Shifting gears... |
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Turbo301
Senior Member Joined: 11-March-2007 Location: London, Ontario Status: Offline Points: 331 |
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Posted: 21-January-2011 at 11:38PM |
An interesting issue that I don't think I've asked about before (but has been with my car since I got it): when my car is cold, its (column) shift is hard to disengage from park and put into another gear. The force required is greatly amplified when I am on an incline: nose pointed up (such as on a sloped driveway), it takes a scary amount of force. Once the car has been warmed up, it is considerably easier on all surfaces, level and inclined.
Does anyone know what might be causing this? Since warming up the car makes a difference, could there be something in the transmission that needs adjustment? Or does it sound like something as simple as a cable that is too slack/tight or something in the column that might be out of whack?
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1977 Cougar XR7
1980 turbo Trans Am 2009 Pontiac G8 GT |
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stanman
Senior Member Joined: 23-March-2007 Location: Nova Scotia, Ca Status: Offline Points: 1432 |
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Are you using the parking brake? Parking on an incline puts a lot of pressure on the park pin in the transmission. I think the owner's manual suggests setting the parking brake BEFORE putting the car in park, IIRC. Although everyone does it, the park pin isn't really designed to support the full weight of the vehicle. The added benefit of using the parking brake is it keeps the cables freed up. Cables can seize up from non-use, something that's very common up here in the "frozen North".
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occupant
Senior Member Joined: 23-October-2006 Location: Lawton, OK Status: Offline Points: 1973 |
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It's bad enough 70s Ford transmissions were recalled due to coming out of Park on their own. You can't GET yours out of Park. Seriously though, use the parking brake. Stop the car where you want to park, keep your right foot on the brake pedal, put the transmission in neutral, jam your left foot on the parking brake, let go of the steering wheel, let up pressure on the brake pedal until the car rests on the parking brake, THEN put it in Park and shut the engine off.
I do this automatically. It's just a procedure/routine I'm used to. Never have trouble shifting out of Park. Always know the car's going nowhere. Especially currently with a dead transmission anyway *groan* |
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08 Uplander LS, 262K, broken again
08 Explorer EB, 195K, for the wife still looking for another something |
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Blueoval76
Senior Member Member of the Stroker Club Joined: 20-February-2010 Location: Sussex WI Status: Offline Points: 698 |
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But remember if you havent used the parking brake and dont know when the last time it was used BE Prepared that it may not release because its rusted. It has happened many times in climates like ours.
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68 Galaxie Wagon 390/auto/2.70
03 Bonneville some mods |
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occupant
Senior Member Joined: 23-October-2006 Location: Lawton, OK Status: Offline Points: 1973 |
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Yeah I have the opposite problem down here in Texas. My ratcheting mechanism needs liberal applications of lube to allow the parking brake to STAY down. You guys get frozen/rusted cables and you can't get it to come UP.
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08 Uplander LS, 262K, broken again
08 Explorer EB, 195K, for the wife still looking for another something |
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Turbo301
Senior Member Joined: 11-March-2007 Location: London, Ontario Status: Offline Points: 331 |
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Yeah, my parking brake doesn't work - hasn't since I got it even though that's required for safety. Go figure, bastard crooked hole-in-the-wall dealership
Anyway, could it be that whatever grabs the pin thingy in the transmission (I don't know what the park pin mechanism looks like) is deformed after years of being parked this way? If that was the case, though, I don't know why it would loosen up after the tranny gets warm.
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1977 Cougar XR7
1980 turbo Trans Am 2009 Pontiac G8 GT |
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Psquare75
Admin Group Member of the Stroker Club Joined: 26-November-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4591 |
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It's a Ford. They all do that on hills. Fix your parking brake. There were lots of issues with the transmission pins breaking around here (lots of hills).
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Paul
77 XR7 460/C6/3.00:1 *SOLD* 78 XR7 523/C6/3.5:1 79 F100 460/TKO500/3.25:1 'I also have some left over potatoes-I understand you can generate electricity from them'- Foote500 |
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Rockatansky
Senior Member Joined: 30-July-2010 Location: On The Road Status: Offline Points: 6059 |
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it's called the Parking Pawl
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lynchster
Senior Member Joined: 07-January-2006 Location: Pennsylvania Status: Offline Points: 2150 |
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Reminds me of my red 74 Torino I had as a kid. Old horse barn. Torino backed in with an old Volare on jackstands behind it. The Torino was on a slight incline and a friend of mine was sitting on a crate between the two. Heard a pop and turned around. There he was standing between the two with his arms outstretched holding them apart. Laughed my ass off once I blocked the wheels.
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Chuck
72 Gran Torino Sport 13 Taurus SHO "Mr Pig" |
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CheeseSteakJim
Member Joined: 27-August-2010 Location: West Granby, CT Status: Offline Points: 82 |
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What'd Ford end up doing to correct the issue?
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Rockatansky
Senior Member Joined: 30-July-2010 Location: On The Road Status: Offline Points: 6059 |
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my Aunt got run down by my cuz's Torino too
there was a recall but i don't know what the repair was?
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Psquare75
Admin Group Member of the Stroker Club Joined: 26-November-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4591 |
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Stopped using the C series? Every Ford I've had has this issue on a steep incline, you must force the shifter out of Park.
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Paul
77 XR7 460/C6/3.00:1 *SOLD* 78 XR7 523/C6/3.5:1 79 F100 460/TKO500/3.25:1 'I also have some left over potatoes-I understand you can generate electricity from them'- Foote500 |
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Rockatansky
Senior Member Joined: 30-July-2010 Location: On The Road Status: Offline Points: 6059 |
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occupant
Senior Member Joined: 23-October-2006 Location: Lawton, OK Status: Offline Points: 1973 |
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Awesome little link there! I've always wanted to know more about that particular recall. I remember reading about it in the Consumers Guide Used Car Reviews back in the 80s and as an 8 to 12 year old kid I always wondered why people didn't use their parking brakes. |
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08 Uplander LS, 262K, broken again
08 Explorer EB, 195K, for the wife still looking for another something |
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Turbo301
Senior Member Joined: 11-March-2007 Location: London, Ontario Status: Offline Points: 331 |
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Yikes, that is terrifying! Can you imagine the government NOT reacting to such claims if even one person died nowadays? Back then, people were dropping like flies from these things, and there was sort of a "meh" attitude about the whole thing. Jesus...
Yeah, that's scared me into wanting to fix my parking brake! Hmm... now I just have to figure out what's wrong with it. I think a whole rear brake rebuild is in order :( .
P.S. My dad, uncle and grandfather all had '76 Torinos, and I don't remember them every complaining about a nearly-impossible shift from park to reverse. I'll have to ask them about it!
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1977 Cougar XR7
1980 turbo Trans Am 2009 Pontiac G8 GT |
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Turbo301
Senior Member Joined: 11-March-2007 Location: London, Ontario Status: Offline Points: 331 |
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I asked my uncle and dad, and they both remember their Fords being tough to shift. Man, it's hard to believe the stuff automakers got away with back then!
See my latest post in http://forum.grantorinosport.org/topic4987_post42319.html#42319 to see what I think may be an example of the park-to-reverse shift decal that Ford sent out as part of their weasling their way out of the legal mess. I'm not sure why anyone would need to put it right on their dash, but I'm sure rental cars got that a lot... 'cause people need to be told to put it in park, put on the parking brake, and then turn off the engine? Ugh... note that that's what the sticker says, to put it in park FIRST, then engage the parking brake, which seems ass-backwards to me. |
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1977 Cougar XR7
1980 turbo Trans Am 2009 Pontiac G8 GT |
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Regul8r
Admin Group Moderator Joined: 26-December-2007 Location: Sarasota FL Status: Offline Points: 6624 |
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put in park make sure the park pawl is ENGAGED and then apply the parking brake for insurance.
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Carl Corey (Moderator/Event Coordinator) Contact ANYTIME!
1976 Ford Elite "Lola Mae" 97 Suzuki Intruder 1400 US Army Retired |
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Psquare75
Admin Group Member of the Stroker Club Joined: 26-November-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 4591 |
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Actually, I'd agree with Turbo301 and I've done what he suggests in my yard on a grade so the transmission would NOT hang up like a "typical Ford".. stop, lock the parking brake down, shift into park. More than one C series trans has had it's parking pawl sheer off.
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Paul
77 XR7 460/C6/3.00:1 *SOLD* 78 XR7 523/C6/3.5:1 79 F100 460/TKO500/3.25:1 'I also have some left over potatoes-I understand you can generate electricity from them'- Foote500 |
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