1990 F350 tilt column shifter will not release HELP!

[sweet66monza]

My dad just called me and said the shifter jammed in the steering column of his work truck. Looks like the 600k+ miles is taking its toll.


He says he can shift it by crawling underneath, unhooking the linkage and shifting it manually, but he needs the truck tomorrow for work and wont have anyone with him to hold the brake as he crawls underneath... at every stop.

Is there a way we can make it shift inside the truck for the next few days to get him by so we can get over to the wrecking yard for a new column?

thanks in advance!

 

[franklin2]

Take the short column cover off next to the cluster. Then take a look up beside the lever where it goes in the column. There is a piece in there if you take a screwdriver and slip up in there and push it back, you can then move the lever.

What has happened is the famous pot metal piece has broken inside the column, and will have to be replaced. You do that from the steering wheel side.

 

[franklin2]

It's piece number 15 in the left top picture in this link.

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/fd/full.aspx?Page=118

 

[sweet66monza]

As usual, thanks for the help guys! We really appreciate it!

 

[GOOSE]

I am waiting for that piece to break...... giving me the reason to ditch all that garbage for two toggle switches and a push button start in place of the ignition switch and all that nonsense in the column. I replaced that piece in my Mom's F150 last winter, it's not too bad. You can disassemble the column, take the broken piece out, put the steering wheel back on and use needle nose vise grips to operate the ignition switch in a pinch.

 

[franklin2]

It's easy to get the broken pieces out(2 pieces), a little tricky to get the new piece(one piece) back in. I finally went to my local Ford dealer, and they let me talk to their "steering column" guy(what does that tell you).

He told me to take the wheel off, the first section loose, pull the pins out that the column tilts on(I used screws and a claw hammer) and while putting pressure on the assembly, take the snap ring loose, and carefully pull the assembly down, but don't let it come apart. That will give you enough room to put the new pot metal piece in place. He said it's very hard to get it back together if you let the whole thing fly apart.