This may just be my imagination, but it feels like I'm find all of my gears a little farther to the left than I was last week. In particular, for second I have to nudge into the anti-reverse springs a just a bit. There also seems to be a large expanse to the right that will slip into fourth.

I haven't pulled the boots off to check the shifter bushings, but I gave a good shake at the firewall and tranny and everything seems solid.

Again, this may just be my imagination. I drive the teener and my Ranger about 50:50 and either one feels odd after driving the other.

Thanks

Ben, I'd guess the shifter bushing has failed.
Is this a tail or side shifter?

Look at the first bushing

if you have a side shifter, the clamp where the bottom of the shifter connects to the front rod may have rotated a bit. happened to someone at the ax last weekend.

kevin

A bad bushing would give vagueness in the shifting. It sounds to me like the shifter has "shifted".

I usually adjust the shifter to the 2nd/3rd line up against the lockout plate, then move it back away just a hair, and lock it down.

James

Kevin hit the nail on the head....

Thanks guys, I had not even thought about lining up the shifter itself. Makes perfect sense though, let the tranny dictate where the shifter is rather than the other way around. Oh the wonders of geometry.

The shifting shifter shifted shiftily and shifted the shift pattern.

Also check the shifter universal joint bushings in the rubber boot at the firewall. If these bushings have never been replaced they will need to be. When they fail shifting becomes almost impossible.

Mike