Help, tranny not shifting into P or R

I need some help. Car was on jack stands for a few days to install new tires. While it was up on stands I decided to change my exhaust/ intake gaskets. I started up after installation and it was making a terrible grinding noise. I shut it down after only a few seconds. Now the car is back on all 4 tires and no terrible noise everything is good until I try to backup. The shifter will not physically move into reverse. I even tried removing the column linkage. I also don't have park. It will move onto park but it will not hold the car. I have neutral, drive and low. Is the mechanical linkage inside the trans broken?

check your engine and transmission mounts for cracks/breaks

like your signature .... "looks far from good, but good from far"

Bad mounts will prevent it from going into reverse? I took the linkage off the shifter and still can not get it to move to the reverse position. Will move to the park position but the park pawl does not engage. Both of these are new problems that weren't there before she was put up on jack stands.

Something has caused the engine to be out of alignment with the transmission or with the flywheel--that was probably the grinding noise. I agree with Mr. Earl, sounds like broken motor mounts. Where did you have the jack and the jack stands positioned?

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

The jack stands were on the frame. 2 right behind the front wheels and 2 right in front the rear wheels where the x meets the outside frame rails. I'm thinking the linkage got stretched or damaged internally. Drives fine in forward gears.

Bad mounts will prevent it from going into reverse? I took the linkage off the shifter and still can not get it to move to the reverse position. Will move to the park position but the park pawl does not engage. Both of these are new problems that weren't there before she was put up on jack stands.

Take the linkage off at the transmission to see if it goes into gears. If not, you are right about internal problems. If it goes, then the thrust pad is shot and likely took the tranny and motor mounts with it.

As an addition to all the good advice already given, check your fan tips and shroud for any signs of rubbing, that would account for the grinding noise and confirm mount problems.

I have the transmission disconnected from the linkage. It will not physically move to the Reverse position. It will move to park but will not engage the parking paw. The grinding noise only happened for a few seconds. This was when it was on jack stands and only on jack stands. The fan belt was also removed when this happened. After i put the tires on and the car on the ground the noise never happened again. Everything seemed normal until i tried to back out of the garage and discovered i could not put it into reverse.

Can i remove the ball joint housing to view the parking paw and or linkage to it? Im assuming there most be a common problem between something mechanically moving the reverse and parking sections of the transmission.

This is a such a bummer here in Flint is the start of a week long car show and i have a broken car.

PM sent

Wel found the problem. One of the pins that go through the parking paw is broken. Will a roll pin and 2 eclips hold up ok? Or do I need to find a new parking pawl assembly. The origanl pin was peened into place.

I would give Jim Hughes a call and ask him. He might even be able to sell you a new pin and/or assembly. So was the broken pin the source of the binding you felt?

I would give Jim Hughes a call and ask him. He might even be able to sell you a new pin and/or assembly. So was the broken pin the source of the binding you felt?

Yes the pawl is completely free from the linkage assembly causing the linkage to bind at the bottom of its stroke preventing reverse servo from engaging. So long story short i got another transmission from another buick enthusiast today to use the parking pawl assembly from. Just my luck after getting home that same pin is broken on this transmission too. So im going to install a 1/4 20 shoulder bolt, lock nut and hope for the best. I just need to source a gasket or try to cut my own. It is a very thin gasket material. Apparently this is a common failure on early dynaflows.

If you do, please use a Grade 8 bolt at least and not some homodepot bolt n nut. Good luck.

Well that wasn't fun, but shes fixed. Ended up using a 1/4x20x5/8 Socket shoulder die bolt with a stover nut. Learned some valuable lessons. Like the hydraulic shift linkage is not adjustable once installed :mad:. Also learned the wife was completely grossed out by me having dirt and ATF in my hair.

Hey guys, hate to bring this thread back to life, but hoping someone can help me out with a similar problem. My park pawl is broke, and cant figure put how to replace it. I have heard you do not need to pull the trans. Any merit to this?

Thanks!

Pulling this back to the top mainly because I see Hobo hasn't gotten any responses. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than I will be chime in but here is what I know, right or wrong. It would help to know what year your Buick is. How do you know your pawl is broken or is it worn? I think 55 is the first year you can adjust the pawl with tranny intact and in the car. Otherwise I am pretty sure you will have to pull the rear section of the tranny (without removing the entire tranny)

Let us hear from you Hobo, and maybe introduce yourself, so we know we're not wasting our time responding. I'd also suggest starting a thread of your own relative to the problem you are having.

Mr. Earl,

My apologies for not giving a proper introduction. Usage of forums is not much of my forte

I pulled up this thread as I have the (almost) exact problem as described. When putting in park you get the stereo typical "something in the fanblade" sound of metal on metal. I am most certain the pawl or the pin retaining the ratchet/pawl mechanism has broken, due to the aforementioned noise, and the fact that it has been either worn or out of adjustment before since it would skip out of park. I'm most certain it has broken as of the sound it's making.

I too have a '52 Special just as Flintbuick has.

Main thing for me is to see if you can in fact remove just the tailhousing without removing the whole tranny to get to the pawl. I do not want to drop the whole tranny (this time).

I try not to jump on old threads, but given that my problem is almost identical, I was hoping someone could chime in to make sure I'm on the right track by pulling just the tailhousing.

~Anthony

No problem Hobo, glad to see you searched and found this as it is certainly related to your problem. Hopefully someone who knows more than I will chime in.

Most of us have run our Buick's with the wheels jacked up, usually only at idle. But we have to remember to apply and hold the brakes firmly before shifting gears. This relates to my neutral creep question above. If you've got a good neutral creep going and no brakes applied and go to park Ouch! goes the pawl. 53s are very adjustable. They don't really have a detent on the column. I hope to adjust ours once more and coax it to Springfield to get examined for creepiness.

Pat

I figured I should post an update since nobody really did answer my question. 
 

I was able to disconnect and pull the torque tube back with a come-along enough to access to the pawl. Only took a couple nights after work to do so.

Shockingly enough, the pawl is intact from what I can see of it, and when putting it in park, it falls into place and locks the tranny firmly. 

While Im excited about that, I am nervous about the noise I had haha.

My best guess is since the thrust pad was indeed shot, it was put of alignment just enough for the pawl to skip over any points of lock. .Some how it survived, but I still dont know that noise was unfortunately. 

Your 'best guess' is a good guess!  Sometimes a definitive answer is expensive.

Most of us have run our Buick's with the wheels jacked up, usually only at idle. But we have to remember to apply and hold the brakes firmly before shifting gears. If you've got a good neutral creep going and no brakes applied and go to park Ouch! goes the pawl. 53s are very adjustable. They don't really have a detent on the column. Pat

I've heard that noise on my '59.....Ugh.