Put in PARK before tire rotation completely stopped.

92 Ford Ranger XLT with 2.9 V6 and A4LD automatic transmission.

About 10 days ago, I replaced a rear axle wheel seal. At the manufacturer's suggestion, I jacked up the rear with the tires off the ground and put it in drive to circulate fresh gear oil through the axle tubes. I know this is a bad idea now because it requires more brake pedal force to stop the tire rotation.

Anyway, I put the vehicle in park before the rotation fully stopped because I just assumed that I pressed the brake pedal down far enough. I heard something like a clicking sound.

This morning the gear shift selector was indicating the wrong gear. For example, reverse worked in 'N' and park worked in 'R'. The gear shift selector would not move to 'P at all. I got plenty of trans fluid and the trans mission works perfectly for now on the freeway.

What am I likely looking at here......damaged parking pawl/parking gear...damaged shift linkage?

 

First I would inspect the shift linkages. Maybe something in the linkage slipped so the indicator on the dash no longer corresponds to what the transmission is doing.

 

I was able to move the gear shift selector through the entire range and it's not doing it right now.
I'll look at the linkage tonight after work.

 

That has happened to everybody, at least once.

It's the activation of the parking brake pawl in the trans. I wont say it's nothing but generally it just makes noise and you learn to never do that again!

 

That guy at the rear axle manufacturer should not be telling people to distribute gear oil in their system that way, Just rotate the driveshaft by hand. Or take it on a short drive around the neighborhood. And I've made this mistake more than once before the tire completely stopped rotating.

If the parking gear (final gear) broke a tooth, would that piece circulate in the transmission or stay at the bottom of the pan?

 

It takes little effort to move the lube. Turning the driveshaft or the tires by hand is fine.,

 

I checked the gear shift selector linkage at the engine bay firewall and below at the transmission fluid pan.
I can't find a problem with that yet. It's working fine right now. I'll take a closer look this weekend.

Maybe I have a broken or worn tooth on the final gear. Every time I use the gear selector, it's working it's way around the 'clock' till the parking pawl aligns with the missing tooth when the symptom will reappear.
This is just speculation.

Worn steering column shift mechanism is a possibility also.

 

I checked the linkage this weekend and I could not find a problem. There has not been a recurrence yet.
There is also the gear shift selector mechanism inside the steering column which I can't see.

 

My transmission sustained major internal damage last week. I actually heard pieces breaking while I was driving.
After it was rebuilt, they showed me the broken pieces they pulled out. Maybe this mistake I made contributed to this.