I have just rebuilt my motor and 39 transmission for my 36 Coupe and it's now all back together and in the car. The tranny went to a guy down under who sounded like he knew his stuff and that is probably true as I suspect I might be the problem. When I dropped the shifter back into the top of the box tonight it went in nicely and appeared to settle into its slot. It changed up and down through neutral with a nice feel but the shifter wouldn't stop at the left and right sides of the H pattern. It continued into the steering wheel and went way right as well. I pulled it out and tried a different spot but still no good. Now it feels jammed with no movement although I can still pull the shifter out of the box. Is there a trick to fitting these things back in that I am missing or could this be something more concerning. I don't mind pulling the floor up again and taking the top off the box if I have to, but I don't want to even think about pulling the box again. Taking out the 8BA and 39 box was a big job for a novice and I'm not keen to start again so hopefully there is an easy solution. I am certain the person who replaced some parts in the box and changed the seals for me would have used the correct replacement parts but could there be an issue with how the selector was reinstalled. The box shifted well previously so I expected no issues when it went back in the car. It's all a mystery to me but I'm certain many people out there will have replaced those shifters plenty of times and hopefully can advise me what to do next. Thanks JM Bendigo Australia
What Mart said. Their is a quarter inch pin that fits into the cap at the threads and through to a slot the shifter arm. If you can't find one just cut off the smooth end of a 1/4" drill bit. That works well.
Yes...unscrew the domed piece that keeps the shifter in its socket and cautiously lift shift stick out. Look for a deep notch in casting where ball sits and a matching notch in the pivot ball where shifter sets. (do this with trans in neutral for easiest work) This should contain a dowel that limits possible motions of the stick. A loose dowel. A loose dowel that could now be down inside the trans waiting to wedge into a gear mesh and blow the whole trans right in half... It may have never been installed, as it should not be in there when stick is out for shipping convenience. If it was in there...you need to do whatever it takes to retrieve it as it can totally destroy the trans if it gets into gear mesh. I'm at work with no iron to look at, and cannot find a good online illustration, but from memory this is a piece of dowel about 1/4" diameter and about 1/2" long. I am guessing that trans would have been shipped with shifter out and that dowel out, and it may be in the packing material,,,ASK the guy who rebuilt it! If you cannot find the thing and know for certain it did not drop in, you will have to do whatever it takes to find it or prove that it is not in the gearbox!
Bruce covered the issue, contact the rebuilder and find out if he included the dowel pin. You won't like what happens if it's inside the case.
Thanks guys, that covers it very well. I can see the notch in the shifter where the quarter inch pin goes. I have never seen it and I know it definitely didn't go back in when I replaced the shifter as I cleaned it thoroughly before dipping it in transmission fluid and putting it in the box so I'm sure I haven't dropped it in. I'll have a good look around the garage floor and also contact the builder to see if he recalls finding it in the box. Two further question: 1. If the pin is inside what are my chances of finding the pin by removing just the top of the box and draining the oil. 2. How do I get the box into neutral as when I now put the stick back in it doesn't appear to want to move and I'm reluctant to force it.
I'd say the chances of finding it (or satisfying yourself it isn't there) are good. Drain the oil into a clean container (so you can check if the pin is in the oil, and you can reuse the oil). Then get a good flashlight and have a real good look around. You might be able to probe around with a magnet on a stick and if you could go in with something with a flexible blade (like a big cable tie) you can pass it along the length of the box underneath the cluster gear. If you are certain it isn't there, you can put the top back on Remove the shifter from the top and using a lever if necessary, put the 2nd/top and 1st/reverse sliders into the neutral position, at the mid point of their travel. Now study the forks in the shifter top, make sure they are in the neutral position too. Then carefully put the top in place and button it up. Then find a pin or make a new one, set the shifter in place with the pin in, and you should be good to go. Oh yeah, before you put the top on, remove the oil level plug on the side of the box and fill the box with oil. Easier to pour it in the top than have to get it in the side from a squeezy bottle. Mart.
Thanks Mart the box decided to go back into neutral this morning with no problems now just searching for the pin before pulling the floor and top of the box off. Could have been worse. Hopefully the builder remembers taking it out. JM
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