Steering column wont go into park??? - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

brawley · 02-28-2011, 12:28 AM

I have a gmc van tilt column with automatic. I recently took it out to paint it, I took the shift lever out. Now ive put the column back in, and shift lever in , the shift bowl moves freely until I get up around where reverse is and it stops , when I pull back on the shift handle it wont go up into park it seems stuck?? any ideas , or an exploded illustration of one of these columns. thanks

jitteryguy · 02-28-2011, 12:53 AM

is it hook'd up down at the bottom, may be the adjustment there.

brawley · 02-28-2011, 01:00 AM

no I havent hooked up the trans linkage yet. is there a pin that goes into the spring inside or any thing like that?

James McClure · 02-28-2011, 10:25 AM

Brawley, first question I have is was it doing this before you took the lever out? Second, does the lever feel like it has spring pressure holding it down like it should. I'm an old Chevy mechanic and I have made the same mistake more than once, same one you may have made. There is a spring in there you MUST get the lever on top of. If you don't the upper first coil of the spring gets stuck on the first cut out on the lever making it impossible to pull it up enough to make it past the park detent. Pull the lever out again and remove the spring (it WON'T be easy) Look at it. It's probably bent. Straighten it out (best to replace it with the one from another auto colunm) and then reinstall spring and CAREFULLY reinstall the lever by sliding it in with the end tang scraping the uppermost face of the lever bore and the pin boss scraping the lower face of the lever bore. Hold it in place with the pin half way in and GENTLY pull up on the lever to see if it gets full travel. If you feel ANY resistance before full travel is attained, IT'S IN WRONG, DON'T PULL IT UP ANY HIGHER!! Pull it out and try again. If you get full travel the first time, try to shift it, it should work now. jim

brawley · 03-01-2011, 11:04 AM

Thanks for the response. It was working good when I took it out, its been out so long now, im in the middle of a restoration. the notched area faces to the steering wheel and rounded end towards spring? isint that correct, it seems to be the only way it will fit.

James McClure · 03-01-2011, 04:20 PM

That is correct. It would not assemble the other way because the shifter would hit the dash board. Jim

brawley · 03-10-2011, 02:12 PM

I found out what the problem was, the shift indicator broke off and slid down and was blocking the arm from going into park. I wanted to post this in case anyone else has this problem.

ConradBSomething · 10-29-2014, 01:54 PM

How did you get the chunk of indicator out? Did you have to take it apart?

I think I'm having the same problem. I installed a 70's ish van tilt column in my 65' and the indicator was broken while installing it. I put the gear shifter what I thought was all the way up in park and hooked the rod to the transmission, but it would only shift down to drive.

I'm fairly certain its not going all the way up to Park, but I cant be sure because the indicator is busted out and I've never had that particular model of column so I don't know how far up it needs to be positioned to be in park.

Also I dont have to pull the gear shift towards me to lower gears. So theres another mark in the "not going all the way up" column.

02-28-2011, 12:28 AM	#1
brawley Easy Does It Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Dirdy Mo , North Carolina Posts: 450	Steering column wont go into park??? I have a gmc van tilt column with automatic. I recently took it out to paint it, I took the shift lever out. Now ive put the column back in, and shift lever in , the shift bowl moves freely until I get up around where reverse is and it stops , when I pull back on the shift handle it wont go up into park it seems stuck?? any ideas , or an exploded illustration of one of these columns. thanks

02-28-2011, 12:53 AM	#2
jitteryguy GoatLube Experss Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: clarksville, Tn. Posts: 1,337	Re: Steering column wont go into park??? is it hook'd up down at the bottom, may be the adjustment there. __________________ *Goat Lube Express*, locations in Qalat,Afghanistan & Clarksville, Tn. '87 R30 dually 454/TH400 '85 1/2 ton CCSB '92 S10 350/350 '84 MonteCarlo 383/PG/9"ford '78 Malibu wagon 350/350 '78 Cutlass (project family car) '96 S10 Jimmy (Moma's)

02-28-2011, 01:00 AM	#3
brawley Easy Does It Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Dirdy Mo , North Carolina Posts: 450	Re: Steering column wont go into park??? no I havent hooked up the trans linkage yet. is there a pin that goes into the spring inside or any thing like that?

02-28-2011, 10:25 AM	#4
James McClure One shot, one kill. Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Saratoga Springs NY Posts: 859	Re: Steering column wont go into park??? Brawley, first question I have is was it doing this before you took the lever out? Second, does the lever feel like it has spring pressure holding it down like it should. I'm an old Chevy mechanic and I have made the same mistake more than once, same one you may have made. There is a spring in there you MUST get the lever on top of. If you don't the upper first coil of the spring gets stuck on the first cut out on the lever making it impossible to pull it up enough to make it past the park detent. Pull the lever out again and remove the spring (it WON'T be easy) Look at it. It's probably bent. Straighten it out (best to replace it with the one from another auto colunm) and then reinstall spring and CAREFULLY reinstall the lever by sliding it in with the end tang scraping the uppermost face of the lever bore and the pin boss scraping the lower face of the lever bore. Hold it in place with the pin half way in and GENTLY pull up on the lever to see if it gets full travel. If you feel ANY resistance before full travel is attained, IT'S IN WRONG, DON'T PULL IT UP ANY HIGHER!! Pull it out and try again. If you get full travel the first time, try to shift it, it should work now. jim __________________ 1984 K20 350M engine with 465,000 miles. Well, it's finally done!! Almost 2 years of work, but it was really worth the effort. Little stuff left to do is mount winch, wet sand & buff out and build belly pan\running boards. Body work takes lots and LOTS of beer!!!! God, Guts and Guns made America and God, Guts and Guns will preserve it! The worst thing you could do is get into my sights, but that don't matter, you'll never know it, cause you'll never hear the shotJim or Paladin whichever you choose.

03-01-2011, 11:04 AM	#5
brawley Easy Does It Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Dirdy Mo , North Carolina Posts: 450	Re: Steering column wont go into park??? Thanks for the response. It was working good when I took it out, its been out so long now, im in the middle of a restoration. the notched area faces to the steering wheel and rounded end towards spring? isint that correct, it seems to be the only way it will fit. Attached Images

03-01-2011, 04:20 PM	#6
James McClure One shot, one kill. Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Saratoga Springs NY Posts: 859	Re: Steering column wont go into park??? That is correct. It would not assemble the other way because the shifter would hit the dash board. Jim __________________ 1984 K20 350M engine with 465,000 miles. Well, it's finally done!! Almost 2 years of work, but it was really worth the effort. Little stuff left to do is mount winch, wet sand & buff out and build belly pan\running boards. Body work takes lots and LOTS of beer!!!! God, Guts and Guns made America and God, Guts and Guns will preserve it! The worst thing you could do is get into my sights, but that don't matter, you'll never know it, cause you'll never hear the shotJim or Paladin whichever you choose.

03-10-2011, 02:12 PM	#7
brawley Easy Does It Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Dirdy Mo , North Carolina Posts: 450	Re: Steering column wont go into park??? I found out what the problem was, the shift indicator broke off and slid down and was blocking the arm from going into park. I wanted to post this in case anyone else has this problem.

10-29-2014, 01:54 PM	#8
ConradBSomething Registered User Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: ringgold ga Posts: 91	Re: Steering column wont go into park??? How did you get the chunk of indicator out? Did you have to take it apart? I think I'm having the same problem. I installed a 70's ish van tilt column in my 65' and the indicator was broken while installing it. I put the gear shifter what I thought was all the way up in park and hooked the rod to the transmission, but it would only shift down to drive. I'm fairly certain its not going all the way up to Park, but I cant be sure because the indicator is busted out and I've never had that particular model of column so I don't know how far up it needs to be positioned to be in park. Also I dont have to pull the gear shift towards me to lower gears. So theres another mark in the "not going all the way up" column.

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