Help! truck wont go into park (keys stuck) shift linkage?

[misterbobbitt]

hey guys, im a new explorer owner (previous ranger owner). i have been reading up allot around here, but haven't had the chance to chime in much.

anyways, i have a 1996 5.0 explorer with an auto tranny,

on the way to work this morning i pulled into a gas station and went to shift into park and it wouldnt go. the gear selector feels all loose and i cant get it to go all the way to the left (park) or all the way to the right (1st) its kind of mushy in the middle and i have to feel around to find the gears. drive is around neutral, and it wont go past reverse. this happened all of a sudden. it was working fine all morning.

im hoping it has something to do with the shift linkage and not the tranny itself. i cant get the keys out of the ignition, which makes me uncomfortable leaving it in the parking lot overnight, so i need to get this fixed asap. im going out to start taking stuff apart, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.



please help! is there any way to adjust the link between the selector on the column and the little lever on the side of the transmission or anything else i should check out?

thanks guys

 

[my pos mounty]

I vaugely remember reading something similar to this happening. Turned out to be a piece made of cast pot metal in the steering column. Disassembly of the column was definately required. Im going off memory, and I very well may be exceptionally wrong. But, I tried.
Post back with your results???

 

[YountExplr]

try this link out

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums//showthread.php?t=266031

 

[specialized7]

this happened to me after i did the lift, the linkage came out of this metal bracket on the tranny, climb under and see its on the drivers side

 

[Turdle]

Did you recently see one of these on the floor?

Grab a flashlight, look up under the dash, jiggle the shift lever and you will see the very loose one if it hasn't made it to the floor yet

 

[misterbobbitt]

Did you recently see one of these on the floor?

Grab a flashlight, look up under the dash, jiggle the shift lever and you will see the very loose one if it hasn't made it to the floor yet

i did find one of these! where does it go?

 

[gijoecam]

Subscribed. This is a new one for me!

 

[Turdle]

i did find one of these! where does it go?

This may help

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=266031&highlight=screw+floor

 

[YountExplr]

i already posted that thread in here... oh well. This seems to be very common the past few months lol