Shift linkage trouble

[Carlos Pereyra]

Hello guys!... so i i replaced the oil pan gasket on my Ranger 1986 2.9 4x4 AT, to do so i had to lift the engine and transmission togheter to get more room between the engine and the frame. I lifted the transmission as high as it could, i put everything back in place and when i turned on the truck i couldnt engage in any gear and i noticed the shift linkage cable got separated from a little lever (i attach pics), i put it back but i dont think it's in the right position because still i cant put any gear. Obviously when i lifted the transmission this cable stretched and got separated, btw i can move the shift lever in any position from the cabin but the transmission doesnt engage, i also removed the transmission shaft but i marked it so it must be in the right position.

 

[Shran]

That cable is just the throttle cable - it does not control what gear the trans is in. Flip the arm to where it fits the cable and that's the correct position.

What you need to adjust is the rod above it - see picture. If you loosen the bolt I circled you can slide that shift rod back and forth. I imagine the shifter linkage just needs to be adjusted. This link may help:

https://www.justanswer.com/ford/3bx5y-locate-and-possibly-adjust-replace-shifter.html

 

[Carlos Pereyra]

Hey Shran thank you so much for the advice, i did adjust the shift rod but unfortunately the issue remains. Im thinking maybe i have to remove the transmission oil pan to check if something got loose inside next to the shifter. I also removed the lever cover inside the cabin but everything seems ok, if you have another suggestion please let me know.

Thanks!

 

[Josh B]

The 3rd photo has an orange bracket holding the cable adjuster. It should have a locking(nylon) insert that slides into one of the many slots on the square anchor body.

Put the transmission shift lever(your photo #2) in the "D" position( fully clockwise, then 3 clicks back)
Put the in-cab shift lever in "D"
Connect the shift linkage cable to the transmission shift lever(the swivel ball connection(photo #2)
Then, put the locking collar onto the orange bracket(photo #3)

Repeat if necessary until your gears are in line with the shift indicator

 

[Carlos Pereyra]

First of all guys, thank you so much for your help... Josh i did what you recommend and now the gears are in line with the shift indicator but still the gears are not engaging. When i was removing the old engine oil gasket i also unpluged the transmission cooling lines because they were on the way and ofc i spilled some oil but i dont think it was that much, at least not that i remember ?, if everything seems to be alright, could this be the cause of this problem? Also the transmission dipstick its broken, according to the manual the capacity its 3 qts. How do i know if the level its correct, can i remove the fill tube from the transmission and measure it from there?

 

[Josh B]

You really need a dipstick and fill tube in order to check for proper fluid level.
I really don't have a clue how else to know

 

[Carlos Pereyra]

Thanks Josh, how about if i remove the fill tube and pour the oil directly in the transmission hole, the question is... the moment the oil starts coming out of the trans it would mean thats it's full?

 

[Josh B]

I really have no clue Carlos, it could be higher because when you look at the stick after it's been sitting awhile it comes pretty far up it, but after you start it up it drops down a long ways.
You really need that tube and the stick to keep an eye on it. Here, I'd just go to a wrecking yard and get one, not sure how many you'd find there. I can only recommend checking around online or ask at parts stores there

 

[Josh B]

if it's just the dipstick you should be able to find a suitable "stand-in" type of something at least just to check it with

 

[Carlos Pereyra]

Well, turns out i was about 2 qrts down in transmission oil, i didnt realize i had lost that much when i removed the cooling lines. Everything works perfect now... thank you so much guys for your help!!