1974 - 914 model - 1st gear grind question

[orbit398]

I just purchased a '74 model with a 2.0 liter (4/29/15). Runs fine but the tranny has an issue. Looking for ideas from experience owners. It has a side shifter. In the day I have looked around, it appears there are many things to check and wonder what order folks would check things.

When car is running, and I push in the clutch in to get it in first gear, it grinds, no matter how I try to engage it. It doesn't appear to change if I shift real easy/slow to shifting normal. It just wants to grind. 2nd to 5th seam fine. I can push the clutch in hold it for a few seconds thinking the synchronizer will work but it still wants to grind.

The PO says he has reworked the bushings in the linkage already. He says it has conventional transmission oil.

I looked at the clutch cable and how it hooks up to the transmission and wonder if I should tighten it up. I have read free play at the pedal should be 10mm. It that correct.

Any pointers helpful

[Jrboulder]

Odds are your 1st gear synchro ring is toast. The more you drive it as is the more damage you will do to the slider and dog teeth. For now to get into 1st you should put it in another gear while stopped then shift into 1st.

[Nostril Cheese]

Can be fixed with tranny in the car.

Pelican Technical Article: Replacing 1st Gear on the 901 Transmission

[John Rogers]

Some things to check are: first will take two folks, one in the car and another under the rear of the transmission. Have the inside person move the shifter and see how much the rear linkage moves, there should be no slop! Next is the clutch release and engagement and on my race car and my daughter's 2L stock 914 the clutch would release or engage when the pedal was 50% in/out of it's travel. The easiest way to check this is with the rear wheels off the ground, on stands and put the car in gear and let out the clutch and have a person measure the movement. Make sure the pedal board is in and has the little rubber bumper in place to do the measurement. The engine can be at idle to make it easy on the rear end. This was how the shop that worked on my race car set it up and never worried about the free play measurement. Last of all, make sure the outer cable is seated fully on the tube that sticks out as if it not then it will slide in slowly and you will loose adjustment. Same with double nuts on the adjuster, if a nylock nut is used alone then it will loosen.

Of course the synchros could be shot.......

[orbit398]

Originally Posted by john rogers

Some things to check are: first will take two folks, one in the car and another under the rear of the transmission. Have the inside person move the shifter and see how much the rear linkage moves, there should be no slop! Next is the clutch release and engagement and on my race car and my daughter's 2L stock 914 the clutch would release or engage when the pedal was 50% in/out of it's travel. The easiest way to check this is with the rear wheels off the ground, on stands and put the car in gear and let out the clutch and have a person measure the movement. Make sure the pedal board is in and has the little rubber bumper in place to do the measurement. The engine can be at idle to make it easy on the rear end. This was how the shop that worked on my race car set it up and never worried about the free play measurement. Last of all, make sure the outer cable is seated fully on the tube that sticks out as if it not then it will slide in slowly and you will loose adjustment. Same with double nuts on the adjuster, if a nylock nut is used alone then it will loosen.

Of course the synchros could be shot.......

John,

on your first bullet, I laid under the car and had my wife shift into first from neutral. The large black tube thing moved and twisted as it moved to engage the gear. Is that normal. This is the first time I have seen this system. So when you say 'no slop', I am not sure what you means. Wonder if there is a youtube of this working correctly???

On the clutch bullet, the clutch seems to engage almost immediately after I start to let the clutch up. By the way, if I push the clutch all the way to the floor, I mean all the way, I can gently get it in 1st gear without a grind. Perhaps the clutch just needs adjustment. On your car, you say it releases/engages at 50% of the travel. I am no where near that.

[John Rogers]

What I was talking about with someone in the car is to have them barely move the shift lever, maybe 1/8 inch or so front to rear then side to side and see if there is any movement in the in the rear most rod in the shift linkage. If it does not move then there is slop.

You say "push all the way to the floor" so I hope that means all the way to the removable floor board that has a rubber bumper at the top of the opening where the clutch pedal arm comes through? If it works okay that way and engages almost immediately when letting the pedal up then there is some adjustment needed. When we got our first 914's my mentor said the pedal was supposed to be pushed all the way down to hit the rubber stop on the pedal board. As I noted it should engage at about 50% out.

[orbit398]

Originally Posted by john rogers

What I was talking about with someone in the car is to have them barely move the shift lever, maybe 1/8 inch or so front to rear then side to side and see if there is any movement in the in the rear most rod in the shift linkage. If it does not move then there is slop.

You say "push all the way to the floor" so I hope that means all the way to the removable floor board that has a rubber bumper at the top of the opening where the clutch pedal arm comes through? If it works okay that way and engages almost immediately when letting the pedal up then there is some adjustment needed. When we got our first 914's my mentor said the pedal was supposed to be pushed all the way down to hit the rubber stop on the pedal board. As I noted it should engage at about 50% out.

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On the rear most rod, is this the rod that is coming out of the rear fire wall / underneath the car. It comes out of a rubber boot and the goes a couple of feet and attaches on the transmission. Is this what I am looking to move when the shifter lever is moved a little. Obviously, as soon as the shift lever is moved, I'd like the rod at the rear to move as that would mean minimum slop.

For the clutch, on my car, there is a aluminum plate that is the removable floor board. There is a little rubber bumper that the pedal will hit first prior to hitting the plate. Thinking a bit more on this, if I were to loosen up the adjustment nut on the clutch cable, it would give less engagement and start to work further back from the plate. This would actually be better for using the clutch but this would make it worse for trying to engage gears as the clutch lever on the transmission would not be traveling as far.

What would you suggest for adjustment? I have not check the fluid level yet. But to me, I am thinking I may need to do the 901 first gear work, like someone already mentioned. Any thoughts?

[John Rogers]

You have the adjustment backwards I am afraid. You tighten the adjuster at the transmission to make the clutch release earlier. You said "nut" and if that means you have one, you need to add a second one even if it is a lock nut as it will very slowly work loose due to heat as that is a very hot area. If I remember correctly the nut is 7mm threads and takes a 11mm wrench. As I mentioned earlier, you want clutch release/engagement at 50% of the pedal travel.

[orbit398]

Originally Posted by john rogers

You have the adjustment backwards I am afraid. You tighten the adjuster at the transmission to make the clutch release earlier. You said "nut" and if that means you have one, you need to add a second one even if it is a lock nut as it will very slowly work loose due to heat as that is a very hot area. If I remember correctly the nut is 7mm threads and takes a 11mm wrench. As I mentioned earlier, you want clutch release/engagement at 50% of the pedal travel.

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Have two 11 mm nuts on the end of the cable. Adjusted the cable to work mid way through the clutch stroke. Have car on jack stands. Wife wife played with shifter and it is tight. Checked tranny oil and could not feel any so super low. Added two quarts of 80W-90 conventional oil, it was that low. While on stands, it appears to be working better. Will clean whole engine tomorrow underneath and then take for drive. If improved, will drain out oil and replace all tranny oil while hot.

thanks for following my thread.