I have a '92 F-150 Supercab, 2WD, auto/power, new starter, transmission, brakes, tires...iow, I thought I had replaced ebverything important that could fail(and did) within the last year.

Surprise!!

Yesterday, after driving about 25 minutes, I had to back up to get out of a parking lot. When I shifted into reverse, the shift arm went limp. As it turned out, I could still maneuver it into what were probably neutral and drive or overdrive or 1st gear (I could go forward and stop and rev the engine without moving. The display panel was meaningless at this point).

Anyone got a diagram of this mechanism? I'm hoping something just slipped and can be put back in place with relative ease. I took off the dash panel in front of it but didn't see anything that looked out of place and I'd like to know what's in there before I go any further. One thing I did notice was a cable coming from the malfunctioning mechanism that seemed too thin to be doing the job it was supposed to do. It was as fine as fishing line, but appeared to be tight and in place.

Excuse the lay terms; obviously I'm not a mechanic. Nor, unfortunately, can I afford to pay one at this time. So I'm it. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Lisa

 

LISA, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR TRUCK, BUT I DO HAVE ONE ABOUT HOW TO FIND OUT. MOST TRANSMISSION SHOPS OFFER FREE ESTIMATES. ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS AS YOU CAN THINK OF ABOUT WHAT THEY WILL HAVE TO DO, AND WHY. CAN'T HURT, AND YOU MAY LEARN ENOUGH TO FIX IT YOURSELF. ALSO, MOST PUBLIC LIBRARIES HAVE "MODEL SPECIFIC" REPAIR MANUALS. IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN THE NORTHERN WISCONSIN AREA, I'D BE GLAD TO LOOK AT IT FOR YOU. MIKE861943

 

Thank you, Mike, that's a good idea. And thanks for the help offer, but I'm pretty far from Wisconsin. I'll look for a Chilton manual at the library.

Lisa

 

the thin line you saw was for the indicator in the insturment panel. how do you mean went limp?? btw what state are ya in.. or should i say country lol

 

Hello, Mike,

This was actually pretty obvious. The point at which the breakage occurred is on the steering column, right where the arm meets the column. On other cars I've had, this arm screws off, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. At this point, I just need to know how to get the cover off of the top of the steering column. I found all the screws and bolts for the bottom, but can't figure out what's holding the top on. If I'm lucky, maybe the arm does screw off and did so spontaneously, and all I have to do is go in there and put it back on. Aside from not finding an attachment/disconnection point for the top steering column cover, I don't know how to get this piece past the ignition switch; the ignition is bigger than the cover opening for it, and, of course, my keys won't come out because I can't get it into park. I'll spend some more time with it today. My patience is limited because it's cold out there and I'm a little wary of taking it apart with it running. I suppose if I disconnect the battery, I can be more brave about going further into the steering column. Thanks for the feedback.

Lisa

 

Hi Lisa,
You have to remove the ingition switch to take things apart. To remove the ingition switch,
1. Detach the the negative battery cable.
2. Turn the key to the RUN position.
3. Place a 1/8 inch drill bit in the hole in the casting surrounding the lock cylender.
4. Depress the the retaining pin while pulling out on the lock cylender.
5. To re install the lock cylender you have to reverse this operation.

Good Luck.

 

Thanks, Cyberbyrd,

I found the problem and it's much worse than I thought. The iron/some kinda cheap metal bar that extends through the steering column and connects the arm to the shifting mechanism is severed. It might have to do with a recent crash-landing into a snow bank while parking. I know this part has to be replaced, but is there a good adhesive I can use in the meantime, as a temporary fix, like maybe a few weeks? I can line up the ends perfectly and hold it pretty tight, using the shift arm. I suspect the actual repair is going to be pretty involved.

Thanks again.

Lisa

 

i cant say as it would be safe (dont think i would do it) but jb quick or plain old jb weld might do the trick... really leary of that though. see what other ppl say.

 

 

Hey Lisa, here’s a thought, maybe it will work or maybe not.
If you can drill a small hole in each side of broken bar, then put a wire tie in the holes and pull it tight, that should hold it together.
Or drill the holes in the bar then, find a piece of metal, and drill two holes in it the same distance apart as the holes in the bar, then bolt the piece of metal to the bar to hold the two broken pieces together. Hope this helps. Any questions please ask.
This is a temp fix, so get the proper bar as soon as possible.

 

Thanks. That's an excellent idea, I think the wire fix would be better. The problem is, the break is just far enough back that gaining access to both ends of the bar is difficult without taking the whole steering column off. But I just might do it; I've gone this far. The situation has gotten pretty ugly. I can't get my ignition back in. I'm using a remote starter, then swittching to the empty gas tank to shut it off. I get reverse now, though, not sure why. JB Weld didn't work, mostly , I think, because I couldn't get enough access to spread it in between the broken ends; I mostly surrounded the ends, then secured it in place with tension by putting a rubber band on the shift arm and attaching it to a point where the dash attaches. I gave it about 36 hours, but it let go as soon as I released it.

So, how do I get the steering column off?

 

four bolts under dash. and the pinch bolt under hood (where the colunm meets the rest of the steering linkage) and some wiring connections underdash and it should be free. be careful of the boot that goes in the firewall those can be a pain in the rear.. i think that is all there is too it... someone will add on if i am wrong.. good luck