lots of play in the column

[BAD5oh]

On my 84 when shifting into gear there is a lot of play in the column between gears and even when in park. You can move the shifter a couple of inches without going into gear or switching gears. Yesterday I noticed when parked slightly uphill the shifter would slip out of park unless i threw it in park fast. On flat ground its fine and feels like it goes in no problem. Any way to get rid of the slop or what the cause would be??? Or should I go to the junkyard and take out another column??

[Robyn]

Hello

Check the crank assembly under the truck where it mounts to the frame and also the bushing in the little frame mount.

The adapter on the tranny can come loose too. There is a nut that holds it to the shift shaft that can be accessed by removing the crank from the slots in the adapter.

The shift tube in the column is generally not an issue but anything is possible.
You need to first try and isolate where the slop is.


There is also the cogged device inside the tranny that the roller detent device drops into. I call this the roosters comb and it too is held to the shift shaft by a small nut that can only be accessed with the pan off.

The comb is what gives the shifter its feel of being in a notch at every gear position.

Get a helper to flop the shifter around while you look the little beast over.
Be sure to use the parking brake and block the wheels while your doing this just in case.

Good luck

Robyn

[BAD5oh]

Hello

Check the crank assembly under the truck where it mounts to the frame and also the bushing in the little frame mount.

This is what the problem is. The rubber bushing is pretty much gone and the spring on the bar is broken. On the same bar on the tranny side the hole has oblonged. Is it supposed to be that way on the tranny side or is a bushing missing?

Most important where can I find these parts? Or am I off to the junk yard??

[DmaxMaverick]

Not the junk yard. You probably won't find anything much better than what you already have. A good tranny shop should be able to source the parts. What they can't, can still be had at the dealer. You'll need a parts clerk with patients and likes his job, though.