Floppy gear selector

[89Suburban]

My column shifter for the trans broke. It used to be spring loaded and you would have to pull towards you to shift up or down. Now it just flops around. Anybody ever have or fix this issue on these NNBS?

 

[Chrismnj]

maybe the shifter link came loose on transmission or by steering column? check under the truck first. Assuming you not able to put in gear?

 

[89Suburban]

maybe the shifter link came loose on transmission or by steering column? check under the truck first. Assuming you not able to put in gear?

I can shift it fine it's the spring loaded action that's missing when you go to pull the lever towards you out of the cog to shift the gears.

 

[07Burb]

Sub'd for when a fix is discovered. I'm only about 90k miles behind ya on this one so I'm sure it'll happen to me at some point too......

 

[SnowDrifter]

There's a little retainer clip thing on the cable underneath the car where it connected to the frame. It's a 2 piece cable. That bit is known to break - how does that look?

What about where it connects to the trans linkage?

 

[SnowDrifter]

I can shift it fine it's the spring loaded action that's missing when you go to pull the lever towards you out of the cog to shift the gears.

Verify for me: Can you shift it? Or does it cycle through the digits on the dash without shifting?

Little outside of what I'm familiar with here, but at least on the NBS hoes, there's an indent wheel internal to the transmission that handles the engagement feel of the shifter. Not sure if the 6 speeds are the same or not

What happens if you disconnect the shift cable from the trans entirely and manually actuate the linkage? Make sure your ebrake is on and vehicle secured when you do this

 

[Chrismnj]

I would say take the plastics off around the steering column and start investigating looking for loose parts

 

[07Burb]

Verify for me: Can you shift it? Or does it cycle through the digits on the dash without shifting?

Little outside of what I'm familiar with here, but at least on the NBS hoes, there's an indent wheel internal to the transmission that handles the engagement feel of the shifter. Not sure if the 6 speeds are the same or not

What happens if you disconnect the shift cable from the trans entirely and manually actuate the linkage? Make sure your ebrake is on and vehicle secured when you do this

From what I gather, it still shifts through the gears but doesn't have the resistance to it when you go to put it in a different gear like it should so it just flops around as you shift it from Park to Drive or Reverse or where ever you're putting it. That's what I take from it, at least.


....and this is a 4 speed truck being an 07.

 

[SnowDrifter]

and this is a 4 speed truck being an 07.

Makes me wonder if the indent wheel ****** up.

 

[Chrismnj]

try this I know its a ford but simulator concept

 

[Doubeleive]

this happened to my friends sierra there is a small spring inside where the pin goes thru the shifter arm on the shaft, you should be able to get the broken one out and replace it, if you pull the rubber boot off you should be able to see it in there down in the crevice just takes the right tool to reach in there.

 

[Doubeleive]

Makes me wonder if the indent wheel ****** up.

floppy shifter, likely broken return spring on the shaft even if the cable was completely snapped off the shifter wouldn't be floppy

 

[07Burb]

this happened to my friends sierra there is a small spring inside where the pin goes thru the shifter arm on the shaft, you should be able to get the broken one out and replace it, if you pull the rubber boot off you should be able to see it in there down in the crevice just takes the right tool to reach in there.

do you happen to know what the part number would be for that? Where did your friend find a replacement?

 

[Doubeleive]

do you happen to know what the part number would be for that? Where did your friend find a replacement?

nope, dealer parts department can probably tell you, just tell them it is the return spring for the shifter arm on the column, it may be called something else but that's what I would call it.

 

[Doubeleive]

looking on ebay real quick on the manual shifters they can call it a detent spring, but it's probably different on the automatics

 

[Doubeleive]

this guy has a assortment to choose from $18
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shifter-Sp...=item21548f39a5:g:izsAAOSwUoNaStKp:rk:41:pf:0

edit I didn't look close enough, the ones he has are for 60's-70's shifters, but at any rate that's what your probably looking for, but I would get a flashlight and pull that rubber boot back and look down in there, you can see if it is broken or not.

 

[89Suburban]

this happened to my friends sierra there is a small spring inside where the pin goes thru the shifter arm on the shaft, you should be able to get the broken one out and replace it, if you pull the rubber boot off you should be able to see it in there down in the crevice just takes the right tool to reach in there.

Yes I believe this is what is going on. I will open it up over the weekend and investigate. Maybe do a write up so we can sticky it, not much info out there for this era of truck on this issue. Thanks all for the replies. Much appreciated.

 

[Chrismnj]

I think it might be this one

General Motors, Spring, 7812853

 

[Chrismnj]

 

[SnowDrifter]

floppy shifter, likely broken return spring on the shaft even if the cable was completely snapped off the shifter wouldn't be floppy

I had it in my head it was sloppy between gears. Carry on