# Place the shift lever in drive or reverse and nothing happens **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** mustang, transmissions, ford\ **Created:** [September 13, 2010, 6:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046 "2010-09-13T06:28:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iceman\_bigb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@iceman\_bigb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iceman_bigb)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 6:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/1 "2010-09-13T06:28:46Z")
i just rebuilt my AOD transmission. I have enough fluid, the TQ is bolted on, the linkage is adj right, and i cracked a cooling line to check for fluid flowing and it does. i couldnt check the pressure i dont have a gauge. What could i have done wrong? ---
**Author:** ![iceman\_bigb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@iceman\_bigb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iceman_bigb)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/2 "2010-09-13T19:36:27Z")
after further inspection i lifted the left rear wheel it spins freely so im guessing the trans is not properly put together. should the parking paw atleast be stopping the trans from turning at this point? ---
**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/3 "2010-09-13T19:50:03Z")
"…should the parking paw atleast be stopping the trans from turning at this point?" In park, yes. ---
**Author:** ![iceman\_bigb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@iceman\_bigb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iceman_bigb)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/4 "2010-09-13T21:20:05Z")
ok im lost lol. i could see if i might of installed the parking paw wrong then ok it wont lock the gears but besides that it wont shift into any gears either. i was thinking the TQ might not of been seated properly but that wouldnt explain the parking paw prob. ---
**Author:** ![oblivion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ab097/32.png) [@oblivion](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oblivion)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/5 "2010-09-13T22:35:57Z")
The parking pawl is probably engaging just fine. When you spun the wheel, did the driveshaft turn? It sounds like something in the final drive wasn’t put together right. ---
**Author:** ![iceman\_bigb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@iceman\_bigb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iceman_bigb)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/6 "2010-09-13T22:49:25Z")
yes the driveshaft moved i didnt take apart the rear end at all just dropped the trans and rebuilt it. ---
**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/7 "2010-09-13T22:58:25Z")
Just a silly question, is the linkage working properly? ---
**Author:** ![iceman\_bigb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@iceman\_bigb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iceman_bigb)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 10:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/8 "2010-09-13T22:59:53Z")
yes it all moves when the shifter is being moved ---
**Author:** ![transman618](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/transman618/32/24_2.png) [@transman618](https://community.cartalk.com/u/transman618)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/9 "2010-09-14T00:08:30Z")
You need to drop the pan and look at the manual valve on the valve body. That gearshift lever does two things, 1. It engages and disengages the park pawl and 2. it operates the manual valve. The manual valve directs ATF through the valve body to engage and disengage friction elements. If the manual valve has come disconnected from the shift lever then you will not engage any gear. transman ---
**Author:** ![iceman\_bigb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@iceman\_bigb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iceman_bigb)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/10 "2010-09-14T00:22:25Z")
I will check these things transman sounds most logical. Only thing is far as the parking paw I didn’t disassembly the linkage inside the trans and I did check it before installing the valve body seemed to work. I will pull the pan and check though. ---
**Author:** ![iceman\_bigb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@iceman\_bigb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/iceman_bigb)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2010, 9:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/11 "2010-09-14T21:51:21Z")
ok so i dropped the pan the manual valve is moving properly. im almost 95% sure i have the parking pawl upside down so really my only concern is why am i not engaging in any gears. ---
**Author:** ![researcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/edb3f5/32.png) [@researcher](https://community.cartalk.com/u/researcher)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/place-the-shift-lever-in-drive-or-reverse-and-nothing-happens/55046/12 "2010-09-15T17:41:07Z")
At some point you must check the line pressure. The pump may be moving fluid but if the pressure regulator valve is stuck open, or whatever, the flow will just be going in and out of the TC.