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In this video, we're going to be working with our 1998 Ford F-150.
We're going to show you how to remove and replace the automatic gear selector lever on your vehicle's steering column. If you like this video, please click subscribe. We have a ton more information on this and many other vehicles, and if you need this part for your truck, you can follow the link down in the description over to 1AAuto.com.
Here are the items you'll need for this repair: New lever from 1aauto.com, straight pick, Phillips screwdriver, flat blade screwdriver, hammer
Remove your ignition lock cylinder by turning the key to the Run position, and using a pick, or another small straight tool, to push the detent ball, and remove the cylinder from the column.
Remove the three Phillips head screws from the holes of the column using a Phillips head screwdriver. If you have a tilt steering column, tilt it all the way down and pop out this panel with your hands, and then slide the panel out from behind the column. Tilt your column back up, unscrew the tilt column lever, if your vehicle has a tilt column. Then separate the steering column cover and remove it.
Push down on the metal tab right next to your ignition cylinder to release the leather boot covering your gear selector. Using the straight pick, pop open the clam shell securing the wire harness to the leather boot, and pull that out of the way. Carefully tap out the retaining pin for the shift lever. You may want to use a pick or a small punch to finish getting it through, then remove the shift lever from its housing. Remove the harness from its retainers. There are two on top of the column here.
From underneath the dash, if you look up to the left side of the steering column, it'll be your right laying under the car. You'll see this clip securing the harness for the tow haul switch. You'll want to disconnect that and then follow this harness along until you get to the end and undo the connector. When you follow that wire down after you've disconnected it, you'll come to this connector here. It's on the bottom left side of the column. Looking from the steering wheel down, it'll be on the right closest to you looking from the bottom. You'll want to undo that tab and remove this connector from its retainer. You can then bring the connector down and unplug it. Pull the harness through and remove your gear selector switch.
Here we have our old transmission shift lever that we removed from our truck and our new part from 1AAuto.com. As you see, these parts are exactly the same. We have the same electrical connector and harness. We have the same base, same leather boot, the same shifter body. The reason we're replacing it is the same overdrive off button. This is like a tow haul mode almost. Our old one is broken off. It isn't functioning properly, so we have our new part from 1A Auto, which is going to go in direct fit, just like our original equipment, to fix the truck up right.
Send the connector down past the column. You should be able to get it pretty close to where it runs from the factory. We're just going to set our shifter in without actually pinning it just to keep it from hanging on that connector. At this point, you can go under the dash, reconnect your electrical connector, and pull the wire back up. You'll want to snap the pin that holds your connector onto the body back into its slot, as well as the harness retainer. You'll then snap the harness back into the two retainers on the top of your column.
I undid our little loop in the clam shell connector just to give us a little extra slack. I'll redo that now. This is just a little loop to allow our shifter to move without pinching that wire. Reinstall it into its opening. Reinstall the retaining pin into the shift lever. That'll just right back into place. Snap the boot back in.
Reinstall the two halves of the steering column cover. Reinstall the three Phillips head screws. Reinstall your ignition cylinder, turn it back and remove the key. Reinstall the tilt column switch by screwing it back into its opening. Reinstall the rear cover. Snap it into place, and you're good to go.
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