Auto-Shift Lever and Linkage issues, Need Help Confirming Model (modified by PO?)

[eightynine4x4]

Howdy,
My truck is 89 automatic 2.9 4x4..
My steering column's plastic cover has hand written "93 Explorer" on it
Looking at the mechanicals, can anyone confirm this is in fact a 93 Explorer column?
If so, i assume the previous 89 ranger column had an issue and this was fully swapped. There's also a black wire not connected to anything, as pictured.
I bought a Dorman 74040 bushing and it doesn't appear to fit anywhere, but maybe i need to dig more.
But it could be that this column needs the 905-107 Dorman pair of bushings that many ford trucks need.
On a side note, it's pretty frightening that the shifting of the truck comes down to this thin little wire! I'm sure it's strong but it sure would be nice to see a beefy cable in that there spot.

Also, my shifter linkage has some DIY method for keeping itself linked. Maybe something deteriorated. It functions as factory I guess, since it's just holding two connectors together, but it's very suspect and i gotta figure out what exactly is missing from this connection. But I have poked around and really couldn't find it! Anybody know what to look for?

 

[snoranger]

That little wire is only for the PRNDL indicator in the cluster... it’s not actually used for shifting.

 

[Shran]

I can't see the black wire in your pictures, but if it's the one I'm thinking of, its only purpose is to set off the door dinger if the key is in certain positions.

There were some very minor changes to the column/steering wheel/wheel center pad between '89 and '94 but nothing that doesn't make them more or less interchangeable. The only thing that doesn't really work is putting a 93-94 horn pad on a 89-92 steering wheel... or vise versa...

What specifically is going on with your column? The shifter handle moves a rod inside the column that pulls or pushes on a cable that is located right under the brake booster under the hood.

 

[eightynine4x4]

That little wire is only for the PRNDL indicator in the cluster... it’s not actually used for shifting.

I can't see the black wire in your pictures, but if it's the one I'm thinking of, its only purpose is to set off the door dinger if the key is in certain positions.

There were some very minor changes to the column/steering wheel/wheel center pad between '89 and '94 but nothing that doesn't make them more or less interchangeable. The only thing that doesn't really work is putting a 93-94 horn pad on a 89-92 steering wheel... or vise versa...

What specifically is going on with your column? The shifter handle moves a rod inside the column that pulls or pushes on a cable that is located right under the brake booster under the hood.

Woops! Forgot to include pic of black wire. That is now below.
As for the status of the column lever, it’s quite sloshy, and I only have P, R, N, one D/OD, 2 despite having visual labels for OD and 1.
So is a mess physically and also I’m missing two spots entirely.

 

[Shran]

Well, I would try to narrow it down to the column or the cable. The cable may be way out of adjustment too if you can't get it into 1st..................... someone probably messed with it and didn't know how to adjust it. There's a little threaded block thing under the truck that the cable goes through, that's how it adjusts.

May want to pop off the column end of the cable and wiggle the shaft around too, see if anything in the column is loose.

 

[eightynine4x4]

Well, I would try to narrow it down to the column or the cable. The cable may be way out of adjustment too if you can't get it into 1st..................... someone probably messed with it and didn't know how to adjust it. There's a little threaded block thing under the truck that the cable goes through, that's how it adjusts.

May want to pop off the column end of the cable and wiggle the shaft around too, see if anything in the column is loose.

Thank you i will test a bit! Didn’t know there was a cable adjustment. Will find it.
Yes the shaft itself has a little wiggle. Not a ton, but some. Primary issue is the way off-scaled “shift” points.

 

[eightynine4x4]

Looking at some guide videos and now speculating..

Could it be possible that someone mounted a 93 explorer steering wheel / lever mechanism onto a 89 ranger column?

And secondly, could it be possible that they also installed a 93 explorer A4LD, and would it be any different than an 89 Ranger A4LD?

Looking at some explorer pics, it seems there is no D position indicator at all. This kinda seems like what I have at the lever. It’s also maybe possible I’m not getting into 1 due to some total size incompatibility between a 93 steering wheel shift lever and a 89 ranger transmission. I guess? I have some more identifying work to do.

I should pop under and look for a serial or model number on the transmission to see what it is and check it it’s an explorer A4LD.

 

[eightynine4x4]

Here's my transmission's tag. Don't mind the soap suds.

62092
109617
1350-39
E87A-KA

Anybody got any ideas of how to decode any of this? I've poked around for decoders or info but everything just points to the truck VIN or simply lists years and models.

I'm trying to figure out if this is a swapped in A4LD which doesn't have D in addition to OD. Of course this would only be possible if some version of A4LD that didn't have D also had the same bell housing shape/fitment as the 89 Ranger A4LD and could bolt on. So I guess if that's not even a possibility, then i have the 89 Ranger A4LD and I can focus my attention on the mechanicals that shift into D and see what's going on.

To be clear, I believe my lever simply doesn't seem to have the notch for D, so it's not that I'm shifting into it but it's failing to perform differently than OD. My steering wheel guts could be from a 93 Explorer, and it's out of adjustment to boot. Maybe I'll try tightening up some adjustment for the indicators but still that would only help with indication and not change my position behavior. I'm very hesitant to start adjusting the actual lever and the way it effects the transmission before I confirm what I'm even supposed to expect.

If this is a proper OEM 89 A4LD, I feel like it's possible that I'll never be able to get the correct positions unless i put the 89 steering wheel mechanicals back in.

 

[snoranger]

That’s the tag on the transfer case, not the trans...
It’s a Borg-Warner 13-50, the correct T-case for an 89 Ranger. (A 93 Explorer used a BW1354.)

 

[eightynine4x4]

That’s the tag on the transfer case, not the trans...
It’s a Borg-Warner 13-50, the correct T-case for an 89 Ranger. (A 93 Explorer used a BW1354.)

Oh gotcha thanks. Well I guess that leans further in the direction that the trans is an 89 ranger too. But I’ll still look for that tag..

 

[tw205]

What year did rangers go from floor shift to column shift? I thought 90.

 

[snoranger]

What year did rangers go from floor shift to column shift? I thought 90.

89 was the first year.

 

[eightynine4x4]

So i took it for another test drive....
Below is how this column shifter relates to my transmission. I am now 99% certain there is no 2 or 1. Based on paying attention to gears auto shifting, I have P R N OD D.
I adjusted the little wire adjuster under indicator to make it a little more realistic but there truly isn't much correlation between the indicator and the transmission, no matter how i adjust the wire. So i'm ignoring indication until the column/tranny relationship is solved.

Also still trying to confirm the model/year of the column shifter and mechanism. I included a pic of the whole thing too here. Is it in fact a 93 explorer?

 

[eightynine4x4]

Starting to think I should try tightening the selector cable down under by the transmission and see if that gives me the last two positions in the transmission. Maybe my notches on column are all kinda blurred over.
Pic below. Haven’t figured out if it’s adjustable yet.

 

[pjtoledo]

it is adjustable. there is a clip that engages the teeth. slide the clip part way out, maybe all the way, then you can re-position the line.