My auto transmission is extremely difficult to get out of park... the only reason I don't say it won't is because if you yank hard enough, repeatedly -- it eventually jumps out.

I've disassembled the shifter to check the push button release, this clears fine and doesn't hamper shifting from other gears. I see no evidence of a brake shift lock (servo, cable, etc.) and thought that newer trucks with these had a key slot for emergency release... which this one does not.

Does anyone know if the gear position sensor doubles for this function? (I know that it prevents "starting" the truck unless in Park or Neutral) or do I have a problem elsewhere? I've looked at the linkage from underneath and can't see anything visibly wrong.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Bryan
Dallas, TX

Not sure what might be the problem. Have you checked for any debris in the shifting mechanism between the shifter and the actual transmission?

I don't think the starter interlock switch could cause this unless it physically broke and the broken piece somehow is jammed where it shouldn't be... but this would be pretty rare.

Try to take the linkage off the shifter arm on the side of the tranny and see how stiff it is to get out of the park position by hand. Should be stiff but doable with plier leverage. If this checks out, with linkage still disconnected, move the shifter thru the pattern, if it will move. With an assistant, observe linkage articulation from under the truck. There are a bunch of bellcranks and shafts and brackets and shields jand pivots and bushings on these things, and the bushings require lubing. My bet if the tranny lever moves ok is lack of lube at a disadvantageous angle. If the tranny lever is the problem, you have internal parking pawl problems of some kind, and parts may be getting ready to come loose inside the box. Not a good thing.

I appreciate the perspectives -- I figured the next step would be to somehow isolate the problem to either the shifter or the transmission as something's wrong with one of them... I guess I was hoping for something missed. FastEddy, I'm assuming the parking pawl is the mechanism inside the transmission... and yep, that's a bad place for things to go wrong. Right now I've just been using neutral/parking brake to park somewhere level... luckily, in Texas, that's not too hard to find
Thanks again!

The parking pawl inside the KM148 transmission is a very simple device - it's possible, but unlikely to be the source of the problem. I'd worry about it only after eliminating the other possibilities. Here's a picture taken during my rebuild - the pawl is the bar that runs horizontally across the thrust axis - activated by the shift rod at the bottom of the picture.... tension is applied by the spring:


Frank