Patent ID: 8342052

Claim:
A transmission shifter apparatus, said apparatus comprising: a shifter having a housing, the housing comprising an outer wall, an inner wall, a plurality of detent holes formed in said outer wall, and a receiving hole that extends through said inner and outer walls; a lever having a shaft with a portion that protrudes along a length of said shaft, said shaft extending through a seal into said receiving hole, said receiving hole having a shape that matches a shape of said shaft and said portion, wherein said portion is rotatable when located past said inner wall of said housing; a retaining pin which rides in a retention groove formed in said outer wall to limit a rotation of said lever past said inner wall of said housing and prevent an alignment of said portion of said shaft with said receiving hole so that said lever is incapable of being removed from said receiving hole; and a spring-loaded detent ball surrounded by said seal and located proximate to said lever, said spring-loaded detent ball rotated with said lever and selectively disposed in one of said plurality of detent holes to at least inhibit rotation of said lever with respect to said housing.