Hey everyone, I have a 73 f100, auto, 2wdr. Can you replace the shift tube on these trucks? I had a mechanic that switched the shifter to the floor because he said the shift tube was moving and you had to slam it into park. He couldn't figure out how to replace it? Can anyone help me with this?

Thanks, Art

 

I've never heard of a shift tube moving up and down in a steering column.

IMO your mechanic doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

He hasn't worked on too many steering columns either, because...

Every car/truck w/a A/T from 1951 thru today, every car/truck w/a M/T from 1940 thru today w/a column shift...has a shift tube.

What do you mean the trans has to be slammed into Park? Define slammed.

I have an idea what the problem is...and it has nothing to do with the shift tube!

 

Thanks for the reply, it was hard to get the column shifter into park. It was as if there wasn't enough room you had to kind of force it in and it would slip out to reverse. Or you thought you were in park but you were still in reverse. Most of the time you had to force it out from park too. The mechanic told me that it was rotating inside the steering column and moving upward. eventualy it would move so high that I would be unable to get any gear.

 

Moving up in the column sounds weird. I had one that the bottom "lug" on the shift tube ( it slides in and out of a matching slot in the lower lever, which sticks out at the bottom of the column under the hood and attaches to the shift rod, came loose and it did things similar to what you describe. It would sometimes engage with the lower lever and work and sometimes not. Eventually it quit altogether.I took it apart and re-welded the lug to the tube ( it was poorly spot welded on in the first place) re-assembled it and it works fine now. But it could also be other things like the pin that holds the shifter handle wearing out( or the holes it sits in) I also had one that the section of the column that the handle protrudes from was broken inside and it would bind and work/not work erratically. First thing I would check though, is the plastic bushing in the eye of the lower lever ( where it connects to the tranny shift rod).

 

it sounds like the linkage needs to be adjusted at the transmission

 

(sigh) I KNEW it!

This is a somewhat common problem that affects all Ford vehicles with a A/T column shift, and....

It has absolutely nothing to do with the shift tube, it has everything to do with the detent.

Bolted on the bottom of the upper steering column's flange is a half moon shaped detent aka a shift gate aka insert. The shift lever has a tab on it that fits in between the gates.

Looks similar to this: \ P I R I N I D1 I D2 I L /

What happens: When the vehicle is parked on an incline, people put the shift lever into Park before setting the hand brake.

This causes the vehicle to roll...just enough...that the parking pawl inside the trans locks up tight.

Now the shift lever has to be yanked out of Park, and over time, the individual gate between Park and Reverse bends, then snaps off.

In your case, a section of the individual gate has snapped off, so there's just enough of it left...that if you play with the lever...sometimes...you can get the lever to stay in Park....sometimes.

D2TZ7A216A .. Shift Lever Positioner Detent / Obsolete

Fits: 1972/77 F100/350 / 1975/77 Econoline

NORTH BAY FORD-MERCURY in Santa Cruz CA has ONE = 831-423-4550

GREEN SALES CO. in Cincinnati OH has ONE = 800-543-4959.

DENNIS CARPENTER OBSOLETE PARTS in Concord NC has ONE = 704-786-8139.

No other Ford Dealer or obsolete parts vendor has any.
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The steering column does NOT have to be removed to replace this part.

Remove the steering wheel, below it is the flange. Remove the shift lever, then the flange can be removed.

Turn it over...there's the detent...with its broken shift gate.