Tranny Problem??

[Ron Collins]

Hello All,

Took the car in for front end alignment and car remains at facility. The tech drove the car into bay and returned it to the same spot that I drove into. Paid for work and was ready to drive home: when I got in the driver seat noticed the gear shifter was not in park position, but down in reverse "R". Tried to move it up to proper position to start and get out of there. Nothing doing could only get the shifter to go to drive "D", no further. Stormed back into the office and asked when were they planning on telling me the tech broke something on my car. Argruments and alot of finger pointing and I left the car for them to figure how they would like to handle the issue. The car is a 6200 series, 1963 has anyone else ever had this type of issue or know anyway that it can be resolved. I do know at some point I will have to assist them in getting the car taken care of. Any help will be gladly appreciated.

[Ray Schick]

Maybe check the shift linkage  , check the neutral safety switch on column,  get under the car and inspect trans linkage . If you drove the car to the shop and it was fine ,that’s the only thing I can think of at the moment  

[Ron Collins]

Just returned from the shop one of the helpers told me he dismantled the linkage and the shifter in the vehicle was able to move freely. cars rolls forward and backwards so he imagines it is in neutral??? The aparatus where the linkage connects on the side of the transmission he did think that it was turning around 360 degrees when the linkage was disconnected; but he was'nt 100% sure.

Will neutral safety switch keep the car from shifting into gear?? Maybe somehow technician kicked it by mistake??? Hopefully this extra info helps.

Thanks,

[Mark S Anderson]

If the transmission shift lever can spin 360 degrees, then you might have a stripped out detent lever or stripped manual shaft in the transmission.    Just as likely, the set screw has come undone and slipped off the end somehow.    If the detent is still attached to the lever, there is no way it would have room to turn all the way around, so the shaft is spinning independently inside of it.  Remove the pan and you'll see it immediately.  

If there are no detents(clicks) in the trans linkage, there is no way of telling what gear it's in.  You can only tell when it is in park by rolling it, an automatic trans is always in neutral when the engine is off.   You can find out what gear it's in only by starting the engine, but by no means should you try to drive it with the manual valve linkage in an unknown place.   If the linkage is spinning freely, you could be between gears, like halfway between neutral and drive, and driving it in that position will be driving with reduced hydraulic pressure, which can VERY quickly burn out clutches from slippage.    
The NSS won't make the car not shift unless it falls apart and somehow gets lodged in the shift tube in the column.  You can't kick it that hard, as I could imagine, unless your mechanic is a rodeo bull.

[Ron Collins]

Thanks Much Ray!!!

[Tony and Ginny 429]

The guy who dismanteled the  trans linkage caused the problem 

I would think it is not reinstalled correctly and SB inspected and adjusted to work correctly again 

Just my best guess 

Enjoy 

[Ron Collins]

Mark & Tony, Many Thanks

[Tony and Ginny 429]

If you went in for front end work what was this mechanic doing playing with your trans linkage ?

One has nothing to do with the other 

Why did he have a need to go there ?

Enjoy 

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Any pictures of the trans linkage - of the trans in a 6200 series 1963  Cadillac available to view ?

Enjoy 

[Ron Collins]

Tony I have not a clue?? I wasn't watching, but I really believe something went wrong on the lift when they were giving it an inspection to find other avenues to try and extract money from my wallet.....

No original pics under the car - but it does look identical to what is in the Cadillac Shop Manual for the year.

[Tony and Ginny 429]

Examine the linkage at the bottom of the steering column -that is under the hood just below the brake booster area 

A lot of the steering linkage is located there  that changes the trans gears when you use the steering column lever to change gears when in the driver seat 

Enjoy 

[Tony and Ginny 429]

The last post should read ——-a lot of trans linkage is located there ( not steering ) 

Enjoy 

[Ron Collins]

I did see a collar with a spring underneath it, also a lever came out that was attached to another linkage lever of some sort, Wasn't familiar with it at all but did wonder if it needed lubrication of some sort to help it's movement. Tony are we speaking of the same part??