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rolls in park after shift cable adjustment

7K views 16 replies 6 participants last post by  peva 
#1 · (Edited)
(**** cable adjustment after solenoid pack replacement) Anyone know if this just needs another adjustment, can the parking sprag be engaged externally? Or do I have to tear it apart again?

thanks!


Thanks to everyone who posts all the great information on these forums. your AWESOME! :)

I changed out my solenoid pack today, didn't know I would then need to adjust the shift cable. But I couldn't get the car to shift into Park. so I googled and saw that it was pretty normal to need to adjust the shift cable after doing the tranny work.

So I did the adjustment and thought I was good to go as the car shifted into park. BUT, I soon found out that the car will now ROLL AWAY in Park! Yikes!

Did I just do something wrong when I adjusted the shift cable? (I know it said something about the parking sprag?, but I thought that was engaged when I pulled the emergency brake???)

OR does that mean I FUBAR'd something when I put the thing back together??? Is the parking sprag that little rod with the rollers on the ends that was a PITA to get back in there, did I put it in backwards???

Any help is MUCH appreciated!



EDIT/ I did drive it around and it shifted and ran better than ever, super smooth and it so far seems as I might have fixed my "LIMP MODE" issue? (I hope) I only drove it for like 40 minutes or so, but it was all good and then I pulled into my driveway which is really steep, which is when I noticed it trying to roll away! (I had worked on it on a level surface so I didn't notice it rolling away in park previously) thanks again!
 
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#2 ·
So after googling it seems I have to take it all apart and do it again... >:{

Seems the parking sprag is that little lever that was flopping around on top of the valve body. Guess I must not have got it to go in it's "home"??? (or maybe it's backwards, or perhaps turning it trying to see how it was suppossed to go might have shortened it's length?)

My manual totally skips any reference as to where it goes, etc. Just says "install" and the picture show's it already in...??? :)

anyone know a good reference for how that thing is suppossed to go back up inside there?

Any help is appreciated! thanks in advance...
 
#3 ·
BUTTTTTTTT,

before i go and do it again, can anyone confirm rolling in park = parking sprag is in wrong. Or is there a chance that it could just need the shift cable adjusted?

I guess it's worth trying a cable adjust again, maybe I didn't get the thing all the way back into park? (it was hot cause I had been driving it, so perhaps in my haste not to get burned I didn't get it moved all the way back???)

(yea, just talking to myself here... :) LMAO)
 
#5 ·
Well I tried another cable adjustment, no dice. So it's back to taking it all apart again. :)

Just wish I could find a good picture, drawing, exploded view, etc. So I could figure out how the parking sprag is supposed to go in it's home!!!

At least I know how everything else is done this time...
 
#6 ·
Wow you're fast. I and others have used the how-to's on the forum from folks that have done it and we also use the factory service manual in pdf we have linked on the site. I did the solenoid pack using the resources I just mentioned and didn't have your issue.
 
#7 ·
Does anyone know if the parking sprag works without hydraulic pressure? Is it just mechanical, or is it part of the hydraulic system???

If I take the valve body out, try to figure out how the parking sprag is supposed to be in there and back together again and shift it into park, can I test it like that. (Should the car roll, or be locked at that point?) Or do I have to finish sealing it back up with hydraulic fluid for the parking sprag to work?

ALSO, does anyone know if the parking sprag does adjust when you turn the end of it? (I had turned it trying to figure out how it went back in, any chance turning it "shortened" it's length or something?)

Maybe it will be obvious when I take it apart this time? I'm going to try just lowering it enough to see what's going on with the sprag without the two valves falling out. But who knows...
 
#10 ·
FFFF Me, I still can't get it to go up in there right... jeebus, I've tried multiple times and it's obviously not in there right as the car only shifts like three gears or so?



this is the only pic I can find, from this it's hard to tell if the rollers are supposed to be UP, or turned to the left (looking at the picture) slightly?

But the worst thing is that by the time I get the valve body back up in there I just can't tell what the little arm is doing. I think sometimes it's swung back to the right because of the way the car is tilted on the jack stands... :glum:

going to try some more... But any advice on how to get the shift sprag back in it's home the way it's supposed to go would be much appreciated...
 
#11 ·
3 more tries, still no luck. The best I got was it feeling like it was shifting 4 gears. But the shifter cable doesn't want to go back on the little lever. The lever isn't far enough back for the cable grommet to line up with the little numb on top of the shift lever at the transaxle.

I was going to try putting the cable back on and getting in the car and seeing what it did. But since the cable didn't line up I just quit for the night... %%#$%^^&%^^$!!! :)
 
#12 ·
See on this picture it looks almost like the end of the shifter sprag is on it's side. But on that other picture it looks like it's at a three quarters/only partially turned to the side...???



I "swear" I've tried it on both sides, three quarters, straight up and down, ...??? :glum:

It goes up there ok, but when I try to shift it I only get 3-4 gear's. That happened the last time I put it together and I pulled it down turned it to the side with the rollers "in", put it back up and it seemed to shift to all 7 gears. BUT then when it was all back together and lubed up it rolled in park = not in there right... WTF... :D
 
#14 ·
I'm afraid I have no easy answer. But the shifting to park and going through the gears can be done without filling with fluid and sealing it up. (at least to the best of my knowledge) So what I did was trial and error putting the thing back together just enough to test it. (with no real idea of how it was supposed to go up there?)

So I'd lift it up there trying to line it up, (which usually took a few tries each time since there is the springs, etc. that like to fall out), then when it was up there and seemed OK I'd just finger tighten enough bolts to hold it all up there and temporarily reconnect the shift cable. Then I'd crawl out from under the car, lower the jack/stands and test if I got all my gears and if the parking pawl was correctly engaged. (had to do this 3-5 times, sucked!!!!)

So the important part was to have it on a level surface for safety, and then clear all the jacks, stands, etc out of the way. And then physically push/roll the car when it was in park. When I finally got lucky and it was in correctly the car didn't roll but an inch or so and would STOP. And I could tell it was finally in Park.

When I got lucky and the car didn't roll anymore. (it was just luck, it didn't feel any different when I put it in...?), I raised it back up went back under and did the rest of the bolts, torqued, filter, seal and pan. And then filled with fluid and went through the recommended after filter change procedure. And it's been working fine ever since. (Knock on wood!!!)

I'm no mechanic, and just did this job from sparse info in a manual, google searches and lots of trial and error. So don't hold me to it, and good luck!!!

Again, wish I had a better answer.
 
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