Need Help With My Auto Shift Linkage

[Joe Kriston]

Hi,all...Something broke or got disconnected in my '72 automatic steering column...Selector does not move the linkage below the column....I can manually move the linkage from below the column and shift the xmission....The problem is inside the column....Where do I start tearing it apart to troubleshoot this?....Take the steering wheel off?....Thanx...

[19674x4]

automatic, whats that?

joking, i would take off the shifter and take a pair of pliers and see if you can move the linkage, if not, than you gotta tear apart the column and inspect all the joints in the linkage.

[Joe Kriston]

Automatic?....That's something for old ladies and,...ummm,..old guys,I guess ...So do I start tearing apart the column by removing the steering wheel?...

[fordman]

yes the column comes apart from the wheel down. but before you tear it down look at the shift collar and make sure the roll pin hole isn't broke out or wollard out. that can make the shifter not want to engage the linkage in side of the column. that is probably the most popular breakage point on the automatic columns.

[Joe Kriston]

Yeah,I don't see any way of getting to anything w/o pulling the steering wheel....The pin holding the shift lever is fine,and I can tell the shifter feels like it isn't connected to anything....It isn't even moving the linkage by the park or neutral safety switch....so time to get the puller out...

[fordman]

yeah pull the wheel it could be a broken ear on the end of the shifter too.

[FORDification]

Take a look at the following page for some good steering column reference pictures:

http://www.fordification.com/steering-column.htm

Either your shift collar has become detached from the shift tube, the shift tube itself is broken (not likely) or the locating tab on the bottom of the shift tube which holds the shifter arm has come off. Here's a picture taken of that:

http://www.fordification.com/images/FAQ/colshort10.jpg

See that square piece of metal spotwelded onto the end of the shifter tube? Sometimes those spot welds give loose, which means that that although the shifter tube is turning, it has no way of rotating the shift lever.

Anyway, removing the steering wheel would be the first course of action. With the wheel off and the turn signal switch unscrewed and pulled back, you should get an idea if the shifter collar is still attached to the shifter tube. If it looks OK, then you're going to have to completely remove the column for futher checks.

[Joe Kriston]

Thanks again,guys...Keith,I think my problem is those two square-headed bolts that fit into the square slots as shown in fig. 5 on your first link...A few years ago,I tore apart and reassembled my shift collar in my '60 T-bird,and it was held in place exactly like the one in the photo...It felt like something was stuck,then popped loose,then like the shifter was connected to nothing...If I can get some useful pics when I fix this,I'll post them....

[Joe Kriston]

Well,my shift tube is CRACKED where it meets the part that holds the shift lever ...So it's toast...Should I bitch out my son for being too hard on it?(He's been driving it for the past month)...I don't see how it just could have cracked like that,it's only got 80,000 miles....

So do I get a junkyard column and just take what I need?...From that tutorial it seems like I need an automatic column WITH power steering to fit correctly into mine(unless just the steering shaft is an 1 1/2" longer)...Are they the same year to year?

[FORDification]

Yes, you'll need a shift tube for a power-steering column, if that's what you've got now. The column housing, the shift tube and the main shaft are the three things that are longer.I know they'll work up through '72, and I believe the '73-'77 shift tubes are the same as well.

[Joe Kriston]

Thanks...Now I've got all kinds of options--or cans of worms,depending on how you look at it...I could go with a a '78-'79 tilt column--heck,maybe even cruise....or a floor shifter with buckets and a console...

I do plan on installing Jor's Grant wheel off of his earlier 3-spoke set-up...If I just get a whole new column should I look for an earlier one so I don't have to saw that extra steering shaft off of the '71-'72's?

[qman]

Something to think about. The cab mounts on my truck rusted away and the collapsing cab put pressure on the steering column. The bearings fell apart which led to the shift tube getting wore through by the steering shaft. If your cab mounts ain't collapsed then never mind.

[Joe Kriston]

Well,it turns out all I needed was the collar--it fits on the shift tube like a sleeve...I took the whole column anyway for 5 bucks more---figured if I had to saw the end of the steering shaft to fit Jor's Grant wheel I'd have a spare if I ever went back original...Plus those dirty dogs at the junkyard charge a $3 entrance fee per person,and there was no scantilly-clad woman bringing us drinks...On top of that they tack on some bs environmental fee--another $3 to the price of the part ....

Thanks to Heavenlyfire for helping me find one quickly...By the way,if you ever have to grab a steering column from a U-Pull-It,try to avoid one with a power brake booster and one of those elongated add-on a/c units...Or put a sling on your arm and make them pull it for you...

Also,I broke about half the connector pins that go into the turn signal plug at the bottom of the column...Checker Auto didn't have the pin-puller,and the one at NAPA was too big,I ended up using a cell-phone charger connector but it didn't work quite right...Would I be all right just putting all new bullet connectors on?...Thanx..

BTW,Qman,thanks for the headsup,but here in dry Phoenix,the only rust is in the ballplayers when spring training starts...Go Cubs!

[1970F250]

if that happens to mine it would just be an excuse for me needing a floor shifter

[Joe Kriston]

I should probably move this over to electrical now,but I didn't take that many parts off to change my shift collar...I marked all the wires in the connector plug so I wouldn't screw them up...So far so good....Until I connected the plug...Now the horn stays on and the turn signals don't work Any ideas?...Tom??? was good enough to send be a blow-up of the shift column parts and I just can't see where I got this screwed up so bad...