trouble shifting, getting into gear &stuck in gear

[recordsj]

1500 mg midget

today I noticed that when I try to shift out of 3rd gear it is hard to get out of it. Also it is hard to get the gear to stay in 2nd. It is also hard (this has been true since I got the car a little over a year ago) to find reverse, don't know if this is related.

Any ideas of what is going on?

 

[jlaird]

Think it is time for a tranny rebuild, after all it has lasted like 30 years.

 

[recordsj]

the PO said it was rebuilt about 5 years ago.
don't know when the clutch was replaced though (probably at least when the tranny was rebuilt I would think)...

 

[jlaird]

Can not even think clutch was not renewed when engine was out.

 

[bugimike]

I doubt it is the clutch given the symptoms!! Sorry, I'm not familiar with the innards of the 1500 tranny!

 

[zimmy]

gearbox full? .......z

 

[recordsj]

yup, just filled it up 2 days ago.

 

[tosoutherncars]

Hmm! Was it doing this before the flush & fill? What did you fill it with?

 

[recordsj]

it started this after the flush and fill.
since it is a 1500 gearbox with a Laycock J-Type overdrive, I filled it up with 30wt non-detergent motor oil

see link below concerning oil for J-type overdrive gearboxes
https://www.quantumechanics.com/categories.php?op=newindex&catid=11

 

[jlaird]

Oh, I thought 1500 gear boxes did not use engine oil????????

 

[tosoutherncars]

All the manuals I can find online say 90 Hypoid or 90 EP. Definitely deserving of further research...

 

[ecurie_ecosse]

That is correct.Hypoid 90,or 80/90.

Stuart.

 

[jlaird]

Ahhh Huhh. 90 weight, same as rear end. Thought so but was afraid to say it.

 

[recordsj]

additional bit of info.
I noticed that when I am able to get into 3rd gear, and move my foot on the gas, I notice the shifter lever will move (I did look under the shifter lever cover and noticed that the transmision doesn't move with it).

Does this provide any clues?

 

[jlaird]

Not to me. Get the right weight oil in there.

 

[bugimike]

That symptom makes it sound like there might be some serious wear inside the tranny somewhere!!

 

[jlaird]

I just bet a change to 90 W oil will fix it all.

 

[bthompson]

Something you may want to look at is the shifter itself. The 1500 shift lever has a plastic dome-shaped bushing under the dome-shaped retaining plate at the base of the lever. (Take off the shifter boot and you'll see what I mean; it's pretty straightforward.)It's held in by spring pressure; that's what you're pulling against when you go into reverse. Mine started cracking with age and binding against the plate. Caused a lot of the same symptoms you described. Then it broke clean off. (NOT fun when on the road!)

Pop the gear lever off and inspect it...I'd be willin' to bet that plastic piece is starting to crack.

Oh, I was running engine oil in the tranny for awhile too, unaware that the 1500's take gear oil in there. I'd switch it out, but wouldn't sweat it as The Root of the Problem.

--Bill

P.S. and edit: Just read the quantummechanics article you linked to. Sounds like <span style="font-style: italic">for the overdrives</span>, it IS 30-weight you should be using. I'm not familiar with 'em, so I'd go with the bench tests and stick to their recommendation. :thumbsup:

 

[recordsj]

I checked that last night and the bushing looks fine. Also it doesn't explain the issue of noticing that when I am able to get into 3rd gear, and move my foot on the gas, I notice the shifter lever will move (I did look under the shifter lever cover and noticed that the transmision doesn't move with it).

 

[bthompson]

Oooh...that <span style="font-style: italic">does </span>sound worse. Is the shifter spring tight? Is there too much slop, like it's bouncing around in its cage; or, like it's solid to the gears and the whole internal lump is moving <span style="font-style: italic">en masse</span>?