Can't Put in First Gear

richi · 01-13-2004, 08:49 AM

After driving my 82 SC on the highway I came to a stop light and felt the car shudder. After that,I couldn't put it in first gear. I can start in second and the transmission seems fine.

Any thoughts of what it could be. It happened all of a sudden.

stealthn · 01-13-2004, 08:56 AM

I had the same thing...it's expensive. Tranny, 1st gear and maybe second. Do not drive your car! If you want to do it yourself I'd tear into it otherwise take it to an experience Porsche wrench.

I had no idication in advance, and same as you, waiting at light thunk, out of first gear, had to flounder home from second.

Good luck.

Leland Pate · 01-13-2004, 09:03 AM

Before you freak, get between the seats and pull up the carpeting on the center tunnel. There is a panel back there that can be removed with four screws. Under it you'll find the shift coupler. Check the coupler first to make sure the bushings haven't fallen apart. If those old plastic bushings go, there's a chance you won't be able to get it into first.

Look there first before dropping the engine/tranny.
Good luck,

john walker's workshop · 09:10 AM

the teeth probably all broke off the pressed on dog tooth ring on 1st gear. it's a replaceable part, but the trans has to be disassembled to do it of course. when the teeth go away, the syncro expands enough to block the shift sleeve from going over it to engage the gear. don't drive it, or you stand the chance of parts going thru the rest of the gears and causing lots more damage. the teeth eventually end up in the drain plug magnet to verify the situation.

john walker's workshop · 01-13-2004, 09:19 AM

.

yelcab1 · 01-13-2004, 09:32 AM

Had it 3 times, each time the first gear left the building. It would be so nice if it were the simple bushings --- but i was not that lucky.

Good luck to you.

Jim Sims · 01-13-2004, 09:59 AM

First gear synchro failed 3 times in the same transmission? Please elaborate. What kind of service was the car seeing? Jim

Stanley · 01-13-2004, 10:08 AM

Same thing happined to me. I expected the worst, but it was just a clutch cable that needed to be replaced. It was a simple fix.

braddb_82SC · 01-13-2004, 10:29 AM

Same thing happened to me a few years back. I simply got into my car to drive home from work and found there was no first gear. I did not feel a shudder. Turned out to be the first gear dog teeth. The transmission had 150K on it so it was in need of a rebuild anyway. I also needed a clutch, CV joints,...... In the end my $1500 trans rebuild ended up costing me $4000. Be careful of the "while I am in there" syndrome.

-Brad

yelcab1 · 01-13-2004, 10:34 AM

84 cab, 915 tranny.

Normal aggressive street driving, no racing or DE, or tracking.

1. Speedo plate magnet backed out, wore a hole in the side of the tranny. Blue fluid leaked. Removed offending tranny unit, gave it to well known shop in Orange county, had it rebuilt, paid money, reinstalled it.
2. Six months later, first gear refused to engage, took whole car back to mechanic shop, they fixed it for free.
3. Six months later it failed again, same symptoms, took it back again, they fixed it for free.
4. Six months later, the same thing happened, got tired of them, ordered a rebuilt unit from Vertex, installed it
5. 18 months later, different issue caused me t send it back to Vertex, they found that 1st gear almost died, ordered new first gear, they put it in the tranny for free. Haven't had any problem with it for 3 more years until car was sold.

Fragile 915 1st gear!!. I'll rebuild it myself if it happens to the 80 911SC.

blacky3.2 · 01-13-2004, 01:09 PM

I know I'm only a junior member and all but I had a similar thing happen to me. If this just happened out of the blue with no other indication that 1st gear was getting worse, check your clutch cable. In my situation it was a 3 day thing with 1st gear finally getting impossible to get into on day 3. It turned out that the clutch cable linkage to the transmittion was hit by a rock, which loosened the adjustment to nothing. I know it was a rock because it was still wedged in the adjustment screw. Once I re-adjusted the cable it was easy as pie to shift into 1st. As as matter of fact... I should have know something was wrong because the clutch pedal was engaging closer and closer to the floorboard. I guess when it is gradual like that you don't notice.

This may be of no use... but it might help.

3.2 CAB · 01-14-2004, 05:36 AM

Hey Blacky, we are all equal here when it come to Pcar problems!!!! Everyone will have them, and input about them.

Kurt B · 01-14-2004, 09:41 AM

Could be a clutch or shift linkage problem? When my tranny went it popped out of first a few times first then it wouldn't go into first at all. In fact, leaving a light, it was in 1st and popped out and wouldn't go back in at all.

Then later that day wouldn't go into 2nd either. Back in those days, I didn't know enough to have the car towed home. I drove it the rest of the way to work and then back home with it basically in 3rd.