zhaoming

It started with difficulties to shift to the 5th gear and the back up gear. When I try to shift to the 5th gear, more often than not the car will engage in the 3rd gear. When I try to back up the car, more often than not it goes forward. Even worse than that, whichever gears the car is engaged, the gear shifting handle can be moved to left or right a lot. It is way off the kind of feeling I have for the gear shifting. Please help.<p>zhaoming
http://butch.umephy.maine.edu/zhaoming/

jjiv1

You have probably lost one of three bushings in the shift linkage. There is a large plastic socket on the end of the shift linkage that connets to the ball on the end of the tranny shift rod. They ultimately wear out, and a piece will break away causing a sloppy connection. You can reach this from under the hood- it should feel like a really tight connection. If not, from under the car it takes about a half hour to replace and properly allign.

Alternately, one of the small bushings (similar material) on the two ends of rod about 6 inches in length that attaches to the shift linkage with a small ball joint and a ball stud on the tranny case at the other end. One of these wearing out will also cause this problem. It takes about 15 minutes to replace from under the car.

From the sloppines you mention, I suspect it is the larger joint that has failed.

zhaoming

Hey thank you very much. I will go check on that. You know what, one of the very reason that I still keep this old buddy is that there are so many guys like you out there would give me good advices.<p>zhaoming
http://butch.umephy.maine.edu/zhaoming/