1967 Fairlane C4 Transmission wont shift when engine is not running
How's it going everybody? I have a unique question. I recently purchased another 1967 Fairlane and I have a transmission problem. The car runs and drive fine. Stays in park, reverse, neutral, and drive, but when I put the car in park and shut it off, I can't shift it into neutral. I took off the intake to re-seal it when I noticed the problem. I can try shutting it off in neutral and see if it says in neutral, but why would this be like it is? I made sure all the linkage is moving when the shifter is moving, and I had somebody rock the car back and forth as I go through the entire shift pattern, but still nothing. Any ideas? Thanks!!
Hello. Are you saying that it won't come out of park or that it will come out of park into reverse, but won't go into neutral? Assuming that yours is a column shift car and not a floor shift car, then you have some sort of misallignment in some of that stuff that is out there in the area of the throttle linkage, which is on the intake. If it's not coming out of park, try pressing the accellerator all the way to the floor and see if it will come out with it floored. A good thing to do would be to have someone else pull the shift lever towards them as far as they can (without breaking it) while you look under the hood to see where it's binding. It sounds kind of like a detent allignment problem, but, it could be something else in the area of that bellcrank thingy. Hope that helps.
Has the shift linkage been messed with or did this problem start on its own? I've found on my C4 that if the car is sitting on a slope, as a driveway would be at times, that it will take a little bit of effort to get out of park because of the weight of the car putting pressure against the parking pawl. This happens with the engine running or not though.
I think that maybe Veronica may be on to something with the throttle linkage. The downshift lever on the throttle linkage, where the downshift cable attaches, may be hitting the shift linkage when the throttle is not pressed. It's sure worth taking a look. It's very odd that this only happens with the engine not running.
Thank you for all your replies and sorry I couldn't answer them yesterday, I was home sick. Anyways, the shifter is aftermarket (B&M Megashifter i believe) so it's on the floor. This is exactly how I got the car, so I don't know what's been done to it exactly. The car wont come out of park though when it's not running. It wont go into gear or neutral, but the lever on the tranny is moving, just the same way when the car is running. The linkage is tight and the cable isn't slipping, which is the part that has me stumped. I had somebody rock the car back and forth as I slowly pulled the cable in and out (believing I would go from P-R-N-D-2-1 and back again, and being able to hit neutral eventually) but i was never able to get the car rolling. The shifter doesn't feel like its binding up or anything, as if its on a hill (the car is on is level). It's the oddest thing, why would the pump have to be working to shift this trans? Thanks for your help guys, any new ideas?? Please?? Hopefully?? haha.
There isn't some electrical solenoid lockout under the shifter cover is there? Try turning the ignition swith to "on" but don't start the car. See if that frees it. Just a thought.
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Thank you very much for your idea, Rodbender. I looked all over for wires and couldn't find any and also tried with the key on, however, your idea made me just thought of something (so thank you!). I remember two vacuum hoses going up to the intake, and I thought there is only suspposed to be one hose. The kick down is manual, so the only hose should be for modulator, correct? Is there supposed to be two vaccum hoses for a C4?? or just one?? Thanks!!!!
Is your B&M megashifter the kind you have to lift up on to get it out of park? As Veronica said look for a bind from the throttle linkage down. When car is running throttle arm maybe back just enough to move kickdown arm away from shift selector arm.
The C4 may have a rod that is connected to the column which keeps the transmission from shifting when the steering is locked. The rod will connect to the same lever (opposite the shifter link) as the shifter rod connects to.
It was a safety feature.
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1967 Fairlane C4 Transmission wont shift when engine is not running 
Are you saying that it won't come out of park or that it will come out of park into reverse, but won't go into neutral? Assuming that yours is a column shift car and not a floor shift car, then you have some sort of misallignment in some of that stuff that is out there in the area of the throttle linkage, which is on the intake. If it's not coming out of park, try pressing the accellerator all the way to the floor and see if it will come out with it floored. A good thing to do would be to have someone else pull the shift lever towards them as far as they can (without breaking it
) while you look under the hood to see where it's binding. It sounds kind of like a detent allignment problem, but, it could be something else in the area of that bellcrank thingy. Hope that helps.
