Nissan Repair: 1987 Pathfinder stuck in 5th gear..., shift fork, shift forks

Question
Cruising along Hwy. 84 to Portland...at Exit 182 I need to downshift to giddyup a hill. My truck wont downshift! My boyfriend un-belts himself and with all the strenth he can muster...breaks my shifter out of 5th...but the truck is STUCK in 5th still! I need a little help diagnosing what happened gentlemen. Please. This is the only rig I have and I need the best, CHEAPEST, yet effective way to fix it. Thank you! God Bless You!

Holly M. -Oregon

Answer
Holly,

For some reason that transmission is stuck in fifth gear.  That is, the shifter is now broken or the shift fork is broken.  But, you are still locked in fifth gear.  The transmission will have to come out and be disassembled.  It could be that the transmission shift forks have been damaged and need to be repaired or replaced along with the shifter or shift fork.  The only way to be sure is to disassemble the transmission.