OK,

On Free Bird (Drew's little jumping pony) the shifter has always been a little loose. It would only sometimes start in park, but a shift to neutral and all was good.

The other day - big brother tells me that it will not longer go into park at all - not good but probably just an linkage adjustment right? So this afternoon I have been loosing, adjusting and tightening linkage like crazy. At the trans, no problem there at all. Where the linkage enters the column, no problem. I can put it into park or any other gear with ease. But the shifter just will not go into park. It goes to the park position (or where park should be - the indicator is snapped off from teenage boys throwing it into park) but it does not go into park at all. I reach under the hood and lift the linkage and voila, no problem.

So all those of you who have done this.... what do I do next? Please do not tell me that I need to replace the column. I do not have the funds right now.

In the meantime I am going to check the rear brakes (I am sure they are toast just like the fronts were on Tuesday) so at least the parking break will work...

So if you disconnect the linkage at the trans and put it in park it does engage the parking pawl? Or it still won't go in park? If it does engage and the linkage is ok, then there is probably something wrong in the column. But this does not mean you need a new column. Should be repairable.

It could be an adjustment at the lever or it could be a broken lockplate or shift collar in the column. The adjustment is easy. Loosen the nut on the lever at the trans. Put the trans in neutral. Put the column in neutral (might be hard without an indicator). Tighten nut.

If the lockplate or shift collar in the column is broke you'll need a new one. Wild horses has them. Well I know they have the collar, not positive on the lockplate. I've seen them for sale somewhere though. You'll need to pull the wheel, turn switch and collar off to fix it. WH has a video on youtube showing how to replace the collar. Here it is: http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showth ... ch+article

Assuming by prawl you are talking about the column then no. Seems that the column will hit every gear but park.

I can put it in park where the linkage comes into the colum under the hood and at the transmission. I have adjusted the linkage at the transmisison in every from tight to loose to no avail. If I hook it all up, put it in park at either the trans or under the hood it stays in park. But if I put it into gear from inside the bronco it will not re-engage park unless i go back underneath or under the hood.

I will watch the video and look for the parts from wild horses.

that is 2 - C4 transmissions that are giving me fits right now.... still prefer the auto though.

Thanks guys. Might just be something that we attack on the shop day July 9th.

Watched the videos, great info. I will be ordering the parts and I suppose Free bird is grounded until they come in. It would suck to have it strand one of the boys somewhere because it broke all the way.

Thanks gents.