I am driving a 1991 Ford F150 4 x 4 Lariat with a straight six and a manual 5-speed.

I was driving with a load a debris froma jobsite I was working at and suddenly when I went to shift into second I couldn't find it at all. I pulled over and was able to get into first and then got into second, but then after I pulled into a parking lot I couldn't get it into either gear again. It will go into third, fourth and reverse. If I move the stick all around once in awhile I can get it into first. I don't know if I should try and drive it home, or have it towed.

It feels like something in the linkage assembly. I went to the dealer and they printed me out a schematic for both a ford tranny and a mazda tranny and it kind of looks like the mazda one. they said in the part department that the shop seldom ever ordered linkage parts though.

I need to tackle this fix myself if possible.

Do you think it is the linkage?
And can I do the work without dropping the tranny?

Anyone ever worked on their truck in a Walmart parking lot?

I really appreciate it!!

Thanks

 

I'm not super familiar with the standard transmissions, but I seem to remember from another thread that there is some kind of ball joint with a locking pin where the stick shift pivots at under the boot, and that this ball joint assembly can come loose making it hard to find the gears. You probably want to start by pulling up the boot and having a look at all of the components and linkage in there. It should be pretty obvious if something is not right. Good luck!

-Chris

 

Thanks. I think I will have to tow it home to look at it. I am afraid that if I take it apart in the parking lot that it might not go back together easily and get stuck in gear when trying to tow it home.

I already lifted up the boot and there are three torx screws holding down the plate for that ball thingy.

Went and looked at the Haynes Manual and there is a whole whopping two pages that covers the entire manual tranny! Not even a shematic for the trans or the linkage.

No one I have talked to seems to know much about it.