[canine1566]

My 86 Chevy C20 pickup is giving me a problem with the shifter. It seems that I cant drop the car down into 2nd or 1st. All I have available is P R N D. It wont let me go into 2 & 1. The shifter is as smooth as silk when you take it out of park and put it in reverse or drive and back to park.

While driving, the transmission shifts fine. There does not seem to be any slipping or jumping. The shift cable seems to be loose and not siezed up.

for the record, the engine is a 350 and the tranny is unidentified as of yet being that I have not had a chance to go and check it out. It should be the standard tranny that comes from the factory with a 305 bolted to it. This truck has had an engine swap out before I bought it and thats why it now has a 350.

[MHenricks]

Check the linkage that goes from the frame to the trans and make sure it's not bent, binding or has too much play. Are you sure it has a cable for shifting?