It was a beautiful evening to go for a cruise in the old car - Videokarma.org TV - Video

WISCOJIM · #1 04-25-2020, 09:37 PM

until the damn thing busted!

I took my '67 Dodge out a few days ago now that the weather is warmer. Started up quickly, ran great. Came home, parked it in the garage.

Tried taking it out this evening for a group car cruise, keeping social distancing of course. The car started fine, but when I put the gearshift in reverse, it acted as if it was in neutral. I shifted back into park, then again to reverse and it was fine, so I backed out of the garage. Then I tried to put it into drive, but the gearshift lever would not move past the reverse position it was in. The lever will only move back and forth between park and reverse. I suspect a lever linkage problem, but too dark to look now.

Anyone have any experience with this type of issue?

consoleguy67 · #2 04-26-2020, 10:39 AM

Sometimes if the linkage bushings wear out, it will bind up.

Electronic M · #3 04-26-2020, 02:54 PM

A friend that has a bullet-bird (generation of T-bird) took it to a restaurant and and to push it out of the parking space cause it wouldn't go into reverse...took it to a transmission place and found reverse was lost because the trans cracked in half.... apparently a problem that year.

Hopefully your issue is minor in comparison...

bgadow · #4 04-30-2020, 09:14 PM

First, sharp looking car. 30+ years ago my best friends father had one, appliance white, factory AC, 318. Needed a fuel pump. He literally couldn't give that car away. He tried for years to get a hundred bucks for it. No rust, not beat up either. Finally sold it to the junkyard. I went there to grab a part one day a few weeks later and they'd managed to demolish the left quarter panel

I'd cross my fingers and start with bushings. Even some white grease might help. I have dim memories of having to replace the bushings on my 87 Dakota which very likely wasn't much different in design.

I'll leave with this: when I was a kid there was an old man with a '72 or so Dodge pickup. You would always see it parked along the side of the road, empty. Well, my grandfather knew him and explained: reverse had gone out on the transmission and rather than have it fixed he just always parked where he didn't have to back up!

WISCOJIM · #5 05-12-2020, 08:54 PM

Darn, no luck. When I disconnect the linkage at the transmission (red circle), the steering column shift lever glides smoothly end to end. Trying to shift at the transmission, only Park and Reverse.

mgross0 · #6 05-12-2020, 10:53 PM

The A727 has a weak reverse servo piston, which can break apart. The band may also be out of whack, but I don't think that could prevent you from selecting the reverse gear, it just wouldn't engage. I think you can pressure test it with the tranny installed to check the servo, and that is probably on the Allpar.com site.

WISCOJIM · #7 05-12-2020, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgross0

The A727 has a weak reverse servo piston, which can break apart. The band may also be out of whack, but I don't think that could prevent you from selecting the reverse gear, it just wouldn't engage. I think you can pressure test it with the tranny installed to check the servo, and that is probably on the Allpar.com site.

It's got an A904 transmission paired to the original 273 V-8.

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mgross0 · #8 05-13-2020, 01:43 AM

No idea then. Before '69 they had some issues, but that should be fixed in any unit that has been rebuilt since then. If the levers on the tranny are stuck, it would do no harm to try and loosen the reverse band a couple of turns and see if it frees up.

MadMan · #9 05-13-2020, 02:12 AM

So with the linkage removed from the transmission, you're not able to turn the lever anywhere but park and reverse? You mean the lever gets physically stuck, and will turn no further than reverse? Very strange. Should not have anything to do with bands or servos, as the shifter lever has no mechanical linkage to them. Do not attempt to adjust your bands. You'd only be causing more problems. For the lever to get stuck on something, it would have to be the parking pawl or manual valve or the rooster head is broken or something. Very odd. There is also the possibility that the shifter shaft is so dried up that it gets stuck. It's been a while since I've been in one of these transmissions.

WISCOJIM · #10 05-13-2020, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMan

So with the linkage removed from the transmission, you're not able to turn the lever anywhere but park and reverse?

Yes. I'm not going to mess with it. The last thing I want to do is pay someone to fix something that I made worse by tinkering with it. I'll ask around about local shops, and then ask them what they think and how much it might co$t.

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MadMan · #11 05-14-2020, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WISCOJIM

Yes. I'm not going to mess with it. The last thing I want to do is pay someone to fix something that I made worse by tinkering with it. I'll ask around about local shops, and then ask them what they think and how much it might co$t.

Probably for the best. I seem to recall hearing that something to do with the parking pawl is known to break. I would ask our old transmission guy, he would know. But he doesn't come around since the corona virus...

TV-collector · #12 06-09-2020, 05:40 AM

Buy the original shop manual, they are great helpers!

WISCOJIM · #13 06-09-2020, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TV-collector

Buy the original shop manual, they are great helpers!

Yes, thanks. I've got it on disc and have used it for many small repairs. The transmission is something I won't mess with.

The car is still in the driveway. I've been promised help from a friend of a neighbor of a friend, who still hasn't had the time to help. I've also gotten several recommendations for local transmission shops, and may soon have to tow it over to one of them.

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