Pulling out the floor shifter?

[Darrman]

I am having a hell of a time pulling the floor shifter out of my '92, I am replacing the trans this weekend and am trying to get some stuff done early, but the manual I have says nothing about a Explorer or 4.0 shifter removal. I am removing it as a unit from the floor, have loosened the two bolts under the carpet right by the shifter, and can see the other two under the carpet by the console, are these the ones to remove to pull the shifter out? Thanks!

 

[mwking]

I checked both a Chilton and Haynes manual that I have. They both mention removing the shifter boot retaining bolts (or screws). Once you have the rubber boot loose from the floor you should be able to lift the boot up to see the bolts that hold the lever to the transmission.

 

[Creager]

take the bolt off the top of the stud, and actually re-thread it onto the bottom of the stud. Crank it until its so tight it doesnt turn anymore, the stud should pop out with a nice jerk, once the stud is out you will see how it all works (wedge), and the shifter will come right off.

 

[Darrman]

Thanks, that worked like a charm, now do I need to unbolt the shifter base plate from the floor? All I can see is the rubber covering. I swear I will never buy a Chilton book again, it has been nothing but wrong.

 

[Creager]

man, i dont remobe the rubber thing, i just pull the shifter out. But my rubber thingy is ripped, and tearing out the shifter is probably why =)

 

[Darrman]

So will the trans drop out from the floor now, or is it still bolted in? I am looking at some metal plate that is bolted down to the bare painted floor, and the rubber covering is stapled/clipped to the metal plate, most of its under the carpet.

 

[Creager]

once the actual plastic shifter is out of the way, the trans is free from the floor. no plate underneith there, just that rubber covering.

 

[Darrman]

Ok, thanks, I appreciate your help.

 

[bwryan]

I know this is an ancient thread, but wanted to tag on because I just went through and installed a shifter repair kit omn my '94 Sport, and this is where I found out how to remove the shifter arm bolt, which was totally non-obvious to me. It was almost a magic trick how tightening the nut on the other side popped it out. Funnily enough, once I got everything out of the way, I discovered that the plastic bushings above and below the shifter ball were completely gone, not even a trace. And FYI for anyone who takes this little project on, I just used the Dorman kit. I saw some pricier options, but figured I'd try theirs first. Note that their instructions rely on pictures they provide, and those pictures suck. But once you have it all apart, it's fairly obvious how the replacement parts go in. And shifter feels much, much better now.