So I go to grab a box of smokes at the local Walgreens tonight, back up from the spot going to leave and presto! Like magic only my Disco can seem to do, my gear selector turns on me. It literally slips and slides back and forth. No resistance and NO WAY to change gears. Then in the process it somehow works only to get stuck in Park. Hooray! In the middle of the parking lot.

Now, I didn't grab my cell when I left cuz hey, I was only going to grab a pack of smokes. I had no flashlight cuz that's what my iPhones for. And I had no tools with me.

So I figure it's either:
The 500$ cable broke
The 500$ cable came off at the linkage at the tranny. Potential easy fix, or,
The 500$ cable came off at the selector. Potential easy fix too as long as you don't mind pulling the ENTIRE F' in CONSOLE OUT!!

I look under and the tranny connection is solid. Ok. Was hoping for that option but, nope. Now I'm stuck. So I say FK it. Leave the truck in the middle of the parking lot and walk the two miles home, grab the phone, a box of essential tools and walk back while researching crap on my phone.

Now I get there and guess what? In my stressed state of mind I forgot the keys. Gimme a break! Walk home, and back again. Pull the console off, alwayssss fun and I see the problem. There's a e-clip missing. Just gone. Like into a black hole.
You know, looks like

and came off of

So I just had to ask, has this **** happened to anyone else?

All I could originally think was my God my wife's gonna flip her lid when I tell her I need a cable that's gonna cost 1/5 of what I originally got the truck for. Why the hell these things are $500 is beyond me. They sure don't look like anything fancy. Thank God it's a 1$ clip. Now just gotta figure out the size. Guess I'll just buy the six closest looking sizes. One'll fit. :-)

 

Have I had it happen, yes in a few different ways. Everything like what just happened to you, to having a AT linkage trunnion on a RRC rust off. That was a bad day.

Good news you will be able to get that size e-clip (OE# FRC8707) at a Hardware Store or a NAPA/ any auto parts store. For example, NAPA has a full kit (90 count) #BK 7252625 for about $9.00 & I'm sure there are kits with less clips too.

After reading your post again, maybe this was Divine Intervention. God might be telling you to quit smoking and get more exercise.
Good Luck!

 

I can't say I didn't know the quitting smoking thing wasn't coming. Working on it. Went from 2 packs a day to about 3/4 now. With me it's gotta be gradual. But I've done it several times before, often for years.

On the truck front I was able to screwdriver shift it using the lip where the e clip would go. That got me to the closest place, Advance. Found a general set for 9 bucks. Screw it. There was one in there that worked and that's all that matters. I ain't putting the console back for a while. Gonna make sure it holds and so I can watch the goings on in there and make sure there's nothing that caused the clip to come off. I'm wondering if I'm ultimately responsible as last time I had the console off I greased the mechanism in there and maybe that made it easier for it to come off? Just strange why I can't find the old clip. It's a sealed box down there.

 

Good to see you got the truck sorted. As for the clip, as stupid as it sounds, you'll find it probably stuck in grease straight up and not laying flat.
Even better to see you are getting off the smokes. I won't preach to you and you know it can be a hell of a fight...... but well worth the effort! Cheers

 

[QUOTE=ROB99DISCOSD;61OUT!!




and came off of

So I just had to ask, has this **** happened to anyone else?
yes......during a monsoon.....with the wifes truck ....at the market....no tools....:0(

 

Now that just sucks too. I'm always amazed how a part worth literally cents can take down an entire vehicle or piece of machinery in general.

 

There is nothing under the sun that is infallible, including the sun.

As I seem to work way too much already I came into work on my off day to replace some water line fittings with a scheduled down time to find a pump (one of 16) on complex machine had quit running late the previous night, like 2AM and it was 7AM when I arrived. The two night techs could not figure it out. I was half asleep when this problem was dropped in our shifts lap so I didn't ask all the right questions and the techs looked like beaten dogs that had been run over. I let them go and two fresh techs took over, replaced the pump with the same results, single phasing. I let them sort it out while taking care of other issues. Three hours later and still the motor was single phasing and the two once fresh techs looked worn out from all the parts replacing and stress. I took my multimeter, checked continuity across the thermal overload protection and found one of the three had blown. It's about a $5 dollar part and the time the process was down plus parts and wages probably was in the $200k range. Took me less than 10 minutes to find and resolve. Needless to say, it's the reason I work too much. I told the manager on shift that was having a coronary that it's good training for them, they suck at it and need to hands on so I don't have to be the go to guy, he let it roll without saying a word. My manager came in, gave him the low down and all was good. I did mention that I'm burned out...... It'll be a talking point in the next meeting........ and I still get paid too little and I did replace the water line fitting that would've taken down one side of the plant. Nobody even knows how serious it was...... except the manager that was having the coronary.

Couple of other points, buy your smokes by the carton, I get to know the clerks and when they get a carton of $1.00 dollar off in my brand I buy the whole thing. The other is always with a used car keep a cheap multi tool in the glove box. I walk enough at work, don't need a stupid reason when I'm off.

 

A proper gentleman does not go motoring about without any tools at all.
Or after dark.

 

 

Aint that the God's honest truth. Funniest pic I've seen in awhile.