Okay, so the button on my '83 shift **** is stuck down.

I removed the button, ****, and that long (6" long?) blue thingy out of the shifter tube. I cleaned, lubed and re-assembled it and the button is still stuck in . Shouldn't there be some sort of spring or something in there?

What now?

 

So, today I disassembled further, and it's a broken spring. Any ideas about where to get a new one?

I went through all the ones at a local hardware store and found one that's sort of close - but I'd rather get an exact one.

 

Check your local auto "parts-yard", unless you want brand new, then check out some of the sites here on TGO, like: 1) Ecklers Camaro Parts 2) 1A Auto Customer Care. Good luck. I just finished analyzing my new project,..shifter was busted, shifter cable is unhooked,...plus previous owner put on some kind of U-shaped shifter lever on outer side of tranny, instead of the proper upright "Z" shaped lever???? + he tried to hook up push button start...wiring mess..2nd shifter cable is seized??, or is it a TV cable, got any pics/ info?

 

I know it's an old thread, but it's the most recent thread I've found with the same problem I'm having with my shifter button being stuck down.

Hopefully you got the car working and even more wishfully, you might remember what the problem was? I have two cars, and noticed the spring that pulls the shifter button up was missing on the one with the problem. I took it off my good car, and put it in the new car.

When I squeeze the button on the good car (without the spring) it still bounces back to its original position.
With the problem car (and the spring on it) the shifter doesn't fully close, as I still can't remove the keys from the ignition; I can't rotate the ignition cylinder far enough backward to pull the keys out.

Any answers you might have, or maybe from someone else that's been through this would be appreciated. I've been hunting down an evil ignition switch that liked to play the intermittent functionality game, and finally got it all working, only to have the car play tug-of-war with my keys.

To be clear, all parts are confirmed tight and properly mounted. The only way I see this having happened is when I took the shift cable off the ignition switch to replace the switch. I have reinstalled it and am sure it is fully mounted. Why would it act like this?

Thanks,
Cornholio

 

I'm not sure that your issue is from the detent spring.

But I do remember that it was important to position the spring properly below the detent. The detent lays on top of the spring, sort of as if the spring was a hammock. That's all I got for ya, bud.

 

Key cylinders can do funny things. A new one is cheap.

If the column has a known-good cylinder, then the shift mechanism isn't shifting the column into park (if it was, the key would be removable.)

I don't know where there is any adjustment to correct this in your particular car. Older GM stuff with a rod from the column to the trans. does have a couple points of adjustment, so look there.