Joe Flanagan Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 Today I adjusted the selector lever on my gear shift linkage because going from first to second was a little difficult. I moved the adjustment nut too far in one direction so that I had no first or reverse. I then went back in the other direction. I have all gears (never really fixed the sticking problem) and once in a while it slips out of second gear. That's the first time it's done this and I'm hoping it's because I'm off with the adjustment. I know that this can be a sign of a worn stop ring and a few other things but I really hope it's just an adjustment. I know the manual says adjust until all the play is taken up, but with the spring on there, I find it difficult to tell. I've got no trouble at all going between second and third. But first and reverse are tougher than they ought to be. And going from first to second is also a little bit of a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 Just to further clarify, I just got back from a short trip and the transmission slips out of gear when taking a turn and downshifting into second. When you let the clutch up, that's when the shift pops out of gear. It doesn't always happen, just once in a while. It might be that I'm just used to my truck, where you don't have to shove that hard to get it up into second. I may be not giving it enough of a push every now and then and it jumps out of gear when I let the clutch up. I don't see any obstruction in the linkage beneath the car, but the selector rod is very close to the brake pedal. In fact it looks like they rub together. I could likely fix that by bending the selector rod so that there's no contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ194950 Posted August 13, 2014 Report Share Posted August 13, 2014 I had to do some bending adjustments along with tweaking the threaded adjustments to get my Used OD trans to shift properly, took me several days and a lot of trys. Did you use the shifter arms from the old trans? Had to change to my old ones plus all the other adjustments. Just for info, if still problems, do you still have the original 3 spd. trans? Not going to suggest you to put it back in, So don't worry! You're on the right track, Best of luck, DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 I no longer have the original 3 speed. And I honestly don't remember whether I'm using the shifter arms that came from the original transmission or the ones that came with the overdrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 I discovered that the bell crank was only finger tight, so I secured that and took it for a ride. For about five miles, I thought I'd found the problem. It shifted great in all gears. Then as I was taking a turn, it popped out of second gear. And it seemed like the shifting got tougher the more I drove. I don't even know if that's possible, but that was my impression. When I got home, I got under the car again and found that the selector lever at the transmission was also loose, I tightened that but it didn't make any difference. I then started playing with the adjustment at the selector rod and noting the results. I discovered that I have to have at least one inch of the threaded rod showing above the lock nut. Any less than that and there's no first or reverse. I can tighten the nut more so that more of the threaded rod is showing, but it doesn't really make a difference. Are my hard shifting and popping out of gear an adjustment issue? At this point, it doesn't look like it. Back under the car once again. I noticed that the selector rod had a pretty drastic bend in it. I took it out and straightened it only to find out that the bend is the only way the rod will clear all the other stuff down there. So I re-bent it to fit. I took a look at the other adjusting nut, the one on the control rod. The manual says that that is to adjust the orientation of the gear shift to horizontal at neutral if I understand what I read. But I wonder if it does more than that. Anyway, I guess the worst case is that I have to pull the transmission and open it up. It doesn't pop out of second very often, but it's something I can't live with. And the hard shifting just annoys the crap out of me, especially when everything else works so nicely. I'm still hoping it's an adjustment problem, but I'm kind of running out of ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niel Hoback Posted August 14, 2014 Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 I think I'd start by taking the side cover off the trans to see if the springs and balls are hitting the detents in the shift rails at the right place and try to find any looseness inn the forks that shift the gears. Maybe get lucky and not have to pull the whole trans? Grabbing at straws, but hey, you never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2014 I think that might be my next step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soth122003 Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 You might want to double check your motor mounts. If they are compressed due to age or oil they can contribute to the hard shifting. I lost 2nd and 3rd due to the aft MM's worn out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 The motor mounts are new, so I think I can rule that out. It could be that the alignment at the bell housing is off. I may pull the cover off today and get a look at the forks, shifter rails, etc. If anyone has taken one of these apart to replace the synchro assembly, I'd like to hear from you. I'm aware of Pete Anderson's teardown and his web page and will be consulting that as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 I suspect blueskies will be here later today. You also might want to give George Asche a call for his recommendation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 Today I tried another adjustment. There seems to be only one particular spot on the threaded rod where the shifter is happy. If you hit this spot in the adjustment, what you get is a nice and easy 2nd and 3rd, and a fairly sticky 1st and reverse. If you tighten just a bit past this point, you'll still have 2nd and 3rd, but you can't get it to go into 1st or reverse no matter how hard you try. If you loosen just a bit past this point, the shifting is nice and easy, but 1st and reverse no longer exist. So I found the optimum spot and took it for a ride. 1st and reverse were a little difficult, but not terrible. After about five minutes of driving, I went to take off from a red light and realized I had no first gear. I had to take off in second. I figured if I had no first I probably had no reverse, either. So I decided to pull a U-turn on a busy road but my turn radius is too wide and I couldn't make it. Had to put it in reverse, but as I feared, I had no reverse. I don't know how I did it but I somehow found reverse. I got home and tried a few more adjustments but the formerly happy spot on the selector rod now will no longer give me reverse. It seems there is no happy spot anymore. I'm done for the weekend. I have to do some work on my daughter's car and this stopped being fun a couple of days ago. When I do go back to it I think I'm going to pull the side cover off but I really don't know what to look for aside from obvious damage and loose parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 I do suggest you call George Asche before you crawl inside the transmission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueskies Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 (edited) Joe- Sorry I don't have any advice... It's been so long since I put my transmission and linkage together that I don't remember what I did to get it all working... I do recall having to fiddle with it for some time to get it right, but don't know what that was... And since I no longer have the car, I can't crawl underneath to look at it... I looked through my old website, and I didn't make any note of the shifter linkage... I hope you get it sorted, I'm betting that most of the issue is with the adjustment of the shift rods. The popping out of gear though, sounds like something inside to me. Pete Edited August 15, 2014 by blueskies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 Thanks, Don. I will call George. Hi Pete, it's been a long time. Thanks for checking in. I'm not surprised you can't remember what all you did. Heck, I can't remember what I did last week. I'm at a loss at the moment but I'll just take a break from it for a while and think about it and come back with a new plan. One thing I have not done is get under the car while someone else shifts so I can watch what the linkage is doing. The other thing I'll do at some point is pull off the side cover and see if something's amiss inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james49ply Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 the way I adjusted my linkage was to remove both levers, put the trans in neutral, put the sift lever level, and adjust the rods to allow easy connection to the transmission levers. I to have deceleration second gear pop-out, I have a worn second gear on the mainshaft. I will replace that when I restore the body and change the rear axle ratio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Thanks James. Today I'm going to pull the side cover off. It feels to me like the lever inside is not moving upward to engage the first/reverse shifter fork. I also notice that if i put it in second I can knock it back into neutral very easily by tapping the shift lever with my hand (at the transmission). I can't do that so easily when it's in third. So at the very least today I'll have a look at the shifter forks, the rails, the detents (if I can see them), and the balls. I might try your method of setting up the linkage. If I get no results from any of that, the transmission is coming out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 It turns out I can't remove the side cover without taking the transmission out. There are two bolts at the top of the cover that are inaccessible. But I disconnected the shift linkage rods, set the levers to neutral, and reconnected everything with some small adjustments. I hav first and reverse now and after a longish ride around the neighborhood, I can still shift into those gears. Reverse is tough but if you go into first then move into reverse you can do it. I held the gear shift while taking turns in second so I don't know if my adjustments fixed the sliding out of gear issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ194950 Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 The older cars without a synchronized first quite often have a problem getting in to reverse with out first getting into first gear. Mine the same way, just got used to seldom going into reverse with out first. Just always do it now first/then/reverse without even thinking about it. The popping out of second gear I hope is now OK after readjustment of the shifter. If not the trans will need internal work on the synchro gear and blocker blocks(3) and expander ring. Usually all are in one kit. All assuming that your trans is not of the later pin type synchro Sure hope it's not needed. You really don't want an education on an OD trans dis-assembly if you can avoid it! DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 I don't know whether I've got the pin or strut type synchro. I have a 95% complete stock 3 speed disassembled in my garage and I've been familiarizing myself with assembly/disassembly. It doesn't include the OD section but I've learned a lot just studying it and reading the manual. I'll have to see how the trans works in the coming week. It's probably going to have to be rebuilt at some point, the question is when. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ194950 Posted August 18, 2014 Report Share Posted August 18, 2014 Thinking about it, I believe that I would Not pull the trans until I had hooked up and at least given the trans a good drive or two using the OD. That way maybe even if the main box needs some replacement parts in it, you may Not need to tear it the OD parts themselves. You still will need to do Some things with the OD to separate the main 3 spd. box and the OD unit but not dig into the OD part itself deeply! Will save a big part of the OD trans education. Hope all goes in your way! DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 Yes, I was going to test the OD but first wanted to make sure the regular trans will operate reasonably well. What's been happening is that I'll get the adjustment halfway decent and after a bit of driving around, it will become increasingly difficult to get it into first or reverse. On one occasion, I could not shift into either one at all and nearly got stranded. None of that happened today after the latest adjustment. I'm just going to drive it and see what happens. If it operates reliably, I'll test the OD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosworth Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 I had problems shifting into third, would sometimes be ok other times I thought I'd be driving home in second. We put the car up on the lift and I had my neighbor shift through the gears. I discovered that the selector shaft in the side cover was moving up and down. We pulled off the side cover and found that the set screw in the side cover that keeps the shaft in place was warn out. It should have a turned down end that fits into a groove in the shaft. The end was warn off. Made a new one, now it shifts like a new car. In hindsight it wasn't necessary to pull off the side cover, the set screw is located in the side cover just under the lever arm for the selector shaft. Good luck Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted August 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 You wouldn't have a picture by any chance, would you? I didn't see anything like that on my side cover but I'll take another look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James_Douglas Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 I had to do some bending adjustments along with tweaking the threaded adjustments to get my Used OD trans to shift properly, took me several days and a lot of trys. Did you use the shifter arms from the old trans? Had to change to my old ones plus all the other adjustments. Just for info, if still problems, do you still have the original 3 spd. trans? Not going to suggest you to put it back in, So don't worry! You're on the right track, Best of luck, DJ DJ, I never thought of or heard that the shifter arms on the 3-speed and three speed with OD were different. Do you, or anyone reading this, have any photos or measurements of the different arms? James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted August 19, 2014 Report Share Posted August 19, 2014 Pin type tranny's are stamped PT on the trans next to the shift cover. The manufacture date is there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.