Stuck in 4th gear

PhillysMostWntd · 06-16-2005, 01:19 PM

OK... im convinced now, once i fix something, something else breaks, started out with the e-brake, i fixed that, then the blinkers went out (havent fixed this yet), then the dme relay goes out, fix that... AND NOW IM STUCK IN 4TH GEAR!!!

I mean i get so frusterated with this thing, I cant sell it (i could but i wont) what is it? i checked past forums about this, 3rd gear seems to have been the favored gear to be stuck in. let me tell you what happened. i come home from testing out the dme for about 2 hours, everything works well, when i try downshifting while im going down my street, it wont go, so i coast down (w/ clutch in) and park, turn off the car and try again, nothing. turn the car back on (w/clutch in) starts, but doesnt leave 4th, so i slowly let off the clutch and it starts to lurch forward (so im certain its stuck in gear) i try to shove the shifter as hard as i can but it wont move, it feel like its stuck, and its hitting something

what could this be? how can i fix it? how much will it cost? i need help, all i want to do is get my car up and running and STAY running, its my daily driver and i have no other means of transportation, cept my mom taking me to and from work (and i thought those days were behind me) someone please help, you guys have been a great help in the past, and im sure someone out there knows how to fix this

PhillysMostWntd · 06-16-2005, 08:29 PM

does anyone know? i thought someone would have had an idea by now

89AZ944 · 06-16-2005, 09:08 PM

rubber clutch centering ring?

might have disintergrated and jammed in what ever gear you were in or broken linkage

these are just guesses

Zero10 · 06-16-2005, 10:56 PM

Pull up the shifter boot, take a look around in that general area. If the problem is not there, it is most likely at the rear end of the shifter linkage. Not really much in the middle to worry about. If both ends check out, and have nothing interfering, and the shifter still won't move, then things get more complicated.

bazar01 · bazar01's Garage

It's possible either one of the two bolts securing the tranny selector shaft came loose or worst came off. You can check it with the tranny in the car. Drive the car rear wheels up on a ramp (i forgot it's stuck in 4th) or jact the car up and remove the driver side rear wheel then look up on top of the tranny above the exhaust pipe and check those two bolts.

PhillysMostWntd · 06-17-2005, 08:26 AM

ok i checked under the boot last night, the 2 clips (one U shaped washer and a regular one) are still on there, the one nearest to the shifter is a little bent up (pretty bent up), but i think its still fine (maybe its not?) i cant figure out what is wrong with it, only response i get from it is metal hitting metal

"jact the car up and remove the driver side rear wheel"
.......wheels locks.........no key.......???

it could be the tranny selector, but how would i get around to this without getting the wheel off, or if i have to, get a locksmith here to pick the lock, make a key, etc. and if the selector is the problem, is this something thats easy to fix? do i just tighten those 2 bolts? and if they came off... then what?

bryanthompson · bryanthompson's Garage

I was able to get under mine by putting the driver's side on stands and crawling under the car from behind instead of from the side. I needed to tighten one of those bolts too. You shouldn't have to remove a wheel... it's a little tight, and you have to do some of it by feeling, but it will work.

Or you can just drill out those wheel locks.

PhillysMostWntd · 06-17-2005, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bryanthompson
I was able to get under mine by putting the driver's side on stands and crawling under the car from behind instead of from the side. I needed to tighten one of those bolts too. You shouldn't have to remove a wheel... it's a little tight, and you have to do some of it by feeling, but it will work.

Or you can just drill out those wheel locks.

so you had this problem also?? im going to try this out right now. results will follow

PhillysMostWntd · 06-18-2005, 07:42 AM

i checked around last night, doesnt feel very loose (but you can move it around easily) i tightened any bolt i could find and still no luck, any ideas what it is now?

PhillysMostWntd · 06-19-2005, 02:28 PM

well its decided, tomorrow its getting towed...

no bolts were loose, no u rings missing. ill let you guys know what was wrong when i find out

bryanthompson · bryanthompson's Garage

my problem was that I couldn't get into any of the bottom gears, and it was caused by the loose bolt. It wasn't stuck in a gear, it just wouldn't go into them.

I used an assistant to move the shifter while I was down there to get a better idea of exactly was going on. It was real clear what the problem was when the linkage moved, but the connection to the tranny didn't do anything.

VINMAN · 06-20-2005, 03:20 AM

Sounds like an internal problem...... Mine was stuck in third, turned out to be broken 3-4th syncro detents.

PhillysMostWntd · 06-20-2005, 11:08 AM

how much did that cost you VINMAN, i just want to get a ball park figure idea here, i think thats whats wrong with mine, my third gear has always had a slight grind when i downshifted into it, no matter how i shifted it.

VINMAN · 06-21-2005, 03:57 AM

I rebuilt mine myself, the detents themselves cost about 80 cents apiece. I figured while I had the trans apart i might as well overhaul it. The total parts ( new synchros, bearing, gaskets and such ) was about $300
The hardest part was waiting 3 weeks for the detents, nobody could seem to find them. 2 dealers told me they were not available anymore
One finally tracked them down for me, but was a bit of a wait.

PhillysMostWntd · 06-21-2005, 12:03 PM

yeah i think id rather throw it onto someone else and have tracking the parts down their problem, with my hours at work i wouldnt be able to get this fixed for months