No 4th Gear

JLD56 · 05-17-2005, 09:20 AM

4th gear is missing on the transmission of my '73 914. Gears 1 - 3 and 5 work fine but no 4th. When I clutch and shift from 3rd to 4th it feels like it's going into gear but as I let out on the clutch you can feel the shift lever being "pushed" out to the neutral position. No noise or grinder just something forcing it out of the 4th gear position. Any ideas, suggestions or comments would be appreciated.

BenI · 05-17-2005, 09:52 AM

I've had this happen to my 5th gear-only would stay in gear if I held the lever. The culprit was a loose cone set screw in the linkage. There are two of these-one by the firewall and one by the transmission, and both are behind plastic/rubber covers. I'd inspect the linkage first, and make sure these haven't shaken loose. If they look bunged up at all, Pelican carries the part for cheap. Good luck!

phantom914 · 05-17-2005, 11:06 AM

If it is not the linkage, it is very likely the synchro. I had the same exact symptom you describe.

Andrew

JLD56 · 05-17-2005, 11:44 AM

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check the linkage and post my results. Hopefully this will be the solution.

tab tanner · 05-17-2005, 04:52 PM

If it is the trans? Let me know I can repair it for you. Sounds like the slider ring is worn and will not mesh into the syncro hub. Check the linkage and let us know what you find

mtodd · 05-18-2005, 04:29 AM

When checking the linkage make sure to look at all the bushings, especially the two in the knuckle joint just behind the firewall. This was the cuprit when I had this problem. Cheap fix too.

red-beard · red-beard's Garage

I second tabs. If it isn't a linkage problem, it's a slider/dogteeth issue.

Bring money...

JLD56 · 05-24-2005, 09:36 AM

I appreciate all of the comments. Unfortunately I have been delayed with exploring the suggestions by rear brake problems. I've never worked on brakes before but with my Haynes manual and all of the great tech articles available it has not been that bad. Left rear disk was cut deep. Too deep to turn so I bought a replacement. Some question about the condition of the caliper so I ordered a rebuilt. Considered purchasing a rebuild kit and doing it myself but found varying opinions about whether or not an individual should try this at home. Anyway, with what appeared to be an unusually and uneven wear pattern on the inside brake pad/caliper I decided to pass on the do-it-yourself approach. Have learned a lot and actually enjoyed the process. I'll report back on the 4th gear problem as soon as I can.