shift knob flying off

[dynamite196]

Have a 97 sport with a 5 speed in it. When I go to shift the knob will pull right off the shifter, fortunately right now it's doing it mainly going into reverse so it's not much of a safety issue YET but I'd like to get this fixed so I don't smack a passenger or more importantly swerve, miss a gear, etc causing an accident.

 

[Gatorblazer]

Gorilla Glue it on there

 

[Turdle]

I knew gorilla glue would find it's way into this somehow

 

[dynamite196]

hahaha that was my first thought but if I ever need to drop the transmission I need to be able to remove it. So my two options are 1) gorilla glue it on there and chop the shifter assembly off and replace it if I need to or 2) find a legitimate and more expensive fix lol. Definetely leaning towards 1 for now.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

Yea it would have been nice if Ford could have used a threaded on knob instead of the one that pressed on to splines. :fire:

I had an 85 Bronco II years ago that I had a problem with only it was the transfer case lever instead. Still a pain in the a$$ though.

 

[frstxplorer]

If you need to drop the tranny you take the whole sifter off from the top of the tranny stub inside the boot you only need to take the knob off to remove the rubber from the shifter gorilla glue is the way to go
-Drew-

 

[CodePoet]

Or just wrap some tape around the spines then press on the knob...getto but no one will know and it will tighten it up a good deal.

 

[EMG7895]

gorilla glue will probably just push it back off because it expands. You could get a die and put some threads on there or cut a notch down the center of the splines and put a tapered piece of metal slightly larger than the hole in the knob, secure the metal and tap the knob back on.

 

[shamaal]

Eventually the plastic in the knob will break up and it will come apart. If you decide to buy a new one, pop the shift pattern out of the existing knob. They will charge you for a new one.

 

[Ranger379]

i had the same problem with mine. it happened all the time when going into 2nd, and 4th sometimes R. problem solved by going to Advance Auto Parts and buying a 20 dollar chrome shift knob that was held on by 3 set screws....look into that, kinda expensive but its a cool shift knob none the less

 

[dynamite196]

gorilla glue will probably just push it back off because it expands. You could get a die and put some threads on there or cut a notch down the center of the splines and put a tapered piece of metal slightly larger than the hole in the knob, secure the metal and tap the knob back on.

whoa not looking to make my engineering debut with this bad boy lol but it's a solid idea none the less. I was thinking about set screwing the stocker but that'd be a little ghetto IMO. I'll drop by auto zone and see what they have there, or maybe pep boys they have a lot of that stuff too. Did you just get a generic one or did you buy one specifically for the explorer? thanks again.

 

[Ranger379]

Did you just get a generic one or did you buy one specifically for the explorer? thanks again.

i just got a knob off the shelf, i think they will all work....o if i remember right they may come with a sleeve? not quite sure...o i had a problem with mine...when u tighten the set screws there is a cover that screws up to cover the set screws. this part kept rattling while driving, should that happen then take some teflon tape and put on the threads then screw it back up, just incase that happens to u or anyone else lol.

 

[Gatorblazer]

gorilla glue will probably just push it back off because it expands. You could get a die and put some threads on there or cut a notch down the center of the splines and put a tapered piece of metal slightly larger than the hole in the knob, secure the metal and tap the knob back on.

OK Superglue it.

I like the aftermarket shift knob idea as well. I had the same issues with both my 93 ranger and my 00 sonoma for some reason

 

[Jason94sport]

I had that happen on a B2 & a sport, I used some clear silicone sealant. Squeezed out some into the knob & held it down with a heavy book untill dry. Never came loose again, & I was still able to get it off with some force & a hair drier around the knob.