Problem getting into 1st gear.

[tasteypaste]

I can not straight up shift into 1st gear on my cougar. I either have to take it down to 2nd gear then go into first OR pretty much slam the knob all the way to the left THEN get into 1st but I view that as a bad thing to do to it so i do the 2nd gear one.

I was told that there are bushings that keep the shifter tight and that if the knob feels loose that it could be it (And it does feel loose to me). At least, looser than when I bought it. Is there a way to test this theory?

Or what else could it possibly be?

The car has 40,000 miles on it.

Thanks a lot guys for all the help you've given.

[B3NN3TT]

Pull the shift boot off.

You need to slide out the ashtray and snap out the bezel around the cig lighter first. Then pull the front edge of the shift boot bezel free, and it all comes loose.

Push it up and out of your face.

Look at the shift arm. It has a large "ball" that it pivots on, and the ball is held in place by a square plate that screws onto the pivot assembly. There are either 2 or 4 screws that hold this retainer plate down.

Chances are, one or more of those screws are loose, and the ball isn't held tightly in the pivot assembly.