Aunt Clyde's Gearshift is Stuck

[Aunt_Clyde]

Hi All,

And thank you in advance for reading this. My new (to me) truck named Aunt Clyde is not feeling well.

She is stuck in first gear.

She is a 1968 F100 with a 1970 V8 302 engine (the one that uses the big spark plugs). She's three on the tree.

This happened yesterday - one of my sons was driving her and he was about to turn her off, thought he put her in neutral, and when he let out the clutch she stalled because apparently she was still in gear. The gear shift is stuck in what feels the neutral location and it won't move. She starts and drives fine, but we can't shift gears.

When I drove her after this happened, I took her up to where they were roasting a pig (she made that trip a lot yesterday) and it is a not so smooth freshly bushhogged pasture. When I was going over the not so smooth terrain I definitely feel and hear something a little jiggly in the steering column.

I'm wondering if the repeated trips to and from the pig knocked something loose.

I have Volume 2 and 3 of the shop manual for her, but I don't have Volume 1, which is the one I need.

I would welcome any suggestions. I'm also going to take pictures and try to post them.

 

[Aunt_Clyde]

My camera battery is dead ... it will be an hour or so.

 

[SuperCab]

Sounds like a problem with one or both of the rods that go from the steering column to the transmission... these are notorious for adjustment problems...

Though I couldn't tell you what to do with them... never had to work on one... Someone else here smarter than me will know.

 

[Aunt_Clyde]

 

[BuzzGun79]

Yes i also agree with Supercabs statement.try this,Park the vehicle on a level surface so there is no bind on the transmission and chock the wheels.Disconnect the linkage at the column.once disconnected check the column shifter for proper operation,see if it goes in all the gears disconnected,more than likely it will.most of the time the shifting rods get hung up between the gears and will cause it to lock up.get under the vehicle and try to move the rods to free it up.this may take some effort to do but should work.once its freed up,put the rods in the neutral position,along with the column shifter & hook it back up and adjust the rods to specs.Sometimes a little rocking action of the vehicle will also aid you in freeing the rods(ENGINE NOT RUNNING!!).use caution doing this,Keep the wheels chocked and have a helper in the vehicle to hit the brake if need be.

 

[m78]

If it were me, I'd disconnect from the transmission. That would isolate the problem to the column or the transmission.

 

[5.0Flareside]

If it were me, I'd disconnect from the transmission. That would isolate the problem to the column or the transmission.

X2 I would also