# Help! 1996 F250...Loose Shifter on Column



## turfquip

Its an automatic. 

Last time I plowed it felt loose. Today it feels looser. 

Its not the pin that attaches the shifter handle to the assembly, although there is a little wiggle in it...what concerns me is that there is more slop in the assembly. For example, the indicator shows its in drive, but its really in neutral...and so on. 

Im really babying the thing making slow and deliberate shifts during the back and forth of plowing but my greatest fear is of course the whole thing falling apart or breaking.

Can anyone advise me...theres a storm on the way 

Thanks!


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## FordFisherman

There's 2 torx head screws underneath the dash on the column that come loose. I saw a pic on another site, I'll see if I can dig it up...


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## FordFisherman

check out this thread....
http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f28/problem-column-shifter-273140/


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## nevrnf

just fixed this on mine. Its a pain in the to do as there is no room to work. I dropped the column and removed the dash surround and instrument cluster to get more room. It made a huge difference.


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## snowman91

If you use a long extension you will reach it with no problem. Slide under the dash and wiggle the shifter and you will see the torx bolts. You may want to remove them and put some light grade locktight on them.


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## blee1ash

Mine did the same thing last year. Tighten the torx bolts and use locktite. Haven't had a problem since.


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## weareweird69

Ive done three of these. Its a common problem. The bushings wear out on the shifter shaft, and sometimes the shifter shaft breaks. My fathers broke in his 93 randomly. So replace the Shaft, and the tube, and put in new bushings and you'll be good for a long time.

Instead of making you go thru all those links, buy the following, and click below for photos'
http://picasaweb.google.com/jasult/ShifterTubeRepair?authkey=Gv1sRgCMi57Zj5y6CEUw&feat=directlink#

Plunger F7DZ-7R264-AA $13.75
Shifter Tube 1F1Z-7212-AA $35.52
Bushings (2) F3TZ-7L278-A $6.28

Its very simple to do, remove the dash surround, and drop the column. Dash bezel is held on by two 7mm bolts behind the trim peices, you remove the headlight knob with an awl, there is a catch inside the knob, push on the catch, and pull on the knob.










Unplug all the stuff, and be careful, cause those dashes are brittle. 
Undo the automatic shifter indicator cable. Unloop it off the arm shown below, and unscrew the cable from the white bracket, or remove the bracket. This is your adjustment on the dash, so that the little orange needle lines up with the letters in the proper gear.


















Drop the column, there are 4 nuts that are I think 3/4" on the bottom of the clumn and the column will fall, or drop slowly. Its very easy.


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## Holland

I've done a couple myself. Parts arent too bad and its an easy fix.


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## fordsuvparts

Napa now has the parts to fix this available after market, very reasonable price.


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