My 89 bird has a problem that I hope someone has some insight into. The trans shifts fine up through the gears, but if I want to say, pull it down back into drive, or any other gear for that matter, it does nothing. The rpms just drop to like 1000rpm. So for now I am just drving around in OD. The only other things I have noticed, is that in order to get it into 1st, I have to literally pull back on the shifter, and then hold it there. The last thing is, if I do get it into 1st, it seems to work okay, but if i let off of the gas, it just drops down to 1000rpms again. No 'whooo' and gradual slowing, it just like goes into limp mode.
I am saving up for a rebuilt trans.
Is there anything that I could do to make this work right for the time being? Like maybe adjust the linkage?

 

The overrun sprag and or clutches are gone, or broken overrun hub. That is why there is not any braking action, when downshifting, or letting off the throttle.

 

Uh, so basically keep saving for the rebuild, huh?