Technical Everything was hunky-dory until -

It was time to leave the show and go back to the motel.get, cleaned up for dinner, we loaded up all the chairs,ice chest and the parts I bought, fired up the Wagon, mashed the clutch, shifted into first and eased out the clutch and the car wouldn't move, tried reverse, nothing- Damn

I got out of the car and for some unknown reason I opened the hood and stared at the engine, what I was looking for I had no idea, It was almost like the days of my youth when I was over exuberant with the shifting and stacked the linkage but with the T-5 that couldn't have been the problem.

Trying to make sense of my problem it was almost like the car wanted to move but acted like the parking brake was engaged, but I never use it so what the heck was going on.

I shut the hood after convincing myself I'm not going to find the problem there, I sat back down in the drivers seat and fired the car up, pressed the clutch, shifted onto first and the car moved, I drove to the motel and out to dinner and no indication of any problem.

To tell the truth it's baffling, so I'm turning to the HAMB collective to try and help me figure out what the heck happened? HRP

 

Ghost In The Machine…

 

VERY STRANGE indeed. Is this a hydraulic or mechanical set-up?

 

Mechanical phenomena, fursure

 

Loose nut behind the wheel.

 

I had an old Ford pickup with a manual transmission. I got in it one Monday morning to go to work and had the same issue you describe. It was like the wheels were all chocked.

Had to take my wife's car to work and she had to catch a ride with a coworker. Once at work I started going over in my mind what could have caused it. I had last driven the truck Saturday morning to return something to my neighbor he had forgotten at my house. I took the short cut though the creek to get to his house and back. Then didn't drive it again all weekend.

Turns out the rear drums had filled with water crossing the creek. Sitting all weekend wet inside the semi-metallic shoes had rusted to the drums. When I got home after work I revved the engine pretty high and dumped the clutch. There were two loud pops from the rear end and after that everything was fine.

I doubt you crossed any creeks at the show. But long story short it could be your brakes shoes were stuck on one or more drums.

But if you didn't use the parking brake it's not as likely they drums would be stuck after sitting.

 

Clutch cable. HRP

 

Cable stuck. Might need some lube. Or inspection, at least.

 

To clarify, did it act like the wheels were locked up or did it act like there was no driveshaft?

 

I didn't use the parking brake I can't think of any reason the parking/emergency brakes could have activated. HRP

 

I'd be suspicious of the clutch cable and/or linkage. But I'd think you'd feel the problem in the pedal travel. I'd still be suspicious though.

 

Good suggestion, I bought a new clutch cable last year when I installed a short shiftier, but I will check and make sure the cable is properly lubed. HRP

Like the wheels were locked up. HRP

 

Fire extinguisher used as a wheel chock at the show?

 

Seems to eliminate a sticking clutch cable as that would leave the clutch disengaged. Any chance the brake hose going from the frame to the rear axle has developed a bubble in the inner liner and is acting as a check valve?

 

Danny I'd get under it and have your wife work the clutch, see if everything is working freely.

 

The only issue I've ever seen with those cables is coming off the cam/shiv thing under the dash.

 

Make sure you've got plenty of good battery ground cables to the engine and chassis. If necessary the ground will feed thru things like clutch and shift cables if they can't find a path of less resistance. Arcing can weld things up inside the cable casing.

 

Sounds like it was stuck in two gears. Shifter.

 

Shifter problems.....or possibly, is there a residual pressure valve in the brakes? Could it not be releasing?

 

U where holding the trains brake button or still in the delay timer !!!

I would look into the brakes because you said it was like the parking brake was on ,
Brake line starting to collapsing /floating debris blockage in system ?

(((?I know its a Stick)))

 

I agree with @lippy, 2 gears at the same time.

 

If you would have left the car show on your first attempt, unknown, bad things might of happened.......

 

Gremlins...i just ignore things like that when they go away...

 

Perhaps you were being pranked ( somehow ).
There were plenty of other 'hoodlums' in the area

While under the hood you were unpranked

 

I had the truck out for a long ride many years ago. Drove it for 60 miles in the morning, stopped for breakfast and went to take off. Similar problem.
The rear end locked up. Had to tow it home and found gearing problems.
Put her up on a lift and rotate the drive train. Maybe something will show up.

 

How old is the brake hose going to the rear end? Or stuck in two gears. Not much else could do that.

 

My first thought also was that you were temporarily in two gears at the same time.

You might find some Lucy-ness in your shifter and or rods, bushings, etc.

 

Here's another weird one. Rear end locked up and slid the wheels for 30 ft. Had to back it 2 mi home.................Pinion nut backed off. Jacked it up dropped the driveshaft tightened the nut and put a spot weld on it and went back to town.

 

The T-5 transmission has no external linkage, the rear end brake hose is is less than 11 years old.
I installed a new short shiftier last year, plus a new adjustable clutch cable at that time.

I drove the car roughly 20 miles today, everything worked like it should, hopefully it was a fluke. HRP

 

11 years old for a brake hose could be the problem. They don't make those hoses like they did 50 years ago, that will last for 25 years without any trouble.