broken shift cable?

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secondechomatt

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Need some help.

Coming home tonight, truck was shifted from Drive to Reverse and I believe the shifter cable broke. Truck will not shift out of drive. Shifter is really loose. Still moves through the range, but doesn't actually do anything. It was tight prior to this as well.

I have a 1998 with a 4r100.

I climbed underneath real quick and saw an electronic gear selector on the trans.

Is there an actual cable, or is there just a switch?

Thanks!
 
OP
OP
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secondechomatt

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After getting under the dash, I was able to visually see that the torx screws were loose. I tightened the first one. Went to work on the second and the screw fell out in my hand. Felt around up there and discovered the aluminum bracket that the brass screws tighten into is broken on the top screw.

So, now my question is, what is the name of that bracket and is it easy to replace, or do I have to to the entire column?
 

FordandPolaris

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I would think it would be fairly easy to replace, but you probably will have to take the column apart some in order to get to it. Go to a Ford dealership and look at their parts diagram to get the part # and name. Its probably a part that only they will carry.
 
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secondechomatt

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So, a bit of an update.

I temp fixed it, in the thoughts that it would allow me to drive it to the shop. On a whim, I took my tools to the junkyard to look for a 97/98 F150 or expy.

Found one. Dropped the column and to my surprise, the piece that broke on my truck is the end of the shift tube. Pulled a new one off of the truck I dismantled.

Paid $18.

Installed it on my truck. Fixed my issue AND now the truck starts in park! I almost bought a neutral safety switch!

Dropping the column is cake.
1. Disconnect the shift cable
2. Remove the lower dash cover. 6 bolts (4 7mm & 2 8mm)
3. Remove the ignition switch cover (3 phillips head screws)
4. Remove the 4 nuts holding the column brace on (13mm)
5. Remove the 4 nuts holding the column up (13mm, located just on top of the brace nuts)
6. wiggle the column loose

That's it. Even for me, a relative novice, replacing the shift tube only took about an hour, including dis-assembly and re-assembly
 

Lightnig

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Thanks for those fix-it steps, and good job fixing the problem.


Quick question, are those bolt sizes or hex head (wrench) sizes?
 
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