Stuck in Park - column shift stuck

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paulclark

paulclark

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My 75 Dart with column shift 904 is stuck in Park. Never had a problem, but now the column shifter is really stuck. It feels like the way a steering lock will sometimes be stuck and you have to ease the tension off at the wheel to get it to disengage, but this isn't the wheel, it's the shifter.

Is there something holding the Shifter from disengaging? I've tried rocking the car forward and back and doesn't seem to help. I've put as much pressure as I can on the shifter without breaking it. Any suggestions?
 
Can be a few problems, I assume you can turn the key to start engine, if so, sometimes internal safety detent can get gummed and won't let lever pivot out of safety locking position. I would start with some spray lubricant at shift lever into column and work the lever back and forth.
 
Sounds like I should remove the key lock cylinder and approach it in there. Looks like pulling hte steering wheel is necessary to pull the ignition lock cylinder, or am I missing something?

The back end of the shifter linkage is under the hood by the firewall, and appears to be fine, the problem is on the steering wheel side.
 
Does the key turn smoothly and starts the engine?
Can you move the shift lever back and forth in park range smoothly?
 
moparlvr166 said:
Does the key turn smoothly and starts the engine?
Can you move the shift lever back and forth in park range smoothly?
Click to expand...
The key turns smoothly and turns, the steering lock disengages smoothly.

The key doesn't start the engine because of an unknown electrical fault as reported by the PO that the car would crank but only start in neutral. This has been the case and has functioned that way smoothly up till now.

The shift lever moves forward and back but not at all to the side, It's locked as though the key were not in the ignition and not turned.

I've watched this video showing the inside of this mechanism and while I don't quite pick out in the video where the shift lever lock is located, I get the idea all this has to come apart.




I will still give it another try with spraying penetrating fluid all inside that area from the outside and giving it some taps and see if I can get it to break loose. I'd hate to have to take the wheel off like that if I can avoid it.
 
Wait - is it the ignition switch that releases the shifter out of park, or is it the brake? On later mopars its the brake.
 
Oh wow, Mopar made a documentary to explain it to me!

Well, almost. It shows the interlock that requires the shofter to be in Park for the key to be turned. But no interlock preventing shifting out of Park, I'm not sure there was one? Cool training vid though


 
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