Shift Adjustment Issue?

[WillyG]

Hi All,

Working on my project, '85 wagon, 258, automatic. I am pretty inexperienced with automatics. I had the thing out to replace gear selector shaft seal, leaky s.o.b. I have followed the adjustment procedure for the shift linkage. Fired her up, cycled through the gears, and when I came back to Park, got grinding, shut her off. Topped it off with fluid, then I loosened the trunnion nut. Manually shifted the lever into Park and checked the drive shaft (no spin but a lot of play, is that normal? Like 30 degrees.), then fired it up again. No grinding. 'Okay, good,' I'm thinking, 'so the park detent isn't burned/blown up in there'. Shut it off, hopped out and tightened the trunnion nut in that position with the selector at P (floor shifter). Fired up again, cycled through the gears, came back to P and the grinding is still there. Shut it off. Not sure what I am missing. Is the adjustment so very fine that a millimeter on the linkage will throw this out of whack? Hoping I haven't caused any real damage to the innards. If anyone has any experience with this or any ideas I'm all ears. Thanks in advance.

Will

[djm3452004]

I'm assuming the car is up on a lift or jack stands, so that when you're putting it into gear, the rear propshaft/wheels, etc. are spinning?  If you're running it this way, with an open rear differential like the Eagles have, it's entirely possible that the offside rear wheel is still spinning when you're trying to put it in Park, even if the driver's side wheel (that you can physically see) has come to a stop.  That would certainly cause a grinding and potential damage to the parking pawl.  If running the car in this manner, like up off the ground, do you have your foot on the brakes as you're shifting into Park? 


The adjustment procedure on the linkage, as I generally understood it, had more to do with ensuring that the neutral-safety switch "closed" when the lever was placed in Park or Neutral.  One knew that they'd gotten the adjustment right if the engine would turn over with the ignition key as normally expected with the trans. in Park or Neutral.  If not turning over, one could assume the neutral-safety switch was not being actuated correctly and that adjustment was needed to the linkage.


Not sure if this helps or not.  Hopefully someone else can chime in with further thoughts...

David

[WillyG]

Thank you for the response, David! Indeed, I had the rear end up on jack stands (and front wheels chocked) while I did this. I may or may not have had my foot on the brake while I shifted into Park, but definitely not enough to brake both wheels. I feel silly. Of course, I was simulating throwing the thing in Park while actually driving. Oops! Good thing I installed that aftermarket pan that has a drain and magnet on it..

Cheers,

Will