I pulled into a parking lot in my 1978 F-100 (auto, 302) and suddenly the truck would not go into park. When I returned home I pulled out the factory manual and adjusted the linkage as per directions - still will not go into park. At present I am forced to leave the truck in neutral when I shut it off and park only on level ground.
Is this a transmission problem?
Thanks for any info.
CB3

 

It can also be the shift lockout plate inside the steering column. It mounts with two screws on the back side (dash side) of the column flange. It is the plate that interacts with your shift lever to keep you from accidentally bumping the lever and pushing it into reverse or downshifting and also why you have to pull back on the lever to shift into or out of park. Mine had broken one screw loose and was causing quite a bit of difficulty shifting in general, but mostly park.

 

You can find out by disconnecting the linkage at the transmission. Then put the transmission in park and see if it holds. My first thought was the shifter collar on the steering column.

 

Thanks for this info. How do I get to this plate? Removal of the steering wheel - then what?

In addition I know that there is tape around the base of the shift lever where it goes into the column - it has been there since I had the truck. Would this indicate any relationship to my problem?

CB3

 

There are two nylon bushings, both are the same. One snaps into the manual control selector lever located at the bottom of the column where the shift rod to the trans attaches to.

The other is located on the manual control selector lever on the trans where this rod attaches. These tend to crack apart/disintegrate, causing the shift lever to flop around.

EOSZ-7341-B (replaced C3AZ-7341-A; C8OZ-7341-A, D4TZ-7341-A and etc) .. Nylon Bushing ~ Available from Ford.

 

X2 and with some assistance (for safety). When you stop the truck, put it in neutral, and shut it off. On level ground, like you have been doing. Set the park brake, have a friend chalk the wheels, you get out and have a friend get in and hold the brakes. You get under the truck and put it in park by moving the lever on the dvrs side of the trans, while your friend tries with the shifter. All the way fwd 2 clicks is park. I bet you have some worn/broke items in your steering column.

If you get it in park and then can not get it back into neutral or drive by the shifter, you will have to get under it again (applying all safety stuff as before) and by hand put it back in neutral (2 clicks back). If it will not start after that then you did not get it in neutral and the NSS (neutral safety switch) is working properly. Safety safety safety.

All the way back is L, L2, D, N. 4 clicks from all the way back should be Neutral.

To get to the pictured parts, yes steering wheel off, then t/s switch ect..something like this.

"First you need to remove the steering wheel, then the turn signal switch. Drive the roll pin out of the gear shift and pull it out. There is some spring pressure to work against to get the shifter out.Then, underneath the turn signal switch are two nuts. Try loosening these first then remove the casting. These are what "clamps" the collar in place. If you take the nuts all the way off the little square head bolts might fall into the steering column and can be a real pain to retrieve.

Once all that's out of the way, you can pull the shift collar off.To remove the turn signal switch, you need to remove the phillips head screws that hold the switch in place. Unplug the switch harness under the dash. Look at the harness plug, then look at the terminals, there are little plastic fingers that lock them in place. Depress the fingers and pull the wires out of the plug. Be sure to make a chart of where the wires go. Once the plug is removed, tie a string around the wires and pull the switch out all the way.The string will make getting the wires back through easier.The shift collar just pulls off and the new one pushes on. After that reassemble in reverse order."

 

What I have done so far -

Wit the shift lever in neutral, I disconnected the linkage on the left of the transmission and clicked the level all the way to the front (which should be park).
But when I get back in the truck and start it up it jumps into reverse. If I shift the lever to reverse, the truck is now in neutral.

I then placed the shift lever in drive (as per factory manual) and moved the lever underneath all the way to the rear and then two clicks forward. The truck now goes into neutral, and shifting to neutral gives me reverse. But I cannot shift further into park.

What a nightmare!

 

Yea sounds like you have something messed up in the column. Temp fix, a cable and a floor shifter.

 

The OP needs to read post #2 again.

 

I think there is still some confusion as to your testing results. It sounds like you put the transmission in park manually, reconnected the linkage, and then tried testing? Try eliminating the column/ linkage entirely. Disconnect the linkage at the transmission and shift it all the way to the rear and then go back forwards. It should be 5 clicks. If you get all five, it SHOULD be in park. Leave the linkage disconnected and place the column shifter in either park or neutral (doesn't matter- just trying to keep the neutral safety switch happy). Start the truck. If the transmission still acts like it is in reverse and you are sure that it got five full clicks, then there is something weird with the transmission. Report the results of that separately.

If it actually engages park and you have confirmed it, then reconnect the linkage. You may have to experiment a bit to find the sweet spot to center it so the shifter and the transmission are on the same page. If you can't and you still get the gear mis-match, then it is time to start checking the linkage at each joint for free play, the previously mentioned shift lockout plate, and the shift collar.

 

Anyone remember back in the late 70's - early 80's how Ford was getting raked over the coals for trucks jumping from park to reverse at idle? One of our 78's did that one night while my brother and I were out spotlighting armadillos. The truck rolled down a hill and centered an oak tree. I was so happy my older brother was the driver that night.

 

1. I disconnected the linkage underneath completely.

2. I pushed the lever on the transmission forward all the way (it appeared to want to click forward one more time, but kept kicking back)

3. I then started the truck and it kicked into reverse.

When I adjusted the linkage according to the factory manual (shi9ft lever placed in drive - trans. level pulled all the way back and then clicked forward 4 clicks - reconnected linkage). The truck was now in neutral. When I moved shift lever to neutral, truck was in reverse. Shift lever would not go into park,

 

Yeah, if it is kicking back out of park, that does sound like a transmission issue to me.
However, when I check my 1975 Ford Shop Manual (but should be the same for all years), it says to put it in drive like you are doing, disconnect linkage and shift trans all the way to the rear, and then move it forward TWO clicks. Four should actually put the truck in reverse unless my logic is whacked. You are saying yours was in neutral? I am assuming you verified this, but I am now totally confused. Just to verify, this is the stock, three speed automatic (assuming C4)?

 

OK - here goes one more time.

1. I placed the shift lever in D - held it with weight as per factory manual.

2. I loosened linkage under truck - pulled lever on trans. all the way to the rear - then forwarded the level TWO clicks forward.

3. tightened linkage - then placed shift lever into neutral and started engine - truck was in neutral.

4. tried to shift lever to park - if I pushed hard on the shift lever it would stay in park (shift lever never showed completely on the P, but half way between R and P) for a few seconds, then jumped into reverse.

Maybe it would be easier to just buy a small anchor & chain for parking purposes. As of right now I am having my wife jump out and put a chock in front or behind the rear wheel - depending on the direction of the slope! I hope no jerk comes along and pulls the chock away!
CB3