Can't Shift Into First

[rcecale]

Posted this thread a little while back so I ordered Wayne's "101 Projects" book for some guidance.

The book hasn't arrived yet, but I've done some searching here to find some more info. Earlier this week, it became impossible to shift into first. All other gears work just fine, but first just will not work!

Sitting in the garage with the engine off I've tried all gears and first feels like something is blocking it from engaging. I've pulled tha tunnel cover in front of the back seat and took a look, but everything there seems to be fine.

While looking, though, I found the shift coupler rubber boot stuffed back into the tunnel. It felt kinda stuck when I went to pull it out, but I was able to get it out. It was actually stuck enough to make me think (wishful thinkig, of course) that maybe it was somehow in the way of something, but this prooved to not be the case.

Anyway, it looks like everything is fine underneath the cover plate, but I still can't get into first. Does anyone have any ideas that I should be taking a look at?

Randy

[john walker's workshop]

a common problem is the toothed ring that is pressed onto the gear to contain the syncro ring looses a lot of teeth and the syncro expands and blocks the shift sleeve. the missing teeth often, but not always, end up in the drainplug magnet, so pull the drainplug and see. if that's the case, other things like the syncro ring, brake bands and stop dogs can get loose and swim around in the gear oil and possibly go thru the gears. that would not be good. best not to drive it in this condition.

[rcecale]

Thanks for the quick reply, John! Looks like I'll be putting her up in the air and having a bit of fun...I'll post back with my results.

Randy

[john walker's workshop]

plenty of folks on the board have fixed their own transmissions. we'll walk you thru it.

[yelcab1]

Sounds bad. Fix it yourself. JW can walk you through a lot.

[rcecale]

You guys sure don't waste any time! No sooner had I changed my mind and edited my post and here you are...encouraging me to exactly that!

Fixing it myself is exactly what I'll do! Thanks!!!
edit: Well.."myself" with a LOT of help from everyone here!

Randy

[3.2 CAB]

When I bought my present 911, it would not go into first. It was indeed bad syncros. Dropped it, changed out the bad parts, ok since.

[UTKarmann_Ghia]

Can we fix it? YES WE CAN! Sorry, too much Bob the Builder. JW walked me through mine and it shifts LIKE A DREAM. Maybe not a dream, but it's a wonderful thing to not grind your gears everytime you get in the car and NEVER have to worry about getting back into first from neutral at a stop light. I just dont even think about shifting anymore. Do it, you wont regret it.

[rcecale]

I'm actually getting kinda excited about doing this. Picked up a floor jack and a pair of stands on the way into work this morning...I'll start on her as soon as I get home this evening.

Randy

[ischmitz]

Yeah, Do it. I did mine and John was a terrific asset. Besides all the good posts I called him up a couple of times when I got really stuck and his advise made the day. Mine wouldn't go into 3rd and it turned out to be a chewed up operating sleeve. I replaced all synchro's and the puppy is holding up fine to the 3.6 so far. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

The nice thing about working on a transmission as oposed to a motor is that they don't act like Schroedinger's cat. Once you pull the nose cover and the intermediate housing problems become pretty obvious, yet you are only down a couple of cheap paper gaskets. Do that to a motor and you talk several hundret dollars for gaskets right there.

FYI: I didn't even know that the gears in a transmission mesh all the time before I ripped into mine. So besides saving me a ton of money by simply handing the job off I learned how a transmission actually works. I have since rebuild a 3.6 with help from some local guys on the board.

Ingo

[rcecale]

Just a quick question so I can get started as soon as I get home.

I'm sure there's a proper location for me to place the floor jack and the jack stands so I don't mess anything up lifting it, where would these locations be?

edit: Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ingo...hopefully I'll have the same results you had....feeling good about it so far!

Randy

[john walker's workshop]

the exhaust crossover pipe that runs under the bellhousing is jack friendly, if you have stock exhaust. get under the big flange, and be careful about the clutch arm just in front of it, so you don't catch it with the jack. the torsion bar tubes on the ends of the spring plates for the jack stands. and block the front wheels for the hell of it.

[rcecale]

Got a late start....but it's in progress....sorta...

Got the jackstands in place where they fit under the car, but I'm not sure this is the right spot....John?...anyone?



I haven't set it down yet...just in case it's not...

Randy

[klaucke]

That is indeed the right spot. Also, if you want to possibly save some undercoating on your torsion bar tubes, toss a little cardboard on the jack stands, and you'll need to go high with the car, don't be shy! I jack my car up from the oil plate on the bottom of the engine... I have a special "pad" of about 8 layers of cardboard which works great as a buffer b/w the jack and car.

I someday will hopefully fix my 2nd gear synchro which seems not to exist... no quick shifting for me!

[rcecale]

Okay!

She resting on the stands...thanks J.Klaucke!....next round of questions...

1.) I'm assuming this is the drain plug I need to remove...looks as though there is a big-a$$ed allen wrench required for this....what size am I looking for?


2.) Is this the plate I need to remove AFTER I've drained the case?


I'm really appreciating all this help guys!

Randy

[john walker's workshop]

17mm allen wrench. they're usually real tight, so don't strip it out. you may need a breaker bar. there's an allen socket made for that, fits vw's. check the magnet for little teeth.
that square plate holds the shift rod guide fork. remove it and fish around in there with your finger for any crunchy bits. see that the fork is tight against the plate.

[rcecale]

Okay...

Case was drained...oil looked pretty nasty but there were no metalic pieces in it or on the magnet...definitely time for a change, though.

Pulled the cover plate and found it to be intact. The fork was/is securely attached. Needs to be cleaned up a bit before reinstalling it, but other than that, no visible problems.



Unfortunately, as I was pulling the cover plate off, I saw/heard something go "Klunk" as it fell into the drain pan. The piece below seems to have come loose from somewhere.


Took a look up inside after swiping my fingers around. Neither felt or saw anything crunchy...just a bunch of oil.

Interestingly, I climbed into the drivers seat and the shifter moved fore and aft with no binding...NONE...couldn't discern between 1st and second. Third and Fourth, however, you could feel the notch between them....and the shifter wouldn't move over to allow Fifth and Reverse...

Now what?

Randy

[ischmitz]

That's No6 in the diagram called "brake band anchor block" .Go ahead disasemble the transmission. You need to get both the input shaft and the output shaft out to R&R the synchro. Pull the nose cover, 5th and reverse gear sets. Then work of the 27mm nut and the 43mm nut from the shafts and pull the intermediate cover.


Cheers,
Ingo

[ischmitz]

Here is the diagram to show you what you found. It's No.6

[rcecale]

Well, that wasn't what I was hoping to hear!

Anyway, I am at a complete loss...please forgive my ignorance, but which part is the nose cover and which is the Intermediate. And...what do I need to pull to get access to them?

There is a cross-over support that runs underneath the case which looks like it would need to come off before I can start dropping it...like in this pic...


Adding the following pic incase it helps describe what I need to be removing...


As always, really appreciate the help!

Randy