1993 Dodge Club Cab Dakota 4X4 with 318. Shifter jammed when in park. When I got it to unjam it changed the whole dynamics of how it operates. It will detent from Park to Reverse to Neutral. I guess by detent I mean you have to pull the shifter toward you to get it to move to the next gear, just like before it messed up. Then it just slides from neutral into Drive (no detent), then shifts with detent from Drive into 2. Then it just slides into 1st with no detent. It won't start in park anymore, have to pull it down to neutral. No cable that I can see from firewall down to transmission, just linkage that does not seem to be hanging up. 150 k. I'm not much of a mechanic, so if I didn't clearly explain what is going on, I apologize. Thanking ahead for all help.

 

There are bushings in the linkage that are notorious for getting brittle with age, and disintegrating..... might wanna crawl under there, and wiggle stuff. See if anything is sloppy.

 

In my 1994 FSM chapter 19 steering has the shift lever in it. I did not read any of it. I think the bushings HeyYou refers to are the linkage bushings underneath the truck below the firewall. If I remember correctly I saw a post by Ralph P and followed a link or recommendation to buy those bushings and replace mine.

 

Two things.

1) It's got three or four nylon bushings that if they're still there are about 30 years old or so. I'll bet before anything else that the bushings have failed.

The factory parts list (you can find them linked to in the FAQ message), page 21A-3600, has the bushings listed.

Good news! All but one is still current parts at Mopar on my last check a month ago.

Bad news! One isn't.

Good news! The one that isn't, there's a Dorman that fits (alas, it's part of a bundle group, so I'm not sure what the actual part number is; didn't note it when I replaced mine.)

I'd start there.

2) The linkage itself may be out of alignment. In the FAQ message is a link to the 1995 FSM, and the 1996 FSM. Both have instructions on how to adjust it. But DON'T!! Until you've replaced any bad bushings!

RwP

 

Wow, now that's service. A Big Thank You for the informative posts. I think I might be onto something. Appreciate your help.