Guy's, I hate that this is my first post on the site (been lurking from time to time). Today an issue came up with my truck. I stopped in to put gas is the truck and when I tried to put the truck in park, it seemed as if something wasn't right. The shifter felt like something was holding it back a little. So realizing something wasn't right, I put it in neutral, set the parking brake and turned the truck off and pumped gas. I go to start it back up, well, it wouldn't turn over. I thought it was in nuetral, guess not.
So after moving the shifter back and forth to try and get the truck to start, the shifter cable breaks. I really wasn't forcing it either way, just the back and forth motion broke it off. Here's why: the gear selector (where the cable attaches) on the transmission will not move at all. I've tried with channel locks to move it both ways, no luck. This is with the cable detached from the transmission.
There was no bind on the transmission at all when I stopped to get gas. You know, like when you put the truck in park while on an incline.
I've already bought a replacement shifter cable (local dealer had one) but I'm afraid to put it on thinking I may something wrong inside the transmission. Is there an electronic mechanism that could be preventing the transmission selector from being moved? Has anyone had/heard of this happening?
The truck has 32K trouble free miles on it, until now.

Thanks in advance!

 

I haven't heard of this problem before. Bump...

 

wow, that is pretty weird. definitely keep us updated on what you find out. i am curious.

 

Had to drop the pan, remove the valve body. The metal tab that goes in the grooves of the gear selector has a pin and a roller. The problem was the pin came out. The roller fell into the pan and the pin was was preventing the tranny from being put in another gear.
Easy fix, could have been worse.

 

awesome! glad it worked out for you. thanks for the update.

 

Excellent, well done...

 

what the hell is a valve body? I got the pan part/But uh how bad was the valve body to take off??

 

the valve body in the tranny is full of springs and pistons, its what allows the tranny to shift into different gears mechanically. once you take off the pan, it is located directly under the sump filter. its held in place by maybe 12 or so hex bolts and the TRS connection on the top driver side of the tranny.

 

Oh that valve body gotcha. thanks dirty john.

 

WOW....way to go, opening up a transmission and finding the fault like that.
Excellent skills.
Al.