How to adjust shift linkage? Can't fully shift into park gear

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Darth Plasma

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My '87 K10 has a 4 speed with OD (i think?) from an early 90's silverado, it's the tranny that reads P R N OD D 2 1. Well the shifter only physically moves from like half into the slot of P and doesn't really go into the 1 slot probably because something with the linkage wasn't adjusted when the new tranny was put in it. So I can't really shift it fully into park and it often jumps into reverse (pretty annoying). And obviously I don't have the shift selector matched up with the shifter so when I'm in drive it says I'm in neutral (that's a minor adjustment I know how to make). So what adjustments do I have to make? I have no idea how any of this works and this is my first project. Is there a certain part I have to buy? Any help is appreciated.
 

Charlie

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:welcome:
 

Keith Seymore

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If you look under the truck you will find a long slender rod that goes from the shift column to the transmission. At the transmission there is a "barrel" nut that locks the rod in place. You can loosen the set screw (a bolt, actually) and position the barrel nut to adjust it properly.

In the assembly plant we would put the column shift lever in "N" and then manually click the trans into neutral in order to lock the screw/bolt down. That gives you the best chance of hitting the full range of motion from a production standpoint, but if you are not as concerned about the tail of the distribution in the lower gear selections (ie, L1, L2) then you can make the adjustment in Park.

K
 

WFO

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Sounds like there is some slop in the linkage somewhere, if it doesn't go fully into Park or 1st.
Usually if it's not adjusted right, it wont go all the way to one end or the other.
 

78C10BigTen

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Its messed up that this thread popped as i was just wondering how to adjust my linkage...
 

Darth Plasma

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Thanks for the help. I will take a look at this in the next few days and see what I can do. I don’t think there’s slop in it, it just won’t fully go into either end. I’ll probably adjust it from park because I don’t care about the lower gears
 

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