I have a 1989 f150 with the 5.0 manual 5speed 4x4, and Ive been having some problems with my shifter assembly. Yesterday I was driving it home and I noticed the shifter got really sloppy, so I kept driving and eventually it wouldn't let me find any other gear besides 2nd. So I knew it was probably the gaskets in the linkage, plus one of the pins kept slipping out when I repaired it before. I take that apart and that's what's wrong. But here's the real problem. Since I was unable to get out of 2nd I had to take the shifter out while in gear and I'm having troubles getting it out Of gear. Dont know what to do. Help is appreciated ASAP

 

Line up the three notches, the three forks.

 

Did you have it in neutral when you pulled the cover? Like Sean said you are going to have to take the cover back off and re align the shift forks in the collars.

 

I don't know how it happened, but I was messing around before i read your responses and put the shifter in and it slipped back into neutral. I spent an hour or two the day before trying to see if I could do that. Would taking the cover off require the transmission to be lowered since there's not much space?

 

No, take off the floor plate under the carpet.