wtd Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 Yesterday I stopped for gas and when I put the car into park, it was in reverse instead. I tried messing with the gear selector(on column)and the car seemed to be in park. When I went to start it, it seemed like it was in reverse again because the car started moving backwards immediatly. When I got to where I was going, I put the car in reverse and it acted like it was in nuetral until I pulled the gear selector closer to park at which time it shifted into reverse. When I got back home, I backed the car into the garage and it went into reverse normally and when I put it in park, it went in but I could hear something click, probably the parking pin. Car is a 70 Monte with a 396/400 turbo trans. Motor and tranny have been in car since 97 and has about 15,000 miles on both rebuilds. This is the first time this has ever happened. I did recently put a new backup/nuetral safty switch in but everything has worked normally until now. Can anyone give me an idea at what to look at? From what I can tell, all of the linkage is tight. Can the linkage be adjusted? Thanks for any info. wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 loosen the adjusting nut, put the shifter in nuetral, manually put the trans in nuetral, tighten the adjuster, give it a try Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtd Posted April 29, 2006 Author Share Posted April 29, 2006 Sam, Could you tell me where the adjusting nut is? I looked at the linkage a little while ago and I can't see any type of nuts to adjust. Is this up by the steering rod that is in the engine compartment by the firewall? Thanks. Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 follow thelinkage from the steering colum, where the two meet you will see a bolt that holds them together, loosen that bolt Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Wayne, any luck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtd Posted April 30, 2006 Author Share Posted April 30, 2006 I have not got a chance to look at it again. Just to be clear, You are talking about where the steering column shaft in the engine compartment by the firewall meets the linkage going down to the trans? Kind of behind and to the left of the brake booster? If so, do I just loosen the nut and than make sure the gear selector in the car is all the way in Park and then retighten? Thanks. Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montefrazer Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 That would work. Be careful with the bolt. I have broken these bolts because of rust. While you are under there, check where the linkage goes to the frame. At the bracket on the frame, look for a spring and a plastic bushing on the linkage. If these are worn or gone, it will allow slop in the linkage and problems with the shifting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam (Bones) Posted May 2, 2006 Share Posted May 2, 2006 good idea, i'd do that first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtd Posted May 2, 2006 Author Share Posted May 2, 2006 Thanks guys, I still haven't had time to mess with the nut but the other day when I was under the car, it looked like the spring and the plastic piece was still all intact. I'm going to try looking at the linkage again after work. Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtd Posted May 6, 2006 Author Share Posted May 6, 2006 Guys, I finally had a chance to look at the linkage and I can't find this bolt you are talking about. Where the linkage meets the lever by the firewall, its held on what looks like a post with a cotter pin through it. I didn't see anything you could adjust here. Am I looking in the wrong place? Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montefrazer Posted May 7, 2006 Share Posted May 7, 2006 Wrong end. Look at the bottom of that rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtd Posted May 7, 2006 Author Share Posted May 7, 2006 Thanks, I'll try looking there. Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtd Posted May 12, 2006 Author Share Posted May 12, 2006 I finally found the bolt for the adjustment but not before I had some more problems. It happened again at the gas station when I went to park the car to put gas in it. The shifter would not go all the way up and the key would not go into the resting position. The car also would not start since I had turned it off. I pushed it out of the way and got under it The shifter rod had slipped down quite far through the hole that the adjustment bolt goes in and got stuck. Luckily I had some tools with me and was able to loosen the bolt and put the shifter and linkage where it was supposed to go and tighten it back down. I pulled around again to the gas pump to get gas and the car would not go into park. The shifter moved freely and you could not hear the clicks as it went into each gear. Unfortunatly there was a van in front of me and the car would not go into reverse so I had to sit there until the van left. I left and went home and had to slide my tool kit under the front wheel to keep the car from rolling. I got back under the car and discovered the linkage rod had come completly out of the hole and was hanging loose. The washer that was on the tightening bolt was too thick and would not let the bolt tighten down on the rod. I put a thinner washer on the bolt, tightened it down and so far everything seems to work okay. I did find out that my neutral safty switch is either not working right or is not adjusted right because my car will start in gear. The switch is new so I probably don't have it adjusted right. I'm just glad that I got this fixed. Thanks for everyone's help. Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montefrazer Posted May 13, 2006 Share Posted May 13, 2006 Another problem solved. Keep those questions coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex's72fgmc Posted May 16, 2006 Share Posted May 16, 2006 on the neutral safety switch there are some rods that conect to it and have to be slide into position on the switch unscrew the two screws and make sure the rods are in the holes that hold them. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtd Posted May 17, 2006 Author Share Posted May 17, 2006 Thanks, I will check that out. Wayne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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