Yes my 2001 Montero Locked Up out of the blue while idling. No oil light whatsoever. I just notice it suddenly lost power as I was about to park it. Then engine died in a way like it locked. Tried cheater bar to turn engine no luck. Recently though I charged the battery full and it budge a bit so I turned again with a cheater turning opposite direction and it did. It turn about half way. There is hope the engine can be fix while on the vehicle. Maybe bad camshaft or broken valve spring which bent the vavle. Worn rod earing would have thrown oil light or any bearing that is worn. I may add too that I recently rebuilt the head myself so there is a posibilty I may have Installed the valve train rod backwards which would cause the oil hole not to line up causing oil starvation on the cam shaft, I did notice loud valve noise when starting the engine that diminish once it start but gets loud when raising rpm. I also want to mention it also had broke valve spring on piston 1 but I fixed it amd ran like a champ before it locked up in me.

Check the oil level in the engine. Check the fluid level in the transmission. (Refer to the owner's manual for the procedure for checking the fluid level. It varies from model to model.) Let us know what you find. New transmission fluid has a pinkish color. Used fluid will darken some but should appear clean. If the fluid is very dark or has a burned smell, the clutches in the transmission may be worn out. You had the transmission rebuilt at 100,000 miles, but more important, how many miles are on the rebuild? Check your owner's manual. Does it recommend a transmission fluid and filter change at a specified interval? If so, has this been done? From what you described, my fear is that the truck was continued to be driven with slipping clutches and the transmission needs a rebuild or replacement. The knocking sound could be either the engine or transmission. Get some help. Have a mechanic or a driver who does his own maintence and is familar with similar products listen and test drive your truck to get an opinion.

The gear shifter (Manual transmission) is held in place by a special bolt with a wedge designed in the middle and threads at both ends. You simply lift the rubber boot from the floor exposing the top of the transmission where the shifter stub enters the cab, and you will see the bolt going through with the nut on the passengers side of the shift lever. Take the nut off, and put it on the other side and tighten it and it will pull the wedge out of engagement and release the shift lever. Now if your talking about the knob at the top of the shifter, be advised you will ruin it by pulling it off. They are a very tight fit, and once you manage to get it off of the shifter it will never again fit properlly and the only way you wont be dealing with it coming loose in your hand will be to replace it. It's easiest to remove a good knob by first removing the shift lever from the truck as described above.

wow....a lot of reading for the mind and soul during insomnia. So many ideas and so many things to think of..... This post just reiterates more that we are all products of our "families" and our experiences. The bad comes with the good and we grow and we hope to make the best of it and for some....I suppose the main goal is to not repeat some things that have damaged us the most. Brings us to the OP and the reason for custom homes. We all have a dream of the way we want to live and how we want our dream home to be a part of that life. I understand that most downsize to below a 2000 sq ft ranch. That doesn't mean it has to be done that way. I'm not trying to sound ridiculous or anything, but is it more a modern thing for people to down size or is it regional? It seems I know very few who have done this. My Grandparents just closed off their cellar and upstairs and lived in the main-level. They made adjustments when needed to the bathroom. I suppose it must be more modern as farmers used to stay in there homes and their family would move in and care for them. Nowadays I know a lot of farmers who give the "home place" to their youngest and then build a new "retirement" place for themselves. Just wondering?!?! Anyway....I'm from rural, farm country and where most have large families and super extended families. Most of my friends and family were raised in ranch homes or simple 2 story homes. Average sq ft being 1800-2100, often with a semi-finished rec room in the basement. The trend with my parents, their friends and our family is that they usually stay in the home until they pass away or a few go into a nursing home. I can honestly say that all 10 Aunts/Uncles and many family friends have added onto their homes in their 50's or early 60's. Actually 1 moved instead:). They all wanted a larger "gathering" room and built on for that reason. Many (prior to building on) used the lower-level rec room for this and then just for reason of stairs, location to kitchen and bathrooms, aesthetic, etc had added on to accommodate. So, they were all adding onto their homes, when I suppose many would think they were getting closer to downsizing. They all now approaching mid 70's and some into their 80's and are still in their added on homes. We have just found over the years that when a hall or other place is rented out for a holiday, etc....our family loses it's closeness. All the cousins arrive, eat and leave. We have found it more inviting, relaxing, etc to have it in the home where we can hang, relax and gather for hours. So, if you don't want people for hours, rent a place with tables and folded chairs or go to a restaurant :-) My parents actually were the ones who built a new place 2 years ago. They had owned acreage/wooded for years. They originally built a cabin on it and found themselves spending so much time there, they decided to build. Oh, we were so against the idea, everyone was! Too far out, too far from hospitals, too much land, too much too much. My dad said everyone thinks we are crazy, but it is what WE WANT, do you think we really haven't thought about all these things.....we will sell and move again if and when it becomes too much. So, they did what they wanted and they are thrilled. It is a smallish ranch with an open floor plan and a guest bedroom for occasional grand kids sleep overs. However, they have a large family room that is very cozy most of the time. They have the furniture placed in a groupings with large walk-ways all around. For Christmas it takes 2 people to move their one couch to open the room up and make room for all. And there solution to host really large parties was a "finished garage." They finished the walls with drywall and had breadboard added all around below the chair rail. They added cabinets and a counter top with electrical (crockpots etc) and a refrigerator. They have ceiling fans, highly insulated, and a nice epoxy (???) floor. They have a half bath directly inside the house from the garage. It is party ready just by backing the cars out. Of course they have an out building for all the junk that most people would have in their garage. What they didn't know is that it is the younger grandchildrens favorite place. It works out lovey when the young ones are out there....we pull out some old cars and trucks and they go crazy and then the adults can converse and hear each other. So, just to mention a few ways that many others have actually added to their homes in order to manage growing families. Personally, in our new build....we added on a huge dining room with surrounding wrap around covered porch and hope to be able to entertain large numbers in this space for many years. OP...I do wish you the best with your new home and your family is lucky to have you and a wonderful place to spend with you!