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1st gear problem, jumps out

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Jerry

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Took the car for a drive today. I had just put the transmission back into the car after replacing the clutch. The car would not stay in first gear. Pops out immediately. I did not have this problem prior to replacing the clutch. Can you give me some advice on solving this problem? The laygear is a NOS with only 8000 miles on it.

Jerry
BN4 sideshift
 
Hi Jerry,
Hopefully it is as simple as the rubber boot around the gearshift lever. Try removing that temporarily to see if that solves the problem.
 
Tried removing the rubber boot. No luck. Pulled the tranmission again. Took the side cover off and the 1st gear is chewed up. Also took the corners off reverse and some off the one that slides back and forth between the two (what is that one called?). So, I need a few gears. Since this is the second laygear in the past 8000 miles (the one in the tranny when I got it was chewed), what should I look for in the box that might be out of alignedment to cause both to take half the teeth off the laygear? Someone in the archieves listed SC parts as the place for laygears. Any other suggestions?

And the overdrive was working so well!!!
 
Jerry, IMOP you would do much better economically to:

1] Switch to a Smitty 5 Speed Conversion. or,


2] Source another good used Tranny.---Fwiw---Keoke
 
Send it to Bill Boulton to re build. He has lots of parts and a tone of knowledge. Being from Sacto its a straiget shot up I-5. We are going up next week end to pick up the trans he started last week. Or we may get him to ship it depending on the weather. Contact me via PM and I'll tell you the price and particulars. Bill has been doing Healeys only for 40 years. Very nice guy. He IS the tri-carb registry.
 
I think Keoke has a good idea. The parts for repair are at least $500-600 plus labor to rebuild. I think I would be into the rebuild about a $1000 or about the same as a smitty 5 speed. What worrys me is the breakdown of the laygear that only has 8000 miles on it . If there is a basic problem with the box, it would a waste to re-build it. I did not know that Bill Bolton was doing rebuilds. I buy a lot of parts from him.

What really makes me mad is that I had an extra side shift and sold it for $500 just 3 months ago. The guy that picked it up said the gears were in the best shape of all that he had inspected.
 
If you decide to go with a Smitty, give me a call. Here is a link to some comments I made about this conversion which costs about 1500 or so (depends upon what you pay for your 5 speed box).
Tracy's Smitty pictures
 
Tracy, I have a copy of your web comments saved on my computer. I was going to go with a Smitty for the BJ8 that I am slowly rebuilding. I looked up the parts needed for the sideshift tranny and am already over $1200. Smitty is looking very attractive right now. My only other possibility is to find a side shift that does not have overdrive and put my OD on that. The good news is that I bought two W58 (1986 versions) real cheap the other day. So If I got with Smitty, I have the Toyota transmission to work with.

Any side shifts out there for sale?

Jerry
Sacramento area
 
Most sideshifts for sale are either in the same condition as yours or expensive. I sold two basket case trannys off to finance my Smitty conversion a few years back. Every time I opened one up I was at $2000 in parts. Now I can just go get a junk yard Toyota 5 speed, replace it's rear seal and pop it in. I won't even bother opening them up. I can get a complete Toyota tranny for less than the cost of balking rings, bearings and seals for a Healey box. As soon as you need a gear, layshaft (ouch!) or any other part for a Healey box you have just entered the financial pain zone. Unless of course you are rolling in the dough like Keoke. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif

Keep your eye on eBay there is a fella who sells rebuilt ones but be prepared to pay about the same price you would pay to get a decent complete project Sprite.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nopity.gif
 
-----------------------------"Celica"-----------------------


------------------------Early Steel Case is the best--------
 
The two transmissions I bought were advertised as out of a Supra, the front seal is stamped with a date of 1 86. They look like an early W58 with all alloy case. Of course toyota does not put a tag on the unit to tell you what it is. Neither unit has a shifter so I will need to go to the wrecking yard for those. I guess I have to call the new distributor for the Healey 5 speed also.

Jerry
 
[ QUOTE ]
Unless of course you are rolling in the dough like Keoke. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif



[/ QUOTE ]
--- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif-BH:
----------Yeah, I baked biskits last night and haven't had time to take my apron off yet!---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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