Howdy, any of you guys know how to get the shifter to stay in park on a '66 F100 Custom Cab? I got it back in October and the shifter don't stay in park too well and I don't know if it's because we dropped a 351 in it or what. But if you have any help it'd be much appreciated. Thank y'all.
-Cody.

 

Hi Cody, Welcome to FTE My #1 PICK!!!!

First, we must presume that the tranny is working correctly, and that it is an adjustment issue. There is an adjustment on the shift rod that connects from the steering column to the tranny. Second first, secure the truck on level ground by blocking a wheel both front and back to keep it from rolling.

With a helper loosen the nut at the tranny on that shifting rod. You should now be able to shift the tranny by hand by moving the arm on the side of the tranny. When it is fully forward it will be in park.

With the tranny in park, and the lever in the park position reconnect the nut and tighten it down. Try shifting the tranny to see if you can get the selector to hit all of the gears. Sometimes you have to compremise the lower gears if you have a mismatched setup.

It is critical that park is working because your truck could roll off and you would be responsiable for any damage caused if it hit anything or anybody.

good luck

John

 

It is also important to know what which transmission is in there now, which one was in there before, and which shift column is in there.
The different transmisisons have different "throws" or lengths of travel to move from one end of the gear range to the other.
The different steering columns are designed to accomodate that throw, to make sure you can get it into and out of the proper gears.

If you have mismatched the original '66 column to a later transmission, it may not be possible to adjust it to move the full length of the transmission's throw. If this proves to be the case, you are obligated to adjust it so that the truck stays in Park, just as John Wilkerson posted.

If you can tell us the details I mentioned above, we can probably help you find the correct - and safe - setup for your truck. Both John and I (and many others here at FTE) have put a later transmission into the earlier trucks, and you can benefit from our frustrations with getting it right.

In my example, I put a car C-6 into my '66 behind the original 352, and had to solve a similar shifting problem. When I later replaced the engine with a 460, I also had to replace the C-6, and was able to get it correct the first time, and didn't have to take everything apart again.
I also used a steering column from a '71 F-100, in order to get the correct shift throw, and to install the later power steering. Unless you look real closely, the installation looks original, and it didn't take a lot of work.

Let us know, and we can most likely help better.

 

I guess I'll take Johns advice as well and see if mine will find home. It will always, when on a hill make a nasty gear grinding thud,thud,thud as it moves down hill. Maybe an adjustment would solve it..I usually pull the emergency brake and chock the wheel. LOL