Got 'er done! What a difference. The shifter is just like new. No more slop. No more having to rattle it around to get the starter to turn. Basically, pretty easy but I did have to figure out that after you remove the nut from the inside of the shifter housing it will take a little effort to pop the bolt assembly out the side. Then you can retrieve it from under the car to put the bushings on it. I pried on it with a big screwdriver until it popped out.

 

I know this topic is over a year old but I just had to add my $0.02.

The auto shifter on my 68 was loose and I knew I needed to do something about it but just never found the time. It was 'good enough' I kept telling myself.

Then one day I started the car and let it warm up a bit. As I walked away I heard a noise. The car jumped from park to reverse, flew down my driveway and smashed into a van before I could catch it.

My best Dukes of Hazzard dive was not quick enough to stop the car. SO..............it was $1,200 worth of damage to my neighbors van and I banged up my knee in the process. All for a $3 bushing. How stupid I was!

SO ANYONE THAT THINKS THEY MIGHT NEED NEW BUSHING, GO AHEAD AND GET THEM. iT SOOOOOOO EASY TO DO.

LET MY IGNORANCE BE YOUR GUIDE

 

Yes. "tomeyeman" probably wasn't any worse than that. If you can twist the lever, the next step is it twists far enough to engage reverse while still in the park position.

Back in the 80's, Ford recalled every floor shift automatic shifter they ever built and replaced these bushings. They also added a sticker to the shifter that said something like "If this thing ever gets all loose and floppy take it to the friggin' dealer and get it fixed", or some legalese like that.

 

Yep. My shifter would sorta 'jump' out of park sometimes but I would just "reshift" back into park and it locked fine. My wife even bugged me one day when she drove it.

It wasn't VERY loose. I mean I could wiggle it a little left and right but not much. Part of the problem is that I didn't know what it was really supposed to feel like. But now that I have the bushings installed, "AHHHH", it really is supposed to be tight and firm. Like a new car. BTW, my old bushings were almost dust......just a few tiny pieces of plastic left at the bottom of my housing.

See if it can wiggle left and right, the little 'catch' can wiggle out of the park slot (with the vibration of the mighty pony engine). Then all hell breaks loose if your ohhhh........letting it idle while checking the mail (what I did).

There is a very good write up here for this problem:
http://averagejoerestoration.com/how...fter-bushings/

I guess my point is, hey, it's probably the cheapest ($3) and quickest (15 minutes) fix you can do for your mustang.