Problem with Transmission or Shifter

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RocketFoot

RocketFoot

Stangin' ain't easy but somebody gotta do it!
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My Car
1971 Mach 1
Decided to fire up the Mach 1 yesterday and tried to back her out of the garage but the transmission didn't seem to be engaging in reverse or any other gear!  It has a Lokar shifter on it and it would sort of 'catch' in gear if I jiggled the button on the shifter and feathered it into a gear.  I had to give it gas before it would move also, kinda like a stall converter.  It would pop right back out of gear again as soon as I got moving. 

I am thinking that it is something with the Lokar shifter because the button was real sticky and wouldn't pop back up to the top of the knob.  But what else would cause a tranny to NOT engage in gear?

Is it easy to replace the aftermarket Lokar with an OEM T-Shifter?  I have the original shifter from the previous owner but I'm not sure if it is complete or even how to go about swapping it back on?

This is what is on it now:

http://www.lokar.com/product-pgs/shifters/shifter-product-pgs/auto-trans-shifter.html

Car info:

302 (306) with C4 Auto Transmission

She did look good getting outside for some fresh air instead of being couped up in the garage!





 
I would check the fluid level first. May be a little low from sitting all winter? Possibly disconnect the lokar shifter rod at trans and lube everything really well. Spray wd-40 down in side the button and work the crap out of it. run it back and forth through the gears. Reconnect the shifter rod to trans and give it another try. I know that B&M shifters can give you a fit if there are not adjusted properly. With B&M, you place the tranny in 1st/low. Then you adjust the shifter to fit properly. Then go through the gears to make sure they are lined up properly with each detent in trans.

As fas as the stock shifter, it should be an easy bolt on, but I wouldnt give up on the Lokar just yet. Might just need lubed and adjusted. Or may just be low on trans fluid.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I didn't check the fluid but I will.  I just automatically thought the Lokar was the problem because it has been finicky ever since I got the car.

 
http://www.lokar.com/downloads/pdf-instructions/INS0082%20FordC4-TransmountShifter.pdf

When all else fails read the instructions.

Step 15: Check the adjustment of the shifter linkage by placing the shifter lever all the way forward into the Park position. Make sure that the release button still moves up and down freely. The release button should be flush with the knob in Park and Neutral. In the Reverse position, you cannot pull the lever back into Neutral without depressing the release button.

While the shifter lever is in the Park position, make sure the transmission is firmly in the Park detent, with no tension on the threaded rod. You can verify this by removing the 1/4"-28 x 1" button head bolt with nylock nut that attaches the rod end to the quad lever or trans arm at either end of the threaded rod. Make sure the hole in the rod end exactly aligns with the hole in the quad lever or trans arm. The bolt should pass freely through both holes at the same time without binding. Do not force the holes to line up.

If the holes are not aligned, screw the rod end in or out just enough to be able to slide the bolt in and out without putting tension on the threaded rod. Make sure that the quad lever and trans arm do not move during the adjustment procedure. Use this adjustment routine until the bolt will pass freely in and out of both the rod end and the quad lever or trans arm. Reinstall the 1/4"-28 nylock nut and the flat washer onto the bolt and tighten.

Once you have the shifter linkage adjusted correctly, tighten the jam nuts on the threaded rod.

One thing I didn't like was this quote...

"If your original trans arm interferes with the new trans arm, the original trans arm must be cut off of the selector shaft. It is much easier to cut the trans arm off of the selector shaft if you remove the selector shaft from the transmission first. If you remove the selector shaft, we recommend that you install a new selector shaft seal (not included) when reassembling."

That may make it difficult to go to any other system than what you have.

Post how it goes!

Peter

 
http://www.lokar.com/downloads/pdf-instructions/INS0082%20FordC4-TransmountShifter.pdf

When all else fails read the instructions.

Step 15: Check the adjustment of the shifter linkage by placing the shifter lever all the way forward into the Park position. Make sure that the release button still moves up and down freely. The release button should be flush with the knob in Park and Neutral. In the Reverse position, you cannot pull the lever back into Neutral without depressing the release button.

While the shifter lever is in the Park position, make sure the transmission is firmly in the Park detent, with no tension on the threaded rod. You can verify this by removing the 1/4"-28 x 1" button head bolt with nylock nut that attaches the rod end to the quad lever or trans arm at either end of the threaded rod. Make sure the hole in the rod end exactly aligns with the hole in the quad lever or trans arm. The bolt should pass freely through both holes at the same time without binding. Do not force the holes to line up.

If the holes are not aligned, screw the rod end in or out just enough to be able to slide the bolt in and out without putting tension on the threaded rod. Make sure that the quad lever and trans arm do not move during the adjustment procedure. Use this adjustment routine until the bolt will pass freely in and out of both the rod end and the quad lever or trans arm. Reinstall the 1/4"-28 nylock nut and the flat washer onto the bolt and tighten.

Once you have the shifter linkage adjusted correctly, tighten the jam nuts on the threaded rod.

One thing I didn't like was this quote...

"If your original trans arm interferes with the new trans arm, the original trans arm must be cut off of the selector shaft. It is much easier to cut the trans arm off of the selector shaft if you remove the selector shaft from the transmission first. If you remove the selector shaft, we recommend that you install a new selector shaft seal (not included) when reassembling."

That may make it difficult to go to any other system than what you have.

Post how it goes!

Peter
Click to expand...
B&M has you cut the shift lever off also. 

What are you doing reading the directions anyhow??? !!! rofl

 
I've never been a fan of these aftermarket modifications that make your car go fast.. But that being said.

I would put the car up on jacks and remove the Lokar shift shaft off the transmission selector shaft. With the engine running, manually reach up to the transmission selector shaft and move it with a pair of pliers or by hand (safely) and watch for rear wheel engagement. If drive and reverse work this way, then the issue is with the Lokar shifter.. Re-adjust the Lokar per the conveniently attached instructions in this forum..

 
When the original C6 in my car was getting tired I had a similar issue. No fwd or rev gears at all. Had to get it towed. Turned out that all the clutch material from the aging transmission had completely clogged the filter. New filter had me going again but the trans was fading fast and needed a rebuild.

 
Yep. No movement without revs can be a multitude of other things much worse than adjusting a shifter.

But... until proven otherwise we'll pretend it is a nice easy fix like misadjusted shifter, or a cracked or loose filter that is sucking air.

Sure, the filter could be clogged with metallic peanutbutter or important bits might be in the bottom of the pan. Friction material might be in the filter instead of on the disks. The pump may be toast, the seals may be blown.

 
Got to work on it a little over the weekend and it looks like all the fluid drained out!  I can't tell if it was from the pan or the sensor on the tail shaft.  The sensor actually has some fluid drops on it so I may replace it regardless but the pan also has a  lot of grime all over it. 

Does anyone know what sensor I need to get ?  It is right near the carrier bearing on the transmission tail shaft.

Also, I heard that the TC can drain after sitting for a while and force fluid out the expansion tube?  If true, where is this tube and whats the best way to fill it back up?

ETA: good article on C4 Transmissions!

http://www.mustangandfords.com/parts/mump-1101-service-ford-mustang-c4-transmissions/

 

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