Well, to start I have to say any help is appreciated.

I have a 74 dart swinger with a 225 slant in it and an A-904 trans. Today my trans. indexing partially went out while parking it for 5 minutes and then driving.

It indexes in park, reverse, and drive, but is out in nuetral and first and secound. the effect is it freely glides from reverse to drive and from drive to first. It shifts gears perfectly fine and at the right points as long as the shift pointer is in the right location.

I looked from the engine and the linkage connections look ok. I was hoping someone might know what this is before I take a deep dive into this.

Thanks,
74

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Where ever you go there you are!

I was looking at the fluid level and noticed that 1st and 2nd even though the shifter travels through each one the trans dose not shift into 1 and 2 just drive.

74

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Where ever you go there you are!

look for worn or missing bushings in the linkage. That will do it every time.

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-MattMan
LEANED & MEAN

I checked out the car again still couldn't find an external cause for this. So i was looking in the FSM and I remembered the detent ball on the crows foot.

I looked it up and it shows the manual lever assembly (which is the crows foot) on the valve body and that rubs against the detent ball. The shift lever is connected to the crows foot and that leads me to think the ball fell out of the housing or maybe a spring inside it broke and its only partially working.

Not sure at this point, tell me what you think.

74

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Where ever you go there you are!

I looked and they look good. Old but good.

Thanks,
74

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Where ever you go there you are!

I was wrong on this one. Today I put the shifter into 1st from a stop, accelerated through the gear and first worked, then I tried 2nd same way and they both work.

The first time I was in park and checking them out and I didn't notice any change in the hydraulics so I thought they weren't working, but they are without the detent indexing.

So, with the hydraulics working and all, how long can you go without the detent ball and spring? And whats the fix look like? Easy, quick or a lot of work?

74

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Where ever you go there you are!

Today I got the Swinger up on jack stands for a better look at the gear shift lever bushing and throttle lever and shaft, also manual valve assembly shaft seal.

Gear shift lever bushing is some kinda cheap rubber that's tearing in the center but is still holding for a bit.

Throttle lever and shaft look pretty good.

Manual Valve assembly shaft is wobbley and the seal is leaking like a stuck pig. I'm wondering if the valve body shaft housing is wore out.

I was hoping it would turn out to be a loose e-clip, but that appeared to be good and solid. I took a video of it, maybe I can upload it (not sure how to yet).

Well I've never been in a tranny before, but looks like I'm going in Just not sure if I should cause I live in an apartment complex with new Mgt. (it's been off to a rocky start with this one).

74

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Where ever you go there you are!

Before you tear into the trans, I would remove the shifter linkage from the arm on the trans and see if you can find all the detents by working the arm by hand. Also, is it possible just the arm is loose and not the whole shaft? I have never seen a wobbly shaft before.

If you can post your video, that would be helpful. I still feel like it might be the shifter/linkage/bushings...

Best, Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

I had a similar problem on my '78 B200 van.

I just had to adjust the column to transmission linkage so that I got all of the proper downshifts properly when needed via the column and also could get a proper "P"ark setting. It was easy to sort out. just some trial and error. I had no missing bushings etc.

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

Here's the link to that video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvTKWOJDGsw&t=11s Here's the other video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stUx2wVkWVM&t=3s
I hope this works! (just highlight the address, left click and select "go to")

Also I have to wait till next weekend to get the car back up on jack stands, I'm in an apartment and mgt. is around during the week. They don't like us working on cars. But, I'll disconnect the linkage then and check it out by hand. Good Idea!

Thanks, 74

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Where ever you go there you are!

Yeah! That was one of the first things I was thinking, but everything on the linkage is lined up and it's solid.

Thanks,
74

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Where ever you go there you are!

So its been a while, I still haven't fixed this (long story $$$). But I've been gradually loosing park off and on but now it's all the time. I guess I answered one of my earlier questions.

Does anyone know how this is tied into the loss of the detent ball and spring? I mean I don't get how the valve body would activate or inactivate the parking sprag. I read online that you could loose park from this, but I don't get how and the post didn't go into details.

Thanks,
74

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Where ever you go there you are!