Gear shifter just slide thru all gears without

The problem with mine was the gear shifter lock solenoid was broke. Inside the cup holder (the one closest to seats) is a slide door about a !/2" wide by 2" long. slide that up and inside you will see a white disc. With a tool that can reach it, pull it towards the passenger seat and it will allow you to push the gear shifter button in to shift. This is a temporary fix and will have to be repeated each time you want to put car in gear.

If automatic shifter cable broke. If not automatic linkage broken

Do you have your foot on the brake when trying?

Time to take the transmission apart!

my sunfire is automatic, and the gear shifter is VERY LOOSE, doesnt catch in any of the drive options. just slides up & down, with no pressure

sounds like eithor you have a broken shifter cable or it needs adjusted if take off shifter cover you can see shifter cable check see if messed up also it is on transmission see if the metal lever it attaches to is not bent or broke where it attaches to transmission

You are right about the shift pattern. Reverse is hard left and up.If your gears are locked up, you'll probably have to remove the side cover and reset the shift levers to their neutral position and then slide gears around to put it back on. With it back on the shift levers should point up toward the car floor. 3-4 is the shift lever closest to the engine. 1-2 is the middle one and reverse is the one closest to the back of the tranny. Check all your swivel points for looseness. If there is any play then you'll have to bush it out or you'll have trouble getting it to shift into gear and stay in. I used some old copper pipe to make bushings on mine, because it used to jump out of gear.
To properly attach your shift linkage, put the shifter and the trans mounted shift levers in neutral. Loosen the locking clamps so the shift rods slide freely. start with the reverse lever, which is the inner most rod on the shifter and tighten the rod nut against the swivel. Then tighten the lock nut. Do the same with the 1-2 rod on the middle rod on the shifter and then the 3-4 which is the outside rod . This should set you up, according to Chilton.
They note that if the tranny is 68 Camero Muncie the shift rods need to be shortened 3 complete turns of the lock nut.
Hope some of this helps.

Ok, I guess its going to be a not too obvious solution then. All we have to do is find it...
1.What type of gear shifter is in your truck. Column or tower
2. Is the tail shaft turning when you try to move the vehicle
3. Does the vehicle try to move at all
4. Is there any noise from the gearbox or clutch area
5. Are you certain the clutch kit was the right one
6. Did you try the clutch plate on the gearbox input shaft spline
7. Is the release bearing clear of the pressure plate fingers.
8. Does the release bearing carrier slide freely on the retainer on the front of the bearbox, and did you apply lubricant here.

It might. If not, adjust the fork.

You're going to have to crawl underneath it, and see what's going on. Your linkage has probably come loose, and the shifter is sliding on the rod, instead of changing gears like it should.