A904 won't shift into park or 1st

[Righty Tighty]

Hey FABO, yesterday as I pulled up to my house, I went to shift the lever into park, but it stopped in the reverse position. I swept the lever down through the gears, and it stopped in 2nd. This came as a surprise because there were no indicators of potential failure prior to this happening.

Here's my setup:
71 Scamp, 318/904, console shifter (originally a column shifter). The console feels a bit loosely mounted to the trans tunnel, this is really the only new development I noticed that might relate.

The shifter is definitely hitting a positive stop as if it were all the way in park or 1st, but is only reaching the reverse or 2nd gear positions. I checked the shift linkage underneath and everything appears normal - doesn't seem like it's hitting anything - so I'm suspecting the actual shifter mechanism in the console.

My question is, are there any ways to troubleshoot this prior to removing the console? My plan is to remove the console to have a look, but if there's a way to determine exactly where the problem is before doing that, that would be great.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Dana67Dart]

Lefty Tightly says pull the console!

You could rule out the transmission by removing the shifter linkage at the trans and shifting the trans through all positions.

Chock the tires!!!!!!

 

[Projectile Dart]

I would recommend to lay underneath and have someone cycle through the shifter inside the car and check to see if you see any loose parts anywhere

 

[Righty Tighty]

I will say, on the way back from the store before this happened, I pulled a short WOT run. Started at maybe 15MPH in 2nd, dropped into 1st and floored it, but only for maybe 50 feet. I only mention that in case it could be related.

I'll have someone cycle through with the shifter and then look at pulling the console.

 

[missing linc]

Any chance you broke a mount? Engine or transmission? My 70 Dart with a console shifter would sometimes hang up on the way into the park position if I didn't press the button in as far as it would go, I believe the cable was a bit stretched and not lifting up the lever fully.

 

[Dana67Dart]

I'll have someone cycle through with the shifter and then look at pulling the console

While your under there and BEFORE you pull the console pull the soft lever rod and cycle the lever.

Also it has happened on many console cars, a pen, coin, socket has fallen between the gaps if any in the shifter and blocked linkage.

Could also be the slider that moves with the shifter lever

 

[Righty Tighty]

Any chance you broke a mount? Engine or transmission? My 70 Dart with a console shifter would sometimes hang up on the way into the park position if I didn't press the button in as far as it would go, I believe the cable was a bit stretched and not lifting up the lever fully.

I'll have a look at all the mounts tomorrow.

While your under there and BEFORE you pull the console pull the soft lever rod and cycle the lever.

Also it has happened on many console cars, a pen, coin, socket has fallen between the gaps if any in the shifter and blocked linkage.

Could also be the slider that moves with the shifter lever

It's funny you mention the slider, because it's been in need of replacement for some time, and while I was going back and forth with the shifter, it finally gave up and disappeared! It simply dropped inside the console somewhere.

 

[Dana67Dart]

It's funny you mention the slider, because it's been in need of replacement for some time, and while I was going back and forth with the shifter, it finally gave up and disappeared! It simply dropped inside the console somewhere

That's where my money is now!

 

[Inertia]

Tighten the shifter knob acoupla turns .

 

[Bewy]

Sounds like you have lost travel through the shist mechanism, cable or linkage, whatever your car uses.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Sounds like you have lost travel through the shist mechanism, cable or linkage, whatever your car uses.

Shist. That sounds like a **** and piss at the same time. Might get messy.

 

[Righty Tighty]

Busy shift at work yesterday, sorry I couldn't stay engaged. I will say that the slider failed after the problem appeared, so I really don't think that's the issue (or at least the initial issue). I didn't have the time or energy to check anything out today, but I did move the car. And when I did, I went to put it in park and played with the shifter. Went through the gears, giving a little english side to side, also tried nudging the console a bit, finally I noticed the button on the shifter knob would engage (pop out) in every gear except reverse and 2nd. So, I don't know why I tried this, but I mashed the button (more the shifter itself) just a little harder and it moved into both park and 1st.

So @inertia and/or @Bewy is this what you were referring to? Seems to me, if I applied a little more pressure to the shifter and it works again, it might be an adjustment issue and not something broken or fell out of place.

Shist. That sounds like a **** and piss at the same time. Might get messy.

Rusty, you're gonna bring back some memories I thought were long gone....I'll send you the counselor's bill haha

 

[Righty Tighty]

Here's my shifter setup.

 

[Alaskan_TA]

Have you taken the time to check the shifter linkage adjustment to see if it is off yet?

 

[Righty Tighty]

Do you mean at the trans where the linkage connects to the shift lever? I looked at that on the first day, it was tightly adjusted but I didn’t have anyone to shift for me while I watched from underneath.

 

[Inertia]

By adjusting the knob, you change the height of the engagement mechanism below .
Add or remove a turn to the knob, to change "detent/gate" height .

 

[Righty Tighty]

Thanks! We've got a truck at work where you adjust the parking brake in the same manner, I didn't know I could do that with the shifter in my car though. I will try that.

 

[Righty Tighty]

A little update - I turned the shifter knob a couple turns clockwise, problem solved. Thanks everyone!!

 

[RustyRatRod]

Glad you got it!

 

[Inertia]

You're welcome .

 

[Dana67Dart]

Glad it was a simple fix,