96’ Taco V6 Shifting Problem

As per my last post, I have since fixed my “misfire cylinder 6” issue. Engine fires up just fine. I replaced the plug wires which I had to remove the air intake pipe to access plugs 1,3, and 5. In the process, however, I had broken a nozzle off of a part of the air intake pipe which was connected to the engine and to the air intake pipe via a hose I have since used electrical tape to attempt to repair it and retain some sort of pressure in the hose/nozzle. However I don’t think this is part of the problem.
My chief problem here is after changing the spark plug wires, and putting the air intake pipe back in I decided to attempt to drive her around the block. All seemed normal on start, I threw her in reverse, rolled down the driveway without actually putting pressure on the peddle, and then put her in drive as I usually do. However, when I put her in drive and attempted to move forward the engine only reved and merely rolled forward due to gravity since I was at a downward slope. Attempted reverse and it did the same thing (only reved and no movement). Brakes work fine, and I had to get some buddies to help push it back in the driveway.

I’m at a loss on what it could be and I have to find all this stuff out by myself.

Don’t think it’s a transmission problem at all, and the truck sounds normal when I shift to drive and reverse (makes the little clicking sound). Maybe I accidentally disconnected something that would make the engine actually put energy towards movement? Any words of advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

When you took the throttle body off did you reconnect the transmission kick down (TV cable really) cable?

 

Is it also possible you put the transfer case in neutral?

 

I don’t think I ever took off that cable in the first place. I merely only took off the air intake pipe and the spark plug caps and wires. I just checked and the cables are attached

 

I don’t believe I did. If I’m not mistaken to do that I would have to work underneath the vehicle and I only messed with the top portion of the engine

 

It might be a possibility though considering the symptoms my truck is showing.
I’ll troubleshoot that

 

You can just try to cycle your 4WD from inside the cab. Go from low range back to high range

 

I put her in low, didn’t go. I then tried high and it stuttered while going. Like the engine reved and moved a little and then stopped moving and then went a little more

 

From what i feel in H2 is it’ll go up the driveway a bit and then it will go into neutral which is weird I’ll start rolling backwards and when I press the peddle down it won’t stop or go forward, just rev

 

When I press the break it switches to neutral

 

The transfer case does or the transmission does. You could have really worn out engine mounts that are causing it to pull the shifter into neutral, this happens sometimes

 

If you hold the shifter in Drive does it move okay? Sounds a lot like a really misadjusted linkage or maybe bad mounts

 

when I’m in drive and want to drive up after being in park it drives up. When I hit the brakes it goes into neutral once I hit a complete stop and want to move forward again.

 

It moves. I mean when I try to move for a longer period of time it seems like over time it starts to half way go into neutral meaning the engine isn’t putting towards movement and only reving

 

Really, I can only switch from reverse to drive if I put it in park first and take my foot off the break. And if I stop while in drive I have to put it in park again and the put it back in drive and even then it might not go when I press down and it’ll take it a second to actually go.

 

I think you should check your transmission fluid level.

 

I’ll wait for it to cool off and check it. I’m the mean time, do you have any other ideas?

 

Youre supposed to check it while it's warm, running, and in Park. I'm kinda out of ideas, but what your describing if the shifter isn't moving on its own could be low fluid. The #2 killer of auto transmissions is fluid loss. The stop moving when they can suck enough up to make pressure and the clutches slip.

 

It’s the orange cap on the left side right?

 

Yessir