Loose gear shifter... and what is this bolt?

[CDW6212R]

Old thread but same problem - WHERE do you get this bolt? I can't find one! Also, my shift lever is often VERY hard to move, worst of all, sometimes when I get it into Park, it slips backward a little bit, makes a noise before stopping. Is this more damage and will need an actual mechanic to fix? I'm at the point of removing the driver's seat so I can actually get at the shifter & bolt. Help!

Have you looked close at it under the dash, and found the bolts connected with the shift linkage, besides the obvious bolt hole? Usually the bolts will become loose, both nearest to the pedals. If one is still there, carefully push the bracket back up and snug that bolt well. That end is just one part that holds the shifting components in place. The shifting shaft and the tube around it, are pot metal and wear over time.

So you will need to restore the bolts into place, and then reevaluate whether the shift lever is working properly(tightly). The replacement parts are(were) about $50 or so years ago. I recommend replacing those in any high mileage Explorer. I have one extra set of those for my project truck, but I should buy another for my current 98 to sell it in the near future.

 

[joney]

Have you looked close at it under the dash, and found the bolts connected with the shift linkage, besides the obvious bolt hole? Usually the bolts will become loose, both nearest to the pedals. If one is still there, carefully push the bracket back up and snug that bolt well. That end is just one part that holds the shifting components in place. The shifting shaft and the tube around it, are pot metal and wear over time.

So you will need to restore the bolts into place, and then reevaluate whether the shift lever is working properly(tightly). The replacement parts are(were) about $50 or so years ago. I recommend replacing those in any high mileage Explorer. I have one extra set of those for my project truck, but I should buy another for my current 98 to sell it in the near future.

Thank you, and everyone else who responded! As Shamrock (new name) is also my daily driver, it's been hard to really dig into the whole thing, as I have to drive it! prob have to yank on that lever to see if it's loose, as it appears the bolts actually are in place. Very difficult to see in that cramped space. Will possibly have to take out the driver's seat, it doesn't go very far back and I can't maneuver myself into place. Also have to recruit a friend to observe the 2 places under the hood where some linkage is supposed to move when I move the shift lever. If no issue then look at the linkage in along the steering column. Got all this from threads here and more on You Tube. If I can find time would be possible to replace burnt out lights behind the gauge display. And I'm hoping to get a pulley fixed that a shop told me was ****ed, serpentine belt runs a bit crooked, may have to pay them to do it and diagnose why the AC doesn't work. Getting ready for a trip, perhaps next month!

 

[Mbrooks420]

They’re probably just loose. My guess is the grinding is the parking pawl finding it’s home. You probably aren’t parking fully. Be very careful. It can appear in park, and then come out of it. I almost rolled my Mounty off a cliff before I figured out what my issue was.

 

[CDW6212R]

Ditto, the parking mechanism operates a cable from the column, out to the trans. If the cable isn't fully in place in the park position, it will be easily out of park there. You can feel the different positions for other gears etc, and know they are engaged, generally. I do that with my truck daily, shifting back and forth from D to R, dozens of times each day. The park position is the only one that bothers me, it doesn't feel as positive as I'd like, I am very careful pushing the lever fully up to the left, gently and not too forcefully. It can break, don't push too hard.

The belt pulleys and the tensioner are wear items, it's a fairly easy to do once every 5-10 years job.

That gold colored bolt for the column shift parts, there are several of those in the column area, all the same dimensions. It would be easy to find a used one or more at a JY, lots of Fords from the 90's would have them.

 

[CDW6212R]

The column shifter parts are very old now, it's time for many 90's vehicles to have those parts replaced. I had my spare pieces in my office close within reach. I got them from eBay a few years ago, but only one has a part number shown on the OEM bag, it's the inner shaft "plunger" F7DZ-7R264-AA

I have posted the three part number before, well before I got these I'm sure. I replaced them in my 99 work truck in 2006 I believe it was, and I scrapped the two main cast parts, they were very loose fitting then, at only 77,450 miles when I bought the truck. What is needed is the shifter "tube", the plunger, and the two bushings that go on the tube piece. Taking the column out is a fairly big job, and I think I've read of a person doing it without removing the column.

 

[joney]

Thank you, and everyone else who responded! As Shamrock (new name) is also my daily driver, it's been hard to really dig into the whole thing, as I have to drive it! prob have to yank on that lever to see if it's loose, as it appears the bolts actually are in place. Very difficult to see in that cramped space. Will possibly have to take out the driver's seat, it doesn't go very far back and I can't maneuver myself into place. Also have to recruit a friend to observe the 2 places under the hood where some linkage is supposed to move when I move the shift lever. If no issue then look at the linkage in along the steering column. Got all this from threads here and more on You Tube. If I can find time would be possible to replace burnt out lights behind the gauge display. And I'm hoping to get a pulley fixed that a shop told me was ****ed, serpentine belt runs a bit crooked, may have to pay them to do it and diagnose why the AC doesn't work. Getting ready for a trip, perhaps next month!

BTW, I didn't use a cuss word here, just a common one for something that's tilted off kilter, LOL

 

[joney]

Update - I did get both screws into place on the gear shift thing under the dash. Took forever. Recent weeks noticed it was getting harder to shift gears. Have been way too busy looking for an apartment and putting things in storage. Until Thursday last week...Was coming from about 12 miles away, noticed I needed some gas. While pumping gas with the truck off and in Park, it started to roll forward towards the station building! As I can't run (need a cane to walk) I laid the pump nozzle on the concrete and yelled for help!!!! A brave guy came out, pushed against the front bumper slowing it down so I could jump in and put my foot on the brake! Another man working for the station asked if I needed help, asked him to grab a wheel chock from the back seat. With that in place, spent the next 1/2 hr. or so getting up under the dash with my jerry rigged torx bit extension setup, getting one of the screws in a few threads. After parking and catching my breath, went on back home. Adventures like this I could do without, but VERY grateful to God and the good guys who helped me! Easily could have turned out much much worse!! As for the stupid screws, very tempted to replace them with long ones with locknuts, or even rivet them in place! And I still have to likely put in a water pump next, pressing my luck on that one also!!

 

[Mbrooks420]

The screws will stay tight for years. If you’re concerned a little blue loctite would keep them in place, and you wouldn’t even have to fully remove them.

 

[410Fortune]

With a 7mm and a 8mm you can remove the knee guard and get good access
With a 14mm and 4 nuts you can then drop the steering column and do a proper repair on those bolts and shifter bushings

 

[joney]

With a 7mm and a 8mm you can remove the knee guard and get good access
With a 14mm and 4 nuts you can then drop the steering column and do a proper repair on those bolts and shifter bushings

Here it is many months later, after the chaos of moving and then finding an apt. for my niece...Can you give me part numbers and description of the shifter bushings and necessary parts for the fix? Have been pushing my luck driving my Ex since then but the steering column shift lever gets stuck and one day soon won't move at all or will break! And do I need any parts for other things involved in shifting into gear? Since it's my daily driver and hard to get along without a vehicle here. Thanks for any info. I'm hoping someone has it in stock?

 

[joney]

The column shifter parts are very old now, it's time for many 90's vehicles to have those parts replaced. I had my spare pieces in my office close within reach. I got them from eBay a few years ago, but only one has a part number shown on the OEM bag, it's the inner shaft "plunger" F7DZ-7R264-AA

I have posted the three part number before, well before I got these I'm sure. I replaced them in my 99 work truck in 2006 I believe it was, and I scrapped the two main cast parts, they were very loose fitting then, at only 77,450 miles when I bought the truck. What is needed is the shifter "tube", the plunger, and the two bushings that go on the tube piece. Taking the column out is a fairly big job, and I think I've read of a person doing it without removing the column.

Do you know any vendor for these? Hoping to order the whole bunch. Mine jams so bad going to park it til I can fix it!

 

[CDW6212R]

Search with the part numbers and see what's online. I got my last set of those parts from Amazon I think, but I think they might come up with Rock Auto or eBay, plus many Ford dealers. They were not that expensive when I looked the last time, but availability is the big issue these days. So many things have become obsolete, try to buy what you need in advance etc.

 

[wollimann]

Rockauto should have it

More Information for DORMAN 905102

www.rockauto.com

 

[donalds]

Google Search

www.google.com

 

[joney]

Rockauto should have it

More Information for DORMAN 905102

www.rockauto.com

Thanks, I didn't know what to call the part! Turns out they're in stock at O'Reilly's near me!

 

[joney]

Google Search

www.google.com

Very helpful, thanks!

 

[joney]

Google Search

www.google.com

Well, Ive been working (in this heat!) bought the steering tube and bushings, old tube was OK but I did put in the new bushings, re-tightened the 2 T30 screws in that arm that attaches under the dashboard. Does shift into park (with difficulty) but will not start in park so the fix isn't finished. When I dropped the steering column with the 4 nuts keeping it up, tightened all of them firmly but it worked better with the back ones slightly looser. Column goes side to side so a couple more to tighten up. I believe there is something under the hood to check out. Wondering if I bent something in the months of delay before working on it. Starting to actually enjoy working on my Ex, after this it's time to find the vacuum leak so my AC will do more than come out of the windshield vent.

 

[donalds]

Did you try to start it in neutral?

 

[joney]

Did you try to start it in neutral?

Yes it always starts in neutral. Wonder what I've missed, and how the linkage under the hood works. Binds up a lot and it's worse than ever.

 

[CDW6212R]

That sounds like an issue with just the shift linkage or the column shifting mechanism. Given the park position isn't achieving park fully(the switch inside would allow starting if it was accurately in park), the shift lever at the trans is not quite perfectly located.

That can be from the linkage itself, the cable and the ends, or the column shift parts. The column stuff is more likely though because of the constant mechanical movement, and you just worked with those parts.

I suggest inspecting everything you can of all of those parts. If it all seems okay, then readjust the shift lever by way of the DTRS, the device there on the case. There is a nut there that holds it all in place, don't loosen that until you know the adjustment procedure and are ready to do that. Any 4R70W or AODE manual should have that procedure in it and be easy to find online etc. It's simply identifying the two markings, one on the DTRS and one on the case, loosening the nut, moving the shift lever to the required position, and tightening the nut, done. That will correct the issue of not starting when set to park. But the linkage like the column parts may still be off or loose(wear), something not yet found.