[muddybronco]

I was gettin some grub at casa taco and it was taking awhile, so i popped it into neutral while I waited. I got my food and proceeded to put it into drive, but the damned thing flopped around like a wet noodle and in neutral it stayed!

Luckily my buddy was with me and he held the brake while I flipped her into drive on the side of the tranny. The problem appears to be in the column, and it's been real sloppy for the past year or so... no real feeling between the various gears, just mushes along until I feel the truck buck and I know she's ready to go

What's broken? Also, does the shifter cable just pull off the tranny lever or is there something retaining it? It looks like it'd just pull off but it doesnt seem to.

.... at least nobody was behind me in the drive-thru

 

[974]

Check all your linkages man. Something is probably bent/ and or the bushings are missing. Also check your motor mounts. I bent my linkage all to hell when my motor mount went the way of the ghost. My fan was eating my fan shroud alot when the motor mount broke. too. Oh yeah! Make sure that little bolt is tight on the linkage down there. If it's come loose your shifter will flop around like what you are saying.

 

[muddybronco]

Well, one thing about these e4od trucks is that they use a shifter cable rather than linkage, so it looks like the problem pretty much has to be in the column area. I'm gonna see what I can see and report back in awhile

 

[muddybronco]

found it! there is a magnesium cylinder that runs parallel to the steering column that connects the shift lever to the cable that runs down to the tranny. that cylinder sheared!

I really don't know how there could've been enough force to do that... something (or somebody) must've fallen on it at some point. I'm sure this is a ford-only part, so I guess I'll start preparing for the reaming

I'm managing to drive it around by reaching way under the dash and pulling the cable manually... PITA but it'll work till I get it fixed

 

[547]

Muddy, You really must tell the women to be gentle with the shifter!

. Or at least keep there azzes of the column!

Ok, on a more serious note, I have linkage to my early E4 (crappy) OD. Not a cable. I guess you younger guys are cableized? Very....Interesting!- Usually if the dealer part is cheap it sucks to put in.

 

[muddybronco]

Yeah, I reckon it started with the 92 body style. It's pretty nice because it doesn't wear out and get loose, but apparently it will explode with enough motivation from a hawse driver

The only adjustment is the dash indicator, which is just a little thumb screw in the column. There's no way this happened during casual usage, and the shifter would've had to have been either in park or in "1" for the tranny to put up enough resistance to shear it like that. I'm guessing something fell on it while I was locked in 1st somewhere going down the side of a mountain. I'll get a pic in 3 weeks when I go home for spring break (yay!)

 

[633]

Steve has my old shifter. It is still in great shape.

 

[muddybronco]

Apparently this is a fairly common failure since as soon a I sat the thing on the counter the guy immediately went to the back and 10 secs later he reappeared with the revised tube and actuator rod. The new pieces are chrome steel rather than trash metal and totalled right at $50 after tax. Not too bad, I suppose.

 

[Guest]

This might be off the subject a bit.. But is there an upgrade from the electric 4x4 and 4 low buttions in my '95 Bronco?


Cables? Shifers on the floor? Anything?

 

[1092]

In reply to:

This might be off the subject a bit.. But is there an upgrade from the electric 4x4 and 4 low buttions in my '95 Bronco?

[/ QUOTE ]

Swap to a manual transfer case.

 

[Guest]

Thats what I thought.. Thoes are expensive.. =(
I need tires first.

 

[muddybronco]

It got $65 more expensive today when I realized the sloppy feeling is due to drag in the shifter cable. I'm going to see if the old one can be revived and hopefully I can take this thing back and spend the money on something worthwhile