Stuck in park

[professor229]

The transmission fiasco has escalated.... I have been putting it off but yesterday "it" hit the fan at he wrong time. I have a sloppy shifter linkage and have read all about this problem and watched several how to videos as well.... I did remove the plastic panel below the steering column as well as the metal plate behind that to access the plastic wheel to move the red line shift indicator ...... and at that time, I SHOULD have addressed this problem but didn't think it was bad enough so I put the panels back after getting that project done. Yesterday, we took the boat trailer loaded with kayaks to the lake and when I got home, I was going to back it in the driveway.... and positioned the rig on the street to put the Ranger in reverse to get it done.... The shift lever didn't seem to want to find reverse.... it hit PARK and the REFUSED to move out of park.... ahhhh did I mention I was right in the middle of the street? (thoughts about that ship blocking the Suez Canal crossed my mind) I am sure I will laugh about this someday but at the moment, there was some language involved and I unhooked the boat trailer and got that off the street but the Ranger remained... right in the middle.... I had shut it off after trying several times to move the shift lever without getting excessive.... but thought I would try one more time and started the motor and for whatever reason, I could pull it out of park.... and it was in D (drive) and there was no way I was going to try for reverse again so I drove it around the block and straight into the parking spot in the driveway..... relieved.... but now I have this issue and will wait for some cooler weather, pull both the plastic and metal plates from under the steering column and then do my best contortionist act to try to see the bracket that holds the linkage..... and would bet the two screws are loose...... it is a T30 torx bit that is needed and I have that... but, getting to these two screws might be a problem even with a swivel .... and one guy suggested Harbor Freight for an extension that is very flexible, rubber like..... So I am going to try this one more time... but at my age, laying on my back etc... is getting to be a bridge too far.... so this one might be going to a local mechanic that has done some work for me..... and if I remember correctly from a few of the videos, these two T30 screws and not the only ones under that dash that may be loose.... and it is time to look again and do some more research.....

 

[Vindictus]

My 96 did the same thing to me. I went to junk yard and picked a used one. I swaped it out at lunch break at work.

 

[professor229]

I vowed that I would not lose any sleep over this problem and would wait until it was cool enough outside to pull both the plastic and metal panels off under the dash.... so I could at LEAST take a look at it.... This morning I went for a bike ride and it is was nice and cool so I got out the sockets and since I have had this apart before it was simple to remove the two panels... Then the hard part... got out the small trouble light and looked and moved the column shift lever and then crawled under on my back a little further and both screws I see look very accessible.... The You Tube fix it videos on this said it only took them ten minutes to tighten the two T30 screws and maybe they were right???? Will try to tighten them tomorrow.... and yes, I think both of them are loose... the question is, do I pull one at a time and put lock tight on the threads?

 

[professor229]

Update..... it was 82 outside but there was a stiff breeze so I went after this... watched several videos on what to look for and even knew the size and type of bits I would need.... only problem I knew I would have is a 6'4" guy trying to fit upside down on a Ranger floor.... and tried... almost had to have my wife call the fire department to get back out..... sad.... but I could see the T30 screw I needed to tighten..... and if I laid on my side, I could get to it.... taped the T30 bit to the socket and put on one extension.... no use looking so just felt for it, found it, and it was very loose... tightened it and no time for lock tight but got it done... then "felt" for the other T30 and no way you were going to see this one but the socket bit found it and this T30 was already tight..... moment of truth... got back out, put in the key, started right up with no pushing on the gear shift lever to make sure it was in park and the neutral safety switch was engaged... in other words, just like from the factory... and the shift lever was now tight.... no slop.... It was a good day... and fishing was REAL GOOD too earlier that morning!!!!