Broken Shift Lever 2002 Explorer 4X4

[Spit]

So I get a call this morning from my daughter...she and her husband were not able to get her Explorer to shift out of Park. He forced it and broke the shift lever....not the die cast piece with the ears that the lever attaches to with a pin...but the actual lever itself! Broke it right off at the pin!

2 things...why wouldn't it shift out of park? Where can if get the lever? I see the Dorman 905104 kit for the die cast piece...but that's not what is broken here...the lower inch & half of the lever along with the pin is still in the steering column.

I think i can install the 905104 if that is what it needs..but like I said it isn;t what broke...I did read the owner's manual and tried to to the interlock bypass thing...putting a screw driver tip through the slot but it didn't work.

Any ideas?

Spit

 

[Spit]

Fixed

I pulled the pin and removed the broken off lower piece of the shift lever. Once it was out I could get it to shift using a pair of needle nose pliers, drove to a junkyard at first they wanted to sell me a complete steering column...when I showed him the broken handle...not the die cast cylinder..he said that I was lucky and that a handle alone would work. He let me pull a replacement lever for $10..seems to be shifting fine with no sticking? I wonder if the handle being bent or partially cracked at the pin hole was the entire problem.
No doubt when it cracked completely it would get pushed into a locking position from the indent spring. Any thoughts or ideas on this?
Spit