Aquah0lic

My column shifter doesn't need to be pulled back to move. It just slides strait down and I don't like it. Is this a pain to fix?

Aquah0lic

63 views and no replies. Looks like I may be on my own on this one.

I'll bump it up once for good measure!

BC847

Do you mean it moves with no detent (click-stops) action?

torquefan

I can't remember exactly what's in the column for a gate for the shifter, but if you pull the plastic shrouding off the column around the shifter handle, it maybe easy to see. Might just be a gate with loose or missing screws.

BC847

There's nothing in the column that provides the detent action. It's in the trans.

deanhinsley1963

I think he's saying that he doesnt have to pull the lever back toward him to shift which should be in the column I believe.

crazy clem

take the plastic covers off that surround the column. look at the pivot point of your shifter there should be apin that attaches your shifter handle to the collar in that area behind the pivot point is a spring , maybe its broken?

Aquah0lic

Yes. This is correct. The handle just slides up and down. You can pull it back but there is no need. The spring is good. From park to R takes a very light bump, then it slides freely to D and then another very small bump to the lower gears. It's never 'locked' into position. If I driving and reach up to mes with the radio or something and accidently bump the handle it could slide into R very easily. I'm guessing that would be bad for the tranny. When I get out on faster roads I sometimes discover I've been driving in 2 because it's hard to tell where the shifter is set.

Aquah0lic

Oh great, so it's my trans going bad? I hoped it might be something simple.

BC847

No, it's not going bad, it's just showing it's age.

The detent action is provided by what's called the Rooster-Comb. It's located on the gear shifter shaft that's part of the transmission's valve-body.

The detent action is made possible by a spring-loaded ball that rests in the notches of the rooster-comb. Shifting from one gear position to another has the ball move up and over into the next notch as needed. The ball pretty much locks the shifter shaft in position.

As a result of normal wear, the rooster-comb has become loose on it's shaft. This has allowed the comb portion to get out of place enough such that the ball has popped out of it's normal position, and it has fallen into the transmission pan.

Here, you can see the ball is missing . . .





You need to remove the rooster-comb and peen the existing divots so the comb is tight on it's shaft.





- Remove the gear shifter lever and the TV cable lever from the transmission.
- Drop the transmission fluid pan.
- Drop the valve-body.
- Disassemble the shifter shaft from the valve-body.
- Repair the rooster-comb.
- Reassemble everything.

Aquah0lic

Wow, great post! Thanks for the info.

So if I'm in P, when I pull back on the shifter to go to R, does it take tension off the detent spring allowing the ball to drop out of the way so it will go into gear? I guess I'm still a little cloudy on the mechanics of it.

BC847

No, the rooster-comb moves, forcing the ball up and over into the next notch.

Ball your right hand into a fist.
Put your left hand's pointing finger in between two of the knuckles of your fist.
Holding your finger still, rotate your fist.

Your finger moves between one knuckle to the next.

Your fist is the rooster-comb, and your finger is the ball.