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As the title says the transmission is stuck in park, as far as i can tell the shifter on the column wont move, the brake lights (well one of them) work and the truck runs well, and as far as i could tell the fuses weren't bad, any ideas?
Edit: I didn't think of mentioning it, but the truck is on a slight embankment (i think thats the best word, maybe berm) that while flat itself, has a little drop about a foot in front of the front tires that makes it so i cant do anything with jacking up the truck in case it decides to move for any reason, as it is also a tight space with other vehicles nearby.
There is a lot of little parts and things that move in the steering column linkages. Age could have worn enough stuff down or something broke causing it to be bound/caught. It is likely not internal to the transmission. It has been a while since I tore an auto apart, but the selector on the transmission doesn't do much but direct hydraulic fluid to another passage if my memory serves me correct. So there isn't anything to bind in the transmission.
Its possible age is the problem, it sat for 7 or so years before i worked on it and got it fired up so there may be some lingering issues (may as in i know of a few things that dont work) but there is also the problem that the column just does not move at all, i can pull the lever back like im starting to put the truck in drive but past that it wont move
Check all the linkage. It is probably something binding it up.
In park, you could try pushing it (without the key in) to see if it truly is in park. If it is, maybe the rod that pushing the pawl got stuck?
Has it always been this way or was it working before? I have read a misplaced rod in the valve body doing this on a rebuild, but not happening spontaneously.
Trying to push it isnt an option, rocking it is very iffy but that may be possible to try when i next get the chance, but yeah rocking it is probably the best bet
Also as far as i know it wasnt like this before, it ran and drove when parked, and with the place its parked in it couldnt have just barely ran or barely grabbed gears
Is it parked on a steep slope by chance? If so hook it to another truck and pull it (just a very small bit) what ever direction to get the "slope pressure" off the trans parking pawls. Then try to shift it from the column. OR....With it still hooked to the other truck and some one on the brakes of BOTH (better idea) trucks. VERY CAREFULLY see if you can change the gears by hand/pliers on the (transmission manual lever) on the side of the trans, from under neath. 3 clicks from its present position is neutral.
DO NOT TRY any of this by yourself, like with it running and getting under there. GREAT WAY TO RUN YOURSELF OVER. BE SAFE, BE SMART. I would also....not trust the park brake to try this either. You might also want to:
1. Jack it up and see if the front wheels spin freely, to make sure the brakes are not froze up. Since it sat for so long.
2. If the fronts spin, I say no need to jack up the rear, remove the rear d/s and to the same ck on the rear wheels. But depends on how the fronts go.
3. Can you get under it (not running) and move the shift lever on the side of the trans by hand? Make sure to chalk block the rear wheels on BOTH sides. If it does go into neutral, it can roll.
Doing this ck by hand underneath takes out any question about the trans itself being bad. You can still have a steering column shift issue/broke parts.
Its not parked on a steep slope no, but the place it is in makes it impossible to hook it to a truck, jack it up in any way, and eliminates most of my ability to get under the truck to look at it, i think i can try to move the shift lever by hand and see if that works, because to be honest, all i need is drive on the truck right now and then i could do things like jack it up and such
Just to check, is it also possible to do something along the lines of hide or remove a fuse to stop the truck from being able to be put in drive? The previous owner was.. cunning with things like that so it may be possible he did something like that
NO electric control over that trans at all. All manual controlled, lever's, linkage. You do not even need you foot on the brake pedal to start it or even shift it out of park to any gear. Yes I know newer vehicles have that kind of elec control, but our old rigs sure do not.
