Gear shift "Slop"

[trwp72]

The gear shift on my 91 keeps getting sloppier and sloppier... I can put it in gear, and with the play in the gearshift, I can move the lever until the indicator is up in the neutral area... And it is becoming harder to put harder to reverse for some reason.... So my question is, what would cause this...
Maybe the lever is wearing out on the end where is goes into the steering column? or maybe the linkages need to be shimmed.... or is there a bushing in the linkages? Another thought was maybe the shift tube was wearing out in the column, if they still use that set up like the old Ford pickups.... mine had one of the index tabs break off once... (73Ford F-100) and it was like the linkage came loose somewhere.... Had to take the whole steering column apart to fix it... luckily, Ford still had the part....

I haven't had time to look at it yet, too busy at work... thought someone on here may have had this problem, and could sort of give me some ideas on where to start looking.... Thanks in advance... Tom....

[gadget73]

I think the 1991 has a shift tube that has a habit of breaking. They also use a cable instead of the rod arragement. Could be the tube is cracked/cracking or the cable is going bad on you.

[Archangel]

The '80s shift tube is that massive steel beast and the linkage behind it is all solid rods and massive brackets, there's no way you break one of these unless you do pull-ups on it. However, as Thain said, the newer cars got that much weaker aluminum shift tube and cable setup, this is well known for breaking at the shift tube, most of the time it actually snaps in half. Open the hod and look near the brake booster, on the engine side of it - the linkage for the tranny is there, if you see a cable you have the aluminum shift tube too. Here's another thing tho - in my TC the shift tube has a tab that locks it in the different gear positions, if there was any slop in my shifter that would mean that either:
a) the locking tab is worn out as hell, or
b) the pin and the bushing that attach the shift stick to the shift tube are getting sloppier, or
c) that a bushing somewhere down from the steering column is failing

Even if you have the cable setup the locking tab IIRC is still steel, so I wouldn't think it's the problem. The pin and the bushing for the stick do develop play with time, so that's a plausible explanation. Failing linkage bushing is again not too likely, as there's not enough force in the whole linkage system to distort them. So I'd look into the connection between the stick and the shift tube, and the index tab area of the shift tube, sounds like something is about to snap or bust loose - pull the plastic covers of the steering column and go from there.

[trwp72]

Found part of the problem today... There is a plastic bushing that goes around the shift tube, near the top of the column... it has two rims around it, with a metal "strap" that keeps it in place... (Sort of like a U-joint strap) One of the rims had broken off, which let the bushing slip out of the collar... and a large spring also slip down the shaft. (I think the spring is what makes the resistance you feel when you pull back on the shifter to take it out of park) It still doesn't seem to be going into the gears right tho, and still has some play in the side movement..... Tommorow morning I will get some pictures of the bushing part... too dark and friggen cold right now!
By the way the part number for the bushing is--- F3TZ-7L278-A There is two in the package.... so I have a spare.... (I haven't been able to look real close, since it got dark on us, I wonder if there is two of these on the shift tube? Maybe that is why there is two in the package? Maybe one down near the bottom? Have to look tommorow when there is a little more light!

Tom...

[trwp72]

Here is the bushing.....

[Archangel]

So, after all, do you have the cable or the hard-linkage setup?

[Blaze86Vic]

He has the cable setup. All the air bag panthers have it.

[trwp72]

So after looking at the car today, there is a second bushing farther down the shaft... guess thats why there is two bushings! So, I am hoping that will take care of the rest of the slop in the shaft.... When I move it around, I can see the other end moving around quite a bit... it is pretty worn out.... guess when the first one broke... it let the other one move around alot more, and wore it out really quick....

Here is the pictures of the bushing replacement... first picture is the bushing saddle close up...




The second bushing is farther down the shaft... figured I will have to take the dash cluster out to get to it.... or drop the steering column... but since I have to take the dash cluster out to put in my new police package gauges.... I might as well kill two birds with one stone, and do both!

So hopefully sometime this week I will get it all done... until then, it looks like I stole the car! (with the steering column trim all off!)

[p71towny]

Yeah, I had to replace both those in my town car, but I only got 1 bushing and had to order 2 I made sure to grease the shit out of em.

[trwp72]

The package came with two... Guess maybe they decided they needed to be both replaced at the same time?

[p71towny]

Yeah, if ones shot so's the other.