![]() ![]() You'll need to drill or punch out the roll pin that holds it in with the right punch and some WD-40.Īt the same time, get the lower shift column retainer. If it is slipping out of park, you should replace the shift lever as it will have a groove cut into it. If there is no up-and-down play, you can probably leave out the upper bearing retainer (hard-rubber ring that wraps around the upper bearing). Little things like this made a big difference. In particular, Ford gave very little slack with the wiring harness up the column and you'll need it to remove the turnsignal and get access to the upper bearing so loosen all three wiring plastic clamps with a 5/16" socket and pull the loop of the harness that goes behind the neutral safety switch up and over. You can call me on cell at 336.202.3859 weekdays if you'd like. I know I've typed too much but there's so much more you might need to know as you go along. Once this is out, you'll easily be able to remove the steering shaft and install the upper brg retainer as well as more easily fit the lower retainer. These flexible steering couplers ARE NOT reproduced and you need to reuse this part. ![]() If they're likely corroded from brake fluid drips, etc, it might be easiest to cut the bastards through the shaft of the bolt (both of them) with a Dremel Multi-Max, and tap out the threaded stubs that remain. You'll need to remove the driver's hood hinge (it's OK, when fully opened it has no tension, three bolts to the chassis, two to the hood) and then pray that you can fit a 12-pt 7/16" socket on the special shoulder bolts that Ford intended. Driving the rollpin out of the shift level pivot was not one of my more pleasant jobs either. Both the upper and lower inserts were originally made of poor polymers or rubbers and evaporated into a wax-like goo. This is likely long since gone and is part of the reason you are jumping out of park. You should get a new shift lever (~$45) which includes a new rubber collar and will address the old one that has definitely worn a groove into itself get a new shift detent plate upper bearing retainer (thin rubber collar that grips the bearing and will solve all of your steering wheel slop) and the lower shift column retainer. ![]() Order from any vendor of your choosing but I heartily recommend the quality parts I got from Bird Nest. Even though my vacuum dashpot for the parking brake doesn't work, there is a manual override lever just at dash edge and I suggest always using the p-brake. The 65 and 66 were prone to steering wheel play in the up and down direction, in addition to popping out of park. Obtain both the electrical assembly manual and the wiring diagram for your car - it'll be invaluable. Thanks go out to The Bird Nest for their help over the phone when the OEM service manual was of no help. It's me in NC again and in response to the owner of the '66, I am proud to say that I finished the job this morning after about 2 weeks. No wonder they eventually bought a similar company - Jaguar. I love my T-Bird, but Ford's parts and complexity were fairly dismal in the mid 60's. No wonder I'm missing "Park" and the column moved up and down and all around. It turns out the lower bushing btw column and shift tube had long since degraded and the upper bearing support ring was like a trace of ear wax. The job was made more difficult by Ford's use of 12-point bolts that also rusted into a solid hulk - after removing the left hood hinge I split the bolts using a Dremel Multi-Max and removed the flexible joint that way, replacing with grade 5 socket head bolts. I finally managed to get the upper steering shaft out of the column, withthe objective having been to replace the lower shift tube bushing and upper steering shaft bearing support. Not really a question but just a statement - just how much more complicated could the Ford engineers have made the shift/steering/sliding column assemblies and then build them with rubber and plastic bushings that likely decomposed into thin air well before the 1970's were over? ![]()
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