stuck in 1st gear- please help with ideas?

[gilberninvader]

Got the Mk 2 through its MOT on Monday , took car to work Wed and on Thursday all going well until car stuck in first gear. Had to be transported home. Cannot move gear lever out of first. Car will move forward but only in first.Any thoughts?

[vitesseestate]

hi, I recall several items recently in Rarebit talking about stuck gearbox linkages. I suspect you are suffering the same issue. The old Zodiac gearbox ( if you have 4 speed & overdrive? ) has rods & links with bushes / clips that wear out. You will need to check these from inside the car. Take the gearlever rubber boot off & have a look inside. You might be better off cutting more access panels on the fibreglass & replace with alloy plate? as space is tight. If the rods & linkages are OK? then you may need to take the top of the gearbox off & check the selector action. After that you could be into a gearbox out situation? Where you are? I can recommend a gearbox specialist if required?

[gilberninvader]

Thanks for that , will have a trawl through my rarebits to glean any further help. I have started to work back through from the gear lever , linkages, rods,bushes and they all seem to look ok in place etc.
I've never tried to get into any gearbox sounds like a 'five spanner' rating to me.... can this be done in situ or is it a gearbox out job... I'm in South Wales, did you recently help me out with my brake calipers, got through the MOT last Monday 23rd? Gears seized Wednesday 25th, the joys of classic motoring!
Any advice on gearbox specialists in the area would be great. Gar

[gilberninvader]

Saw the article in December's Rarebit re problem selecting gears. Article heading 10p circlip costs £1000.
i will try to see if its the outer circlip thats missing first. Fingers and everything else crossed, or its out with engine and gearbox to hunt the missing internal circlips....

[wxm4]

If the problem is with external linkages/bushes you will get excessive movement in the gearlevel so hitting the tunnel long before the gearbox end moves? In which case replacing the bushes etc. is possible with the box in situ. (with the car on rams or stands).
If the 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th lever on the nearside of the box is getting full movement, the problem is the internal selector - that's a box out job.

Edited by wxm4 on Friday 4th May 13:27

[gilberninvader]

Thanks for that, what i have is no movement in the gear lever . The gears are stuck in 1st . I cant return the gear lever to neutral! I still hope its a bush or circlip or something external. I have seen another inspection plate from underneath the car but to get at it i think i have to remove the dashboard, oh what joy!

[wxm4]

The plate on top of the gearbox provides access to the gear selectors and to disassemble etc. the box. Presumably it would be possible to remove the dash and cut a hole in the tunnel to access it, but that's about twice the work of removing the gearbox- then you have to put it all back!!

If the gear lever doesn't move and struck in the forward position?
Try getting a friend to rock the car backwards, while you pull back on the gear lever (with and without the clutch depressed)- don't use more than a firm pull with your hand.

For more information on gearboxes and removal email me from the Gilbern Site

[gilberninvader]

Cheers i will give that rocking trick a try

[Juan Mortime]

You may be mistaking the gear lever for something else, are you sure you are not pulling on the handbrake? The gear lever is further forward and is a funny shape, just thought I'd try and help.

[gilberninvader]

doh.....
u r a 1 , 1,
that must mean i've been trying to change gear with the handbrake all these years!!!
( sold any pink vests lately?)

[gilberninvader]

Back on the road again...., the problem seemed to be inside the gearbox, so had to bite the bullet and have a replacement box fitted. Now just the overdrive to sort out as it doesn't want to engage! Thanks to everyone for your ideas and especially Francis who gave me his spare gearbox and Bryan for finding a garage willing to do the work!