need some help please

[MylilBowTie]

Im trying to setup the shifter on the column to shift the transmission. I have had it every way I can think of to get it right. I just cant seem to get it I come a little close but never get it like it should be. I set the column shifter in N neutral and the transmission in N neutral. The truck is totally lifted off the ground front and rear, no wheels are touching the ground. I can start the truck and the rear wheels immediately start spinning. I cant figure out why this is doing that if its in N neutral. It would seem to me that the driveshaft would not be turning nor the wheels in N neutral. The only time the rear wheels stop is when in P park. Maybe its just different because its not on the ground.

I made sure that the column was in N neutral by starting the truck and it did start. The neutral safety switch is also good and will only start the truck in park and neutral on the steering column. Pushing the shift lever forward I can feel the shift quadrants. I can go from the Low (1st) position all the way to N without pulling the lever back toward me. But it never has felt solid to me since I have owned the truck. Is there anything I can replace in the column to make it solid again? I can remember always having to check to see if it was in 2 gear and it always was when I would put it in drive. This was before the linkage got misaligned. So Im not sure what is causing the problem with trying to get this setup the right way.

I cant get all the gear positions on shifter and transmission to work together. Reverse seems to be off of when the backup lights come on. I cant get the transmission into 1st gear on the column. I know this isn't good for the transmission to be stuck between to gear positions because of the misalignment problems. So any insight would be helpful.

I cant drive it just yet to be able to tell more about the shifter because I need a brake line. I need to run a new line from the proportional valve block to the rear wheels. I want to fix it right and don't want any union fittings on my brake lines. I had to move the brake line and the gas lines when I installed the headers.

[old Rusty C10]

what if you put the trans in 1 and then have someone put the column in 1 while you tighten it up see how that goes. mine does the same thing its just too cold and wet out for me to mess with it now

[blink32]

I can't help you with your actual problem, but I can help you understand the wheels moving vs not moving as compared with P, N, D , etc. The wheels will move on any car/truck with an auto or stick when all the drive wheels are placed in the air. When in Park the drivetrain is actually locked in place, so the engine revs but the wheels don't spin. In Neutral the trans is just out of gear, but the movement of the crank with the turning of the torque converter and subsequent churning of fluid and total lack of resistance from the tires being on the ground will allow the wheels to spin. But this can be stopped with hand pressure. And with manual transmissions the same principle applies to the clutch n trans as does adjusting the rear brakes to the drum. It lightly contacts the trans so it will spin just a little through friction.

Of course all this is thrown out if the trans its-self is misadjusted and Neutral isn't really neutral.

[Jonboy]

If you have the truck in the air, loosen the linkage to the shifter under the hood at the column, put the shifter in reverse, adjust the backup lamps, then shift the trans into reverse. Tighten the linkage bolt, then check to see if that is close. The linkage bolt should be either 1/2 or 9/16 head, and tighten directly to the linkage rod.

[79BIG10]

Jonboy is on the right track. To fix one we had on a buddy's we took the shifter rod linkage loose enough to play with. He then placed the shifter to 1 position. Then I moved the tranny to the 1 gear using the shifter linkage on the tranny. I tightened back up and then we fine tuned until it was hitting every gear dead on with the gear indicator.

[apstguy]

Do you have the plastic bushing & spring in place in the shift bracket?

[MylilBowTie]

I finally got to messing with this again. It closer than its ever been since it left the factory. Yes, It has the plastic bushing and spring. Truck has about 169,000 on it. I guess the column is just a little sloppy for my liking. I have seen trucks like ours that feel very good and solid. Im not looking for a b&m shifter feel but something that will take the slop out of it.

Is there anything that wears out in the column that would give it a sloppy feel to it. I noticed the spring that holds the shift lever back to the front of the truck it pretty weak. So that maybe what is causing to it feel sloppy?

Thanks for all the replys

[apstguy]

I could never get my indicator right and it was really loud then I shifted. Went and looked at a junkyard truck and it had a plastic bushing and spring on there that mine didn't. Rebuilding the column really isn't that hard.

http://home.t-online.de/home/O_Scholz/steering.html