Won't go into reverse?

[Darth Menace]

Hey guys my car has a TH400. It has been parked since October, and I have not done anything to the transmission (what I did do though is take off the shifter knob so I could get the panel up and replace the shifter PRNDSL insert. Maybe something got messed up there?). Now that I have everything finished I was advised by my mechanic to take it for a nice rip before I take it in to get the out of province inspection done. Yesterday I fired it up and just for kicks I was doing to put it into reverse and back it out. Oddly, it wouldn't go into reverse.

Fluid level is fine and there were no issues prior to this. I wanted to ask about this prior to getting too worried as I have gotten flustered before and it was a simple fix.

I then took the housing off and it still wouldn't go into reverse, and nothing looked out of the oridinary

[Professur]

Will it go into drive? Is it the shifter won't move, or that the trans won't transfer power to the wheels?

[Darth Menace]

It is currently in park but will not go into Reverse. I am not sure about Drive, etc because I cannot get it out of Park. The shifter just won't move.

[Professur]

There's the useful bit of info. Go underneath and disconnect the linkage and make sure the trans will shift without it. Do I need to say to chock the wheels? If it does, you start from there and work your way back up to the knob. Was there a button or something you had to press to shift out of part that maybe you've forgotten?

[Frosty]

Remove your console and expose the shifter mechanism. It is held in by about 4 screws under the glove box "box" plus a forward screw at the front of console under the dash. Once you have the console off, inspect the shifter cable that runs between the shifter and the transmission. Make sure the shifter cable is attached on both ends and its working. That is the first thing I'd look at.

Definitely chuck your wheels. It might be even better to jack up and brace both rear wheels completely off the ground to insure your safety.

[Darth Menace]

I took the console off, and undid the cotter pin and rod as pointed out in the picture below. The shifter then went forward and back without a problem. I don't know where this makes the issue lie, but I guess this means it is not the physical shifter

Remove your console and expose the shifter mechanism. It is held in by about 4 screws under the glove box "box" plus a forward screw at the front of console under the dash. Once you have the console off, inspect the shifter cable that runs between the shifter and the transmission. Make sure the shifter cable is attached on both ends and its working. That is the first thing I'd look at.

Definitely chuck your wheels. It might be even better to jack up and brace both rear wheels completely off the ground to insure your safety.

[Frosty]

OK is the shifter cable engaging on the transmission side of the cable? You will need someone to shift the shifter back and forth while you inspect the transmission side of things to see if the cable is moving.

Check to see if the cable is moving gear selector on the transmission. The picture is for a 400TH or a 700 4R.

[Darth Menace]

Hello, sorry for taking so long to reply...I didn't get any email saying it was replied to and I have been busy with work/other cars.  I have since bought a cable, it shifts perfectly from Park to all the gears with no issues.  However, when I try to put it back into park, it decides to stay into neutral until I put it in park manually via the collar behind the steering wheel.  The cable itself does not have any form of adjustment, but I have been told there is a way to adjust it while in park, so it goes in smoothly back into park.  Does anyone have any information on how I go about doing this?  I haven't been able to find anything online explaining this process.  Thanks

[Frosty]

I have not forgotten about you Darth, I need to find some time to review my shop manual regarding your question.

[indymanjoe]

Maybe the shifter cable is froze.If you have poor grounds it will melt the cable within the cable sheath rendering it useless.

[Darth Menace]

Maybe the shifter cable is froze.If you have poor grounds it will melt the cable within the cable sheath rendering it useless.

yes, I believe this is what originally happened.  I replaced the grounds and installed a new shifter cable.  The shifter goes in and out of gears perfectly, BUT when I park it, it is still in reverse until I slightly turn the collar by the steering wheel then it goes into park.  I have been told there is a way to lightly adjust the cable up by the steering column, but I don't know how, which is where I am at now. I can't find anything in my 69 Pontiac repair manual, but have been told it is possible, but not how to do it.

[Darth Menace]

This is the online instructions that were given to me by a local Pontiac club member.  I am a visual learner and pretty new to these cars and that picture is pretty dark that I have no idea where he is talking about.  Below are his instructions and picture:

 

"The shifter linkage is tied to the transmission.  On the other end which shows up in picture....where the blue circle is the adjustment for the rod I was talking about.  Loosen bolt and push up all the way and retighten bolt.  Should fix the issue"

 

 

 

[Frosty]

OK I do understand what he is saying. The bolt may either have originally (or may have developed over time) an elongated bolt hole. Loosing the nut/bolt and pushing it all the forward to take out any slack and then re-tightening the nut/bolt is what he is referring to. This is found underneath the car, near the firewall.

[Darth Menace]

OK I do understand what he is saying. The bolt may either have originally (or may have developed over time) an elongated bolt hole. Loosing the nut/bolt and pushing it all the forward to take out any slack and then re-tightening the nut/bolt is what he is referring to. This is found underneath the car, near the firewall.

Thanks for the help guys.  My car is currently at the body shop so I can't work on it right now.  Going by that dark picture I am not exactly sure where this mystery bolt is, but once I get it back I will take a closer look and hopefully I can get this thing straightened out. Thanks again for now

[Frosty]

It is between the engine and transmission, close to the body, near where the steering column exits the firewall. Your exhaust pipes might prevent you from seeing it very easily, or you might have to reach around it to get to it.

[Darth Menace]

edited

[Darth Menace]

Okay, I found it and I am back from adjusting it.  Unfortunately loosening that bolt, pushing the rod up and re-tightening didn't work, in fact it made it worse and now it won't even go into park by turning the collar anymore.

 

I have a few questions, the rod is almost pushed right to the top of the collar so am I suppose to push it up more even if it made it worse in the grand scheme of things?  Also, is that bolt suppose to be super snug against the metal there, or is there suppose to be some slack, because when I tighten the bolt it holds the rod in tight but there is still some room before the bolt sits tightly against the metal.  Is this just trial and error...like just keep fiddling with it until it works or is there something possible up elsewhere?