small automatic shift issue on 76 vette

I notice that when I put the ole slug into gear that the position between drive and neutral does not lock in. In other words, I can push the shifter into neutral without pushing the shifter button. All the others lock in.

Ideas on whether this is a biggy to fix or not?

TIA.

Reply to
BSAKing
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You may push the lock button out of habit before moving the shift lever, but... I believe you will find that is correct function for most cars with auto trans. The lever will move between neutral and drive without pushing the lock button. The lever is held in either position by a spring detent. IIRC, you don't need to press the lock button to move from 1 to 2, 2 to D, D to N, N to D, R to N, or R to Park.

Joe, 72 coupe

Reply to
Joe M

No automatic I ever knew had a shift detent going from Drive to Neutral. But there is a detent going from Reverse to Park.

AJM '93 Ruby coupe, 6 sp (both tops)

Reply to
CardsFan

Hmmm - so you mean you can be driving along the highway and just bump it into neutral? Funny thing - I guess it is old age - I have had this car for years and really do not remember if it was originally like this.... duh... I was assuming something had given out on it.

Reply to
BSAKing

Yes, I think all automatics you can bump from drive into neutral. I think it is a safety feature so that you can always kick it out of gear if need be. You can't bump reverse into park, though. That causes damage to the transmission. Joe M was good until he got to the R to Park. lol That causes lots of grinding and noise and if you do it at a fast enough speed and enough force on the lever, you discover you no longer have park. Don't try it at home, it is an expensive lesson. lol

Some very old Powerglides went PNDLR instead of what we consider normal with PRNDL or PRNDLL today. I don't think there was a detent between R and L or maybe not enough to prevent accidental changes. I believe the old '50s GM Hydramatic transmission was also set as PNDLLR and maybe some Ford automatics. The '50s had a lot of pushbutton automatics for Chrysler, so I don't know if Chrysler had any sticks with PNDLR or not.

Hmmm - so you mean you can be driving along the highway and just bump it into neutral? Funny thing - I guess it is old age - I have had this car for years and really do not remember if it was originally like this.... duh... I was assuming something had given out on it.

Reply to
Tom In Missouri

Yeah verily, a lock to get into N could cause 'concern' in some tight full throttle situations. (remembering back to those IAC incidents in Audis... did those cars have a lock-out on neutral?)

The Powerglide's PNDLR was a money saving 'mod' to the standard (at the time) Hydramatic NDLR. It saved some valve logic in the transmission. The Hydramatic parking pawl was engaged by pulling the selector into 'R' after the engine was stopped.

Early Hydramatics had no locking detents. The selector could be moved to any position, anytime. The parking pawl would not engage unless the pressure on both the front and rear pumps was zero. 'Low' wouldn't engage above 40 mph.

-- pj

Tom > Yes, I think all automatics you can bump from drive into neutral. I think

Reply to
pj

Thanks for the clarification. Ole Betsy requires a lot of work. Had it since new and it has not been babied, so there is a looong list of things to be done. Sounds like I can at least scratch this one off my list. Thanks again for the input.

Reply to
BSAKing

The old auto's with a rear pump could also be pushed started at a high enough speed...

Reply to
ZÿRiX

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