The lever/handle of gear shift just went loose/floppy and is difficult to get into gear. Please, can anyone tell what happened and how to fix it. In 50 yrs of driving I've never seen this

It sounds like there may be an issue with the gear shifter mechanism in your 2000 Ford Focus. The loose shifter and bad odor could indicate that something has broken or worn out inside the mechanism, and it might not be fully disengaging the gears. The fact that it still shifts into reverse suggests that the problem is not with the transmission itself but with the gear shifter assembly.
To fix the issue, the gear shifter mechanism will likely need to be disassembled and inspected for wear or damage. Any broken or worn parts will need to be replaced. It could be caused by the bushings or the gear shift cable that connects the gear shift lever to the transmission. These parts could be dried out, loose or broke. It is also possible that the linkage inside the gear shifter assembly is corroded, or there's internal issue with the shifter mechanism.
Given that it is a manual transmission , it is important that the vehicle is properly repaired as soon as possible to avoid further damage to the transmission or other components. It is best to take it to a professional mechanic to have it inspected and repaired.

Most likely, either the shift tube is damaged/broken or the screws have backed out of the lever at the end of the shift tube that the shift cable connects to. If the shift lever feels really "floppy", then you probably have a broken shift tube. You will probably have to pull the steering column down to get a good look at the shift tube to see if it is broken and to see how much play is in the shift tube bushings. Also look to see if the lever at the end of the shift tube is loose (shift cable lever).

A little word of caution: If you take the steering column down, be sure to disconnect the shift indicator cable first so it does not get broken. There is a tiny screw in the plastic braket that must be removed then the cable loop will simply slip off of the nipple on the shift tube arm.

Anyway, you will need a T-30 torx bit to work on the shift tube, the shift tube bushings and the lever at the end of the shift tube.

I made you a graphic below to help you understand what I am saying. Please note that it is NOT necessary to remove the steering wheel to do this, but you will need to remove the upper steering column shrouds if the shift tube bushings are loose.

depending on year and model???? Why keep it a secret? check the base of the shift lever, sometimes the bolts will loosen and just need to be tightened.

Two things happen. On collum shift cars and trucks the bolts work loose out of the shift lever to the cable under the dash where the shift cable connects to the steering collum. the cable connects to a lever that is connected the the shift tube ( part of the steering collum ) bolt heads are 30 torx. the other thing that happens is the cable comes off the trans mission lever and it just snaps on. The bushing waers out and the cable just comes off the pin on the lever coming out of the transmission. Front wheel drive cars it's on the top and rear wheel and trucks it's on the side ( happens less on these and then the cable can break it'self, and the shift cable has to be replaced sometimes if the bushing in the end fails at the transmission end.

YEP SHIFT LINKAGE LOOSE OR WORN NEED ADJUSTMENT.ADJUST THE SHIFT LINKAGE BY POSITION THE SHIFT LEVER IN NEUTRAL .REMOVE THE REAR TUNNEL COVER IN FRONT OF THE REAR SEAT.PULL THE RUBBER DUST COVER FORWARD ON THE SHIFT ROD.LOOSEN THE CLAMP BOLT ON THE SHIFT ROD.MOVE THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR SHAFT ALL THE ITS LEFT STOP,KEEPING IT IN NEUTRAL.WITH THE TRANSMISSION STILL IN NEUTRAL . MOVE THE GEARSHIFT ROD TO THE RIGHT TO ITS STOP.TIGHTEN THE CLAMP BOLT TO 18 FT LBS.TEST THE SHIFT LEVER PLAY SHOULD BE THE SAME IN ALL GEARS IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

your problem with the gear selector is in the item 25 these are 2 plastic bushings that wear out and cause the gear selector feels loose, you should also check the item 27 this item has one or two screws loose and cause the gear selector feels loose



Item Part Number Description 10 3F609 Tilt Wheel Handle and Shank 11 7361 Column Shift Selector Lever Plunger 12 7210 Gearshift Lever 13 3D657 Steering Column Shaft 14 7B071 Transmission Control Selector Lever Plunger Spring 15 7G357 Gearshift Lever Pin 16 7212 Shift Tube 17 N806582 Tilt Column Pivot Screw 18 7C464 Transmission Control Selector Lever Spring Clip 19 7E400 Gearshift Tube Bushing Clamp 20 - Spacer (Fixed Column) 21 3E729 Steering Shaft (Fixed Column) 22 3F527 Lever Assembly (Manual Transmission) 23 3F530 Pin (Manual Transmission) 24 3F752 Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid 25 7335 Gearshift Lever Socket Bushing 26 7A216 Transmission Shift Selector Position Insert 27 7302 Transmission Selector Lever Arm and Support 28 7E395 Shift Cable and Bracket 29 7210 Gearshift Lever 30 3E691 Steering Column Lock Pawl

Consider this spot as a piggy bank. It will be OK to drive

It sounds like the lever from the gear shifter has come loose. I would first look at the shifter from under the car. You can also remove the boot (or console) from inside the car and check the linlage. Most linkage is held on by a small clip or cotter pin and somethime they don't stay in place anad the linkage slides off the arm..

You might want to try sparying a lubricant down in the shifter lever surround itself...sometimes when soda or other sugary drinks get spilled in that area, the release mechanism gets gummed up, not allowing the catch to release properly...try some WD40 or some other pennetrating spray oil.
Spray it into every crack and crevice around the shifter, and all of the plastic parts too. Wipe off the excess and allow it about 20 minutes to penetrate deep into the parts of the shifter. Put your key into the ignition and WITHOUT STARTING THE CAR AND YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKES, keep sliding the shifter into every gear over and over again. Try this first in order to see if this fixes the problem...if this doesn't do it, you may need to invest some $$$ to have it looked at. I know this sounds simple, but it could save you some serious money if this fixes your problem.

Ok ready to stand on your head under the dash?
It's doable... there is a flange connected to the gearshift lever under the steering column. If you remove the lower dash cover where the fuses are, you should be able to see it when you move the gear shift lever... look around on the floor of the truck to see if you dropped a star-headed bolt or two... these bolts worked loose on my superduty and made shifting very difficult..it was an easy fix... let me know how you do on it.