T-handle not locking between neutral and reverse

7173Mustangs.com

Help Support 7173Mustangs.com:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Jul 21, 2012
Messages
3,240
Reaction score
16
Location
South Florida
My Car
'71 Mustang Mach 1 M-code "Soylent Green"
'69 Plymouth Valiant 100
'68 Plymouth Satellite
Hello all,

The title pretty much explains everything. My shifter (T-handle automatic connected to a C6) will engage in all detents except neutral and reverse - the lever will travel unimpeded between these two settings.

I'm purely guessing that the shift gate or the engaging system may be damaged in this area. I haven't pulled the shifter console to get a closer look, nor have I figured out how it comes out yet.

I doubt that the following will help, but here is a photo of the patient:

71_mustang_10.jpg


FYI, I have not driven the car since I bought it. Still working on getting it ready under the hood.

Insights?

-Kurt

 
Last edited by a moderator:
That sounds correct. I recently rebuilt my shifter bucket for my car, bead blasted, repainted and replaced bushing. The pawl should allow it to go from reverse to neutral, but not back into reverse if I recall. I'll double check it tonight after I get home.

 
Kurt, Racer X is correct. I am really familiar with mine and have had it apart a couple times...I will say there is an adjustment you can make to the tab that lifts when you press in the shift button, and it controls the travel of the tab that fit against the pawl. The other thing is that the pawl (machined grooves that hold the tab in place) may be really worn and with an older shifter, simply not engaging low enough. If I remember correctly, it is a spring tension that is set with a small flat blade and a lock nut. The adjustment either lengthens or shortens the cable that moves up and down inside the shifter shaft when you depress the button. It is hard to say much more until you get it apart.

My problem was the shifter shaft was wobbling more than I wanted. There are two plastic bushings, one on inside, one on outside, that need be in place to tighten it up. In addition, it shoudl have a rubber boot in the top cover that also keeps it snug.

 
I'll have to check it again this weekend.

Far as I can remember, it will go both ways without issue; obviously not correct if the case. If so, I'll give the assembly a look for a worn pawl, detent, or something amiss with the return spring tension.

-Kurt

 
Checked it today - that's exactly how it works. Opened it up too and saw the mechanism; looks decent.

Takes a bit of getting used to - I'm familiar with C6's with column shift (detents throughout the entire shift gate), but not console setups such as this.

Out of curiosity, has anyone accidentally kicked their car out of drive (into neutral) with this setup?

-Kurt

 
I have accidentally done it while adjusting the radio at a light...... I rest my arm on it and it pops out sometimes, lol

 
Back
Top