senerio...
sometimes 'N' is netural, other times it's 'D'.
sometimes 'P' is 'R', or, part way in between.
'1', is always '1', except when '2' is '1'.
sometimes starts in 'P', sometimes needs to be held over against 'R'

In short, I can always "find" 1-2-d-N and R, but, P becomes elusive.
Never bother'd me much until yesterday 'P' became 'R' and my truck went for a drive across the street, up over my neighbours yard, and fetched up on an apple tree after mowing down his garbage bin, dragging it across the lawn, and tearing up pavers and sod.

The tranny has been rebuilt, proffessionally, and the fact that sometimes I can find park good and solid, I'm thinking I've got linkage issues.

Would anyone be so kind as to to recommend a plan of attack/adjustment?

Mike H.

 

I would disconnect the linkage at the tranny, put shifter in park, firmly, then adjust the linkage to fit tranny properly at that spot. This should make everything line up again. Unless, somehow, in the tranny it got screwed up. Did this start after the tranny got redone? How are the bushings in linkage??

Seems somewhere down the line it got mis-aligned. I know alot of people that go thru this when installing an aftermarket shifter.

 

it's always been vague.
got better when the tranny was rebuilt... but has steadily gone south.
no idea what the bushings look like, I've not inspected anything yet, thought I'd find out what to look at first before I wasted time looking while not knowing...
where would I pick up new linkage bushings?
Maybe I should use some coat hanger... .

 

I tried looking in the resto catalogs, unfortunately all I see was clutch stuff. It's basically the same stuff. The rod comes off the column to a cross bar, then too tranny. If any of that stuff is sloppy, it won't be in the gear you selected up top.
The plastic bushings at each connection need to be tight, especially at cross bar. It should be stable.

I'm thinkin' maybe a 4 spd would rectify the problem...

 

The factory bushings may be worn and hard as glass with age on the trans and column lever. I ended up machining Nylon bushings for both ends. Without full engagement of the trans in park it will jump out and roll away. You will also find that if park in the trans and column line up that D, 2 and 1 are not. I had to make the trans lever shorter to align thru the shift range. Did you go thru linkage length adjustment first? Easy things first. Carl....=o&o>......

 

I've not done anything yet...
and...
it gets better...
The dang truck failed me again!
just simply shut down along the road... just wham... done...
it cranks over, but does not catch.
while it cranks the volt gauge spikes high.
it's being towed to my house.
I'll check to see if the petronics is melting down... because... Last time the volts spiked the petronics was litterally melting down.
Supposing everything inside the cap/dizzy is all pretty... I'll pull the fuel filters and inspect. Hopefully, since I paid to have the fuel tank refurbished, that is not the issue.
After that, I'll put my old coil on and see what that does.

This truck is really wearing me down.
I've got a tonne of errands to run in preperation for the holidays, and now, no vehicle... and, on top of, gonna be out mumbeling and cursing ove rthe holidays in order to have it running for work... not the way I wanted to spend time off... Dangitt!

 

My bet is the shift linkage is loose or the tube inside the steering column has a tab broken loose. I have had several that had broken loose but the tear was good enough that it allowed the tube to turn with the shift lever just not always the same exact way. It finally got bad enough that it wasn't just a gear off here and there so I tore into the column and found the problem. It is easy to check by having somebody lock the lever at the bottom of the column by sticking a big screwdriver under it so it can't move and then try and move teh shift landle around. Hawkrod

 

It may be a bad time to speak up but i've been running a Allison ignition system (infrared optical trigger) for over 20 years. Never had a "out of tune fart" or miss and plugs last 20,000 miles plus. You use your old advance system. Allison was sold to Crane a few years ago and now called Fireball XR700/XR3000. To upgrade to a higher current coil the XR3000 system will fire any engine build. I carry points, condenser and round coil under the seat, a 5 minute swap if electronics fail. Look at the heat inside the cap with your trigger system plus it produces heat itself, not the best thing having electronics around 180-195 degrees heat. Nuff babble, Carl.....=o&o>.....

 

Makes sence Carl.
The crane stuff, is that the Hi6 deal?
Either way, if it's the petronix again, points will go back in for good.
At least points let you know they are going south... give you time to take care of things rather than leave you stranded in Snobsville trying to finish your wifes x-mas shopping.
I've got a msd blaster3 coil... if I put points back in will it have to come out?

 

Thats a no on HI6. The old ignition by Allison is now called XR700. I have in hand a XR3000 with a LX-91 performance coil that will replace the XR700. The XR3000 will handle a higher current coil, XR700 control box can not but still is a good unit. The Crane points conversion # for XR3000 is 3000-0231, for the LX-91 performance coil, 730-0891. Make sure everything in the centrifugal is free and lubricated as well as vacuum advance. Hope this helps. Carl..=o&o>...

 

Mike, I have somewhat the same problem. I have a thought but I need you to look under your truck.

With your tranny in park is the selector connecting arm running straight forward along the pan, or does it drop below the tranny at like a 45º angle?

John

 

I'll have a look this afternoon after work.
Thanks.
Mike

 

well... the petronix looks new, so, I'll not waste time looking at it.
wasn't able to lay under it this am, on account of my fancy office costume I had on...
I suspect it's clogged fuel filters... again... Even tho I've paid to have the tank overhauled. Getting things done in Phoenix is a pure gamble.
Pride in your work, honesty, and doing a job correctly simply does not seem to exist in this city. I moved here knowing nothing about mechanic work, and have been discouraged/abused/taken advantage of by so many shops, that I've taken it upon myself to learn/figure out ho to do everything myself, in order that it be done correctly.
Thanks to this forum, and some guys in my local Mustang club, knowledge is only asking the question away.
Looks like I might be learning how to refurbish a gas tank over the holidays.
Man this city sucks!

 

For the last few weeks by column shift has been 'shifting'. I picked up the truck for $500 about a month ago. It's all original and in reasonable good shape. About the first week I noticed that my 'R' (and everything else) had moved about a quarter of an inch to the right. Slowly this kept up until 'D' was firmly on the right.

I dropped off my boy at a sleepover night before last (I like driving the truck and use it whenever I have a choice). When I got back in the truck, I started her up and went to put it into drive. I pulled the lever all the way to the right and got nothing but neutral. I fiddled with it for a few minutes and it got real loose. Now it just flops around. I shut the truck off and tried to start her back up again--no luck. I couldn't get the gear back to Park.

Now I have my truck in front of the neighbor's house. I'd like to get it out of there before Christmas. I worked on it a bit last night--I stopped when I realized I'd need a steering wheel puller. I plan on going back over this afternoon.

I'm reasonably mechanically inclined, but not a whiz by any means.

Anyone have any suggestions or ideas about where to start?

Many thanks (this is my first post--so take it easy.... ),

Les

 

Jowilker, with the trans in park (C-6) the lever is 5-8 degrees pointing downward from the pan surface and points toward the front of the truck.
Carl......=o&o>.........