Just bought a lemon that won't shift into park
 

Hoping someone can help.


I just picked up my first classic vehicle a 1965 ford f-250 with 292 and 3 speed transmission. From what I can see it is unmolested and 100% original. I drove it home and parked it with no issues. The following day I started it up and every time I would put it in reverse and backed up it would shift into drive. Becoming frustrated very quickly, I decided to park it for the day. The problem is it will not shift back into park. The shifter on the column will shift into park but the transmission will not engage and the truck will roll away. I checked the linkage underneath the truck and everything seems solid. From what I can see the linkage underneath is not adjustable. I'm not the most mechanically inclined but I'm willing to learn. any help would be greatly appreciated

fordsforever2015 Welcome to :-X25 and the Slicks Forum. :-wink

First if you have a twin I-beam front axle truck it will have a FE 352 engine not a Y block 292 last installed in 64 with a straight front axle.

With 50 years of wear & tear you shifter could be worn, or the shift arm at the tranny may need adjusting.

We will need some more specifics to be able to help.


John :-X06

Try the following with the engine Off
-jack up the rear of the truck and put it on jack stands.
-disconnect the transmission linkage at the transmission
-try to shift the transmission to park from underneath the truck.
-if park engages, then you have a linkage adjustment issue. Adjustment is either at the transmission side of the linkage or the steering column side of the linkage
-if the park does not engage, then you have an internal transmission issue with the park gear/lever
good luck

Last I looked 3 speed manuals don't have park.

lol. maybe that's the problem!

Might just be slop in the linkages binding it up.

But don't call it a lemon! Still running after 50 years, I'd say it's one of the good ones.

~Steve

Agreed - 50 years is a long time


Matthew

John you are correct. It is a 352. My apologies. I do plan on jacking it up and playing with the linkage underneath. I took a look at the linkages at midnight with a flashlight and there seemed to be no way to adjust it. It was a horrible day. A long time to drive home followed by even a longer time to park it. Now that it is daylight im going to go take another look.

WELCOME to FTE.

There are a lot of issues with keeping up these old classics, but the troubles are well worth it. Hang in there, and we will be glad to help.

I see three issues that are important, and the first is your Park problem.
If your truck has the original transmission, then it came from the factory with a Cruise-O-Matic, known as the COM transmission. (Our resident Ford parts expert will narrow the technical name down for me better - Bill, aka Number Dummy.) Howver, there is a chance someone could have changed the transmission - which isn't a bad thing, by the way.

The original automatic COM transmission would have 14 bolts in the pan, and the most likely replacement, a C6 would have 17 bolts. Could you count them, and post back?
Both of them work well in our trucks, but each has different adjustment methods.

Issue #2: Title and registration possibilities. Experience here at FTE has taught us that over the course of nearly 50 years, the Warranty Plate (with the VIN) on the door is not the one the truck had on when it left the factory. The door gets banged up, for example, and instead of swapping the original Warranty Plate from the old door to the replacement door, the original one gets thrown away with the old door. Later, the car gets stolen, a fake title is somehow issued, and the truck restarts life.
With the advent of E-Bay and the internet, cars that were stolen years ago are being recovered.
I do not know know SK's policies, but I am reasonably sure that transferring the title involves comparing the VIN on the title with the factory VIN on the frame.
I would strongly recommend you do this soon to make sure you have what your title says you have.
The frame VIN can be found on the upper frame rail, on the passenger side, about in line with the engine pulleys. It is likely to be covered with greasy grit, but don't use a grinder. Use a wire brush, and then compare it to the title. Hopefully they match.

Issue #2 - Enjoy your new truck. I don't know what condition it is in, restored versus daily driver but you have a great usable project there! Keep in mind that the Stop pedal is usually more important than the Go pedal. Drive her for a while, and she will begin to tell you what she needs.

Thanks John


I just checked and it is the original transmission since I clearly counted 14 bolts. I was unable to locate the VIn on the top of the frame rail on the passenger side. I used a wire brush to clean from the cross member to the rad support and no indication of any stamping. however It is severely rusted

If you plan on working underneath please chick the wheels to prevent it rolling on top of you.

For a temporary "fix," reach over the steering wheel with your left hand to pull up on the shift lever. This might give it just enough to engage the parking pawl in the transmission case.

Otherwise, the linkage is adjusted from up top, under the hood near the bottom of the steering column.
Hope this helps.

Sometimes it can be a bugger to dig out, but the Go To VIN is stamped on top of the passenger side frame rail about where the front axle crosses under and again under the cab. It is there, or was when it left the factory. :)


John :-X06

If you think you've taken possession of a lemon, your job now will be to make lemonade! The fact that this is your first classic vehicle experience and you state that you are not particularly mechanically minded, and you've bought a 50 year old F250 that doesn't work as advertised are things that may combine to make you depressed. The good news is that you're willing to learn. First of all, what do you want the truck to be and do? What do you know of the truck's history, as in has it been in use or sitting in a field for years? You will find that restoring these old trucks will take longer than you thought, cost more than you expected, and when you're done, will not be worth as much on the market as you have invested in it. You will find that you fix one thing, and something that was working perfectly will then go wrong - as in the water pump fails, you replace it, and then the fuel pump fails. Some of this stuff is 50 years old. Expect it. I don't say this to put you off; it's all part of the experience so be prepared for this to happen. And when you're done and everything works, and you find that you love driving it, in spite of the lousy fuel economy, then it'll all have been worthwhile. And you'll have learned a lot which you can then use when planning your next classic vehicle purchase! We're here to help and you've got some good mechanics already interested in your case. Good luck!