Automatic transmission locked in Park; HELP

[yo-dt]

I finally got my body separated from the frame and now I hit a snag!
After sliding the frame out from under the body I attempted to place my 1966 V-8 Daytona automatic transmission in Neutral to roll the frame around. The transmission lever went up and down several times as I hunted for Neutral. When I pulled it up into Park it locked there. I cannot move it out of Park!! Does anyone have a solution to my problem? I could find nothing on this in any of my Studebaker manuals.

Thanx, in advance, for any assistance you can provide me.

yo-dt

[Sonny]

Have you tried rocking the frame while you try to shift it out of park, at the same time? That's about the only thing I can think of this minute, there's no reason that it should be held in park like that unless there's pressure against the parking pawl.

Sonny

http://RacingStudebakers.com

[yo-dt]

I removed the driveshaft so the frame would be mobile, but I will hook it back up to see if I can get it out of Park by rocking it back and forth as suggested. It feels like metal to metal contact inside the transmission when I wiggle the shift lever. Could it be I went beyond the detent gear inside? I will let you know if the rocking remedy removes this little obstacle in my path to restoring a Studebaker.
yo-dt

[Sonny]

Unless there's physical damage, there's no way to go "beyond the detent". You can refer to the '50 -'64 Shop Manual, Group IV, "Flightomatic-Overhaul Procedures", page 67, "Transmission Case and Linkage Assembly", Figure 137, for a look at the mechanical parking pawl system.

If rocking the frame forward and backward as you try to bring the lever to the neutral position doesn't work, the tranny will have to be disassembled. The bad news is that it's included in the front case so the disassembly/fix would be a major deal. I think it's just gummed up. You can pull the engine and tranny together or pull the tranny off the way it is and try to mess with it when you get it separated from the engine and on the floor.

Sonny

http://RacingStudebakers.com

[yo-dt]

Well; I put the driveshaft back in and rocked the car fore and aft to no avail. The shift lever is still stuck in the Park position. Since I have the body off I will seperate the trans from the engine and frame and see if by going in thru the trans oil pan I can see the problem. I have never played with the insides of a Studebaker automatic so this should be fun. By the way, the trans was working perfectly before I started the rebuild process. I was not anticipating that I would be delving into it! Wish me luck and if has advise please lay it on me!!!

yo-dt

[Sonny]

Damn, hate to hear that. The pawl does have a spring across the top of it that holds the pawl down and seated. It's also there in case someone would try to put it in park while the car is moving, (allows the pawl to "skip" over, instead of jam into, the slots on the drum). In any event, if it was working and it hasn't been jammed, I still think the danged thing is just gummed up or something real simple. I sure hope so.... I'm stumped at this moment too. Please let us know what you find.

Sonny

http://RacingStudebakers.com

[Roscomacaw]

I'm certainly no automatic tranny guy, but I have taken the shift levers and shaft out to replace leaking shaft seals a couple of times. Having had that happy experience, let me forewarn you to do this in a room where there's no drains or accumulation of "junk" around that you can lose the detent ball and spring in! In fact, if I had it to do again, I'd get a dry cleaning bag and work with it covering the tranny as you do so. Trust me - it WILL get away from you at least once![xx(] It's no fun looking under shelves and tool boxes and refridgerators and so forth, looking for those two small items.[V]
Like Sonny, I can't fathom what was a good, working tranny just locking up like that. You can't MAKE one do that that I've ever heard of. Something is wrong. And if you need to put a positive spin on it, be happy that it happened while it's so darned accessible instead of after you've gotten the car all back together and on the road!

Miscreant at large.

[yo-dt]

I took my locked in park transmission to Mel's Transmission in Watertown WI. He tore it down and only found sludge. After new front and rear seals, a pan gasket filter & seal and a shift lever seal I paid $91.00. What a deal and a relief that there was nothing seriously wrong. yo-dt

[Roscomacaw]

So - WHY was locked in Park?[?]

Miscreant at large.

[yo-dt]

Sorry for not being more discriptive. Tranny guy said it was locked in park becasue of lack of use and sludge buildup. That's all I know, as I was relieved it was not someting worse!

[Roscomacaw]

Wow! That's a new one on me. Well, I won't live long enough to see ALL the things that can go wrong with a Stude. I see new "tricks" all the time.[}]

Miscreant at large.