C-4 Park problem

[fess40]

I went out to go to work this morning and my shifter would move but nothing would happen. I thought maybe it just wasn't catching so I put it back it park and wiggled it around. When I put it back in reverse it went into gear with more of a jerk than usual. Anyway, on the way to work it shifted just fine. If I run it through the gears everything is just fine, until I put it in park. The gears disengage, I can rev it up and it goes nowhere. The problem is that it won't stop rolling. I mean I could push it all the way down the block if I wanted to, AND IT'S IT PARK! Help!! Any ideas, I'll check the fluid level when I get home.

 

[golf4283]

check the linkage. It might be loose but you can get it to catch occasionally. Make sure its right and set in the right place.

 

[fess40]

Ok, pretend I'm dumb , is this in the shifter, on the side of the tranny, I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for.

 

[golf4283]

yea u will have to get under the car. i wish i had my pics up here cause i had to mess with my linkage recently but I dont. Maybe someone else can shed some light on this for you.

 

[jikelly]

They are right you will have to get under the car to check the linkage. There will be a rod that runs from the shifter to an arm on the C4. Hopefully the linkage just came loose. I guess I should ask if you have checked your fluid level. If your tranny gets low it will start acting weird except I never expirenced the moving in park thing before.

 

[bud4660]

Back in the old days ford had a problem with parking paws wearing and breaking off. Thats what holds it in park if I understand it right. Its inside the tranny. The arm on the side of the case is what you can see. Back in the 70's when this came to light they told everybody be sure and use the parking brake so the cars and trucks wouldnt roll away. I dont think its a big deal to fix?? But I dont know whats involved in getting to it to fix it. If you find a breakdown look where it shows the shifter arm going through the case and you will see the notched teeth on the end of the arm. That should be where the problem is. Its been along time since I rebuilt a tranny. So I am telling you from memory. And thats scary at my age....

 

[fess40]

My fluid was a little low, and my linkage appears to be hooked up just fine. It shifts into park (and all other gears) just fine, it just rolls away though.

Can anybody else help shed some light on this broken tooth thing?

 

[bud4660]

I did a search on this site but didnt find anything. Post your problem there and see if someone can tell you more.

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/260730

Also you might try doing a seach on the WWW under transmission parking paw and see what you can find. I found one link that said what I had posted already. If I find anything detailed enough I will post it up for you.

Bud

 

[toyshop]

I did a search on this site but didnt find anything. Post your problem there and see if someone can tell you more.

http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/260730

Also you might try doing a seach on the WWW under transmission parking paw and see what you can find. I found one link that said what I had posted already. If I find anything detailed enough I will post it up for you.

Bud

OK- a couple things.... #1 Check if your bushings in your shifter have failed. Easy to do assuming you have a floor shift. If a column shift (which I highly doubt) go to step 2. To check bushings take bezel (cover ) off shifter, twist it out of the way enough to look down in at the guts of it, hold the brake on, pull lever int o N, and try to move lever side to side especially, but if the bushings are shot you should now have a wobbly lever. Easy to replace- just simple nuts and bolts stuff. #2 The park pawl may have disintegrated. Raise and support car, disconnect linkage from trans lever end. Try to shift linkage manually (with your hand) on side of trans case into park. If floor shift you should be trying to turn the top of the lever toward the rear of the vehicle. Did I mention to properly raise and support the car? Don"t forget to block the wheels either so you don't get squashed. If the trans park gear will now engage, then you have a linkage problem either internally or externally. If internal, then the pan needs to come off. If still no park, then the park pawl has likely broken and will need to be replaced. This will entail removing the tailshaft housing, and I believe the Hyd passage casting for the governor will have to come off too if I'm not mistaken. New parts (park pawl) may be near impossible to find, but ford trans for parts are still plentiful in my area. Probably have a few of them kickin around here. Good luck.

 

[fess40]

Thanks Bud! It's my daily driver (has been for ten years). And my wife would just love another reason to try and talk me into driving a newer car everday. I just hope my "they're easier to work on" excuse holds up here.

 

[fess40]

I checked out the shifter this evening and it has minimal play. Anyone have a diagram or scan or something of what I might be looking for?

 

[66coupe351]

I've got a similar issue that maybe someone can help me out with. They may be the same problem, but from reading I suspect they may not be.

This is in a '66 with a C4.
When I move the lever to park it will move into position, but will not 'click' in to place and the car will not go in to park - it will roll freely. If the car rolls in either direction a little while holding the shifter in park it will click in to place and be locked in park - the car will not roll anymore.

Any suggestions on what this is - I assume this is an issue with something inside the transmission and not with the linkage.

I've gotten in the habit of coming nearly to a stop and quickly moving the lever the Park right before I stop - this locks it in Park. Or if I park on an incline i just stop, move it to park, then release the brake to let it roll a couple inches until it locks in to park.

 

[fess40]

When I move the lever to park it will move into position, but will not 'click' in to place and the car will not go in to park - it will roll freely. If the car rolls in either direction a little while holding the shifter in park it will click in to place and be locked in park - the car will not roll anymore.

Sounds like the same problem as me, only mine won't catch at all.

 

[lgil351]

...well i just went through this with my c4 swap into my 84 mustang.....if your car is floor shift it may be the linkage needs adjusted or the bushings are worn and will need replaced....here is about the easiest way to tell: jack up the rear of the car and put on jackstands so the rear wheels are off the ground...next crawl under the car and manually by hand shift the tranny lever into park and then you'll notice it will go a little further,that is the parking pawl....pull the lever all the way back,put shifter handle in park position and adjust linkage to that..next try to roll your rear wheels by hand,if it locks into park you fixed your problem...if not the parking pawl inside the tranny is bad.....i had to fabricate my own shifter linkage rod and bushings...total pita!!!!....next time i'll just buy a b&m shifter cable.

 

[06cobra]

Hey guyz keep us posted on this problem of yours, many seem to be having similar.

thanks

 

[Shakin66]

I rebuilt my c-4 myself and it amazed me what holds your car when its in "park" the pawls are much smaller that what I expected to find. I hope thats not your problem but if it is you have to go inside to fix it...After seeing how it works I use my parking brake anytime I am on a hill. Good luck

 

[fess40]

Shankin66, I think the pawl I'm looking might be in the tail shaft? Can I get to this without dropping the tranny out. Are parts available without a rebuild? Do you have any pics, scans, or diagrams that may show me what I'm looking for?

Thanks,

 

[fess40]

Hey guyz keep us posted on this problem of yours, many seem to be having similar./QUOTE]

That's just it. Everyone I've talked to seems to have either had the problem or heard of someone who has. But noone can tell me what to do about it except get a new one. And if I get a new one I'm going t5 (but don't have the money right now). It was a factory manual car and a PO changed it to auto sometime ago.

 

[toyshop]

[

It may take a few inches of movement to get park engaged. The park gear is splined to the output shaft which is hooked to your driveshaft. If the slots in the park gear and the park pawl are not aligned, the car needs to roll before the pawl will engage. If you have really high gears (ex 2.79:1) it may seem to take an awfully long time to engage park, but when it engages you will usually hear that "click" you mentioned as everything finds its place. I will see if I can find an exploded view to post showing the positioning of the park components.

 

[fess40]

I found the problem this afternoon. I dropped the pan and found two washers, a c-clip, and a busted pin in it. I dropped the valve body and found a shaft with a spring on it not connected to anything, I'm assuming this is the culprit. I can see a thing back in the tail section that looks like it would go over the shaft, compressing the spring. My guess is that one washer goes on one end of the spring, and the other goes with the c-clip and pin to hold the thing that I can't get to on the spring. Now, I wonder how I can pull that "thing" out a little to get it over the shaft without having to remove the tail section? Can anybody give me some advice, or maybe tell me what I'm looking at?