Hello all,

Just replaced the shifter on my 1985 Ranger 4x4 with the Toyo Kogyo 5 speed transmission because the original one had broke. Got the shifter from a local wrecking yard, and it works fine for all 5 forward gears but does not go into reverse. As a matter of fact, it works better than the original shifter for the forward gears, not requiring such a long throw to get into any of the gears. However, when I try to go into reverse, it is like it is locked out, or bumping up against something. Doesn't make sense to me. Reverse worked fine before, and nothing else has been changed with the transmission.

The truck has been sitting since Sept of last year. Only got it running two days ago after replacing 3 fuel pumps, a fuel filter, and a strainer. The front frame mounted pump was replaced in September, and 3 weeks later the rear pump went out. Two days ago we replace the rear pump, only so the front pump can go out again...

Anyway, for now, the engine stays on for more than a minute, and it will drive under its own power as long as I am going forward. I have a second shifter I can try, but it seems to be a bit different than the one that came with it, as it has a longer shaft with the ball on the end then the original.

I can live with it not having reverse for awhile, but am thinking of selling the truck and it would sell for much more with a working reverse gear.

 

In most cases, the most obvious answer is usually the correct answer. IE - sounds like the wrecking yard gave you the wrong shifter. There were like 3 different transmissions the wrecking yard could have pulled the part from. The Mazda 5sp, Toyo 5sp, and Mitsubishi 5sp. The other possibility is that you don't actually have a Toyo trans, and they gave you the shifter for a Toyo as you requested. Did you verify what trans you have with a visual inspection, & by checking the tag on the side of the trans housing to see what model number it is?

The most important question I would want answered is: Did reverse work before the original shifter broke? If the answer is yes, then it is likely the wrong shifter. Unless......???? You didn't mention what part of the shifter broke. If the tip broke, could you have left a piece in the top of the trans?

Other thoughts:
You say the throws are shorter, this would also point to a shifter with a different geometry. In this case, if you compare the original broke shifter to the one you have now, you should find that the distance from the pivot ball to the tip that goes in the transmission is greater on the one you are using.

 

I was told by the original owner it was a Toyo transmission. The wrecking yard where we got the shifter is one of those where you pull the part yourself. We got two different kinds, and one of them fit. The original shifter broke at the pivot ball. It is possible that a piece of the ball is still in the trans, I don't know, I did not do the work. It was done by my neighbor's son, who is a Mustang guru.

He took the pivot ball off of the one that did not fit, and put it on the original. We will try and reinstall that to see if it fixes the issue. I really don't want to have to drop the trans, and disassemble it to get reverse working. Yes, reverse worked before the shifter broke.