indicator on the dash. That is when i found the yellow/black connector down on the side of the trans. I will try to get under there and get a pic to post here. Maybe that will jog somebody's memory. I am sure somebody pulled their tranny and messed with it at some point. 
Fleet Owner
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 24,323
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From: 0,0,1
Before you attempt to adjust the cable down at the tranny you should make sure the infamous torx bolts are tight.
Read at least page 1 of this thread: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...n-shifter.html
Read at least page 1 of this thread: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...n-shifter.html
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 580
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From: Chippewa Falls, WI
Hey, thanks everybody. I crawled up under there and sure enough they were loose as hell. Snugged them up and we are good to go now. I threw a little loctite on them just for the heck of it but at least now we know what the issue is next time it comes up.
I really should have checked here first, we didn't need the neutral safety switch. Oh well it was only 35bucks. Probably ready to go anyway with 170K..
THANKS AGAIN!
I really should have checked here first, we didn't need the neutral safety switch. Oh well it was only 35bucks. Probably ready to go anyway with 170K..
THANKS AGAIN!
New User
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 2
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I installed a neutral safety switch and truck still wouldnt start. I was going frantic thinking what else it could be...starter, fuse, ignition switch...and I didnt think i was going to be able to visit my niece for her birthday or even make it to work on Friday. Luckily i searched and found this gem of a post and you guys saved me yet again. Thanks so much for all your help in these forums
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 191
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From: Federal Way
I found a video about the two loose torx screws on the shifter cable bracket under the dash.
Both of those screws were loose on mine, so the video saved me weeks of diagnostic frustration.
Now that I have the looseness fixed (w/ loctite), I need to adjust the linkage so it indicates the position better.
Everything I have found shows a thumbwheel adjuster somewhere near the steering column (under the dash).
I cannot find that anywhere, but at the transmission end, it looks like there is a way to adjust it there
(hard to describe the mechanism but the sawtooth description above is the best I've found so far)
Anyone know how to adjust it if there isn't a thumbwheel adjuster up under the dash?
Both of those screws were loose on mine, so the video saved me weeks of diagnostic frustration.
Now that I have the looseness fixed (w/ loctite), I need to adjust the linkage so it indicates the position better.
Everything I have found shows a thumbwheel adjuster somewhere near the steering column (under the dash).
I cannot find that anywhere, but at the transmission end, it looks like there is a way to adjust it there
(hard to describe the mechanism but the sawtooth description above is the best I've found so far)
Anyone know how to adjust it if there isn't a thumbwheel adjuster up under the dash?
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