FELP with Column Shifter not going into park - No start or Stop!

[73Charger]

Went to park on an incline and it started rolling. then I couldn't start it to move it. moved the column lever all over tried to find neutral to start it finally got it going moved it. Had to use the emergency brake to keep it in place.  Went to start it, and again, no start, had to move the lever all around again before I got it to start.  Drove it back to work, put it in park and it remained in place this time as I took my foot off the brake then I shut it off.  I used the emergency brake again just to be safe. 
  My column shifter has always been mushy between gears, catching ok for PRND on the way down, but loose going back up and between 1-2.
  I don't think it is the tranny itself although I noticed the other day it was leaking and I torqued a bit more on the pan bolts to make sure it wasnt from them.  I think it is coming out the top by the stick.. haven't checkd from the top side yet. and don't know how exactly to fix that.  I put more fluid in it and may have put a bit too much in it but that shouldnt cause this problem right?
   How do I go about fixing the column shifter.  I wanted to take this car to the track saturday (once / year mopar Day) but I'm scared I won't be able to get it started the way it is now and tick people off. or worse not at all and get stuck out in no mans land.
  I have a Haynes manual at home so I will look at that when I get home to see if it helps, but any help with what will be needed, parts,   tools and techniques would be very much appreciated.
  I've been driving this car everyday so I need it to be reliable. 

[73Charger]

Went to park on an incline and it started rolling. then I couldn't start it to move it. moved the column lever all over tried to find neutral to start it finally got it going moved it. Had to use the emergency brake to keep it in place.   Went to start it, and again, no start, had to move the lever all around again before I got it to start.   Drove it back to work, put it in park and it remained in place this time as I took my foot off the brake then I shut it off.   I used the emergency brake again just to be safe.  
  My column shifter has always been mushy between gears, catching ok for PRND on the way down, but loose going back up and between 1-2.
  I don't think it is the tranny itself although I noticed the other day it was leaking and I torqued a bit more on the pan bolts to make sure it wasnt from them.   I think it is coming out the top by the stick.. haven't checkd from the top side yet. and don't know how exactly to fix that.   I put more fluid in it and may have put a bit too much in it but that shouldnt cause this problem right?
    How do I go about fixing the column shifter.   I wanted to take this car to the track saturday (once / year mopar Day) but I'm scared I won't be able to get it started the way it is now and tick people off. or worse not at all and get stuck out in no mans land.
  I have a Haynes manual at home so I will look at that when I get home to see if it helps, but any help with what will be needed, parts,     tools and techniques would be very much appreciated.
  I've been driving this car everyday so I need it to be reliable.   

[Bob]

Hey 73,
Had my share of tranny problems also. The linkage should be a easy fix for you. Jack up the driver side and put a jack stand under the frame. Visualy inspect you linkage. There is a bushing at the trany link that will wear out with time and use. Make sure the wheels are blocked and apply the parking brake. Place the tranny in anything but park. Remove the linkage from the tranny arm. You can now shift the tranny with your hand. Move it all the forward or back and try starting it. If it starts you know you have it in park. Leave it there. Inspect you linkage again and place the column shift lever in park. Try and place the linkage in the arm. If it does not go you will see where you can adjust it. Spray it with some sort of penetrating fluid first. Once it does a free fit it is pretty much adjusted. Replaca any worn or damaged items. Be carefull with the tranny pan bolts. You over torque and you will strip the holes. The leak could be the tranny lines, shift seal or the front input seal. Mine was the front input seal in which you have to drop the tranny and replace the seal. It cost about 9 dollars.I did 3 pan seals before I found the leak. Good luck. It's not that hard.
Bob

[cudaken]

 On the slop it self on the shifter colume sounds like it is time for a rebulid. I have never done that, all my car's are floor shift.

On the not going into park, you need to adjust the levers that go to the parking paw. I have had that happen on my 70 Cuda and now the 69 Charger. There will be some thread rod's with lack of better words ball shockets. They will look like the ones that hold the kick down linkage together. Poop the sock with a stiff pull, turn the shocket to make the rod longer.

I never have had a 73, but that took care of the 70 Cuda that was also a floor shift. But a colume shift will have the same set up on it.

Till you adjust the parking paw a little tip that will get you by till them. Bring the car to a stop and let off the brake till she starts to creep a little. Push it in to park and it should catch.

                                              Cuda Ken

[John_Kunkel]

There are a number of plastic bushings in the shift linkage, they're known to wear out or fall out which leaves a lot of slop in the linkage.

Crawl under the car and have someone manipulate the shifter while you check for lost motion.

[73Charger]

Thanks for the replies.  I took a look tonight and found that the connector to the bar that came down from the column was rubbing against the torsion bar, the grommet/bushing thing that is on the tranny side doesnt seem to "snap in" and was dangling on the rod, and the other end of that rod, the bushing wasnt into the bracket that mounted to the frame either. The bracket was bent up and I ended up bending it in all sorts of ways and adding a few washers to bring it closer to the tranny to help those worn out bushings to stay in for now.

Now I have to find out what they are called or part #s so I can try to replace them.

To add insult to injury, just as this happened, my Emergency brake cable also snapped so I took it off and need to replace it too. So, I really can't trust my car to stay put and I have one day until the Mopar day Saturday.  I need some good luck, part #s, and parts.

[73Charger]

Thanks for the replies.  I took a look tonight and found that the connector to the bar that came down from the column was rubbing against the torsion bar, the grommet/bushing thing that is on the tranny side doesnt seem to "snap in" and was dangling on the rod, and the other end of that rod, the bushing wasnt into the bracket that mounted to the frame either. The bracket was bent up and I ended up bending it in all sorts of ways and adding a few washers to bring it closer to the tranny to help those worn out bushings to stay in for now.

Now I have to find out what they are called or part #s so I can try to replace them.

To add insult to injury, just as this happened, my Emergency brake cable also snapped so I took it off and need to replace it too. So, I really can't trust my car to stay put and I have one day until the Mopar day Saturday.  I need some good luck, part #s, and parts.

[Chryco Psycho]

I don`t have a part # but Mopar shoul;d have the bushings for the linkage

[73Charger]

Its getting near impossible to find parts for this car.  I just called all the auto parts stores and all the dealers in my area and nobody has, or can even lookup the parts that I NEED for my car.  I wanted to take my  car for the annual Mopar day tomorrow, but since my parking brake cable snapped in half, and nobody carries it, I doubt it will pass inspection and I'd like to have that added security in an emergency running down the track. Its very frustrating when you call up 4 dodge dealers and they can't even look up the parts.

One auto parts store - I think it was Advance - said they could order it.  Now, if they could find the part, why can't a dealer?  If I only had a part # for that intermediate parking brake cable - the one that is ~ 94" long, I might be able to give it to them and make the show.