4 spd gearbox stuck in Reverse! Please help!

[NardisCNC]

The other day I had my mechanic change a couple tires on my 66 midget because that's one of those jobs I'd rather leave to somebody else. Being the nice mechanic he is, mine was one of the 2 cars he backed in his 2 car garage to keep it out of the rain. When he went to pull it out the next day, it only wanted to go in one direction REVERSE!!

So here are the details: In the neutral position you can wiggle the shifter left to right, that is, the left and right positions, as they relate to gears 1/2 & 3/4 and the car goes in reverse when the clutch is let out. You cannot put it in the far right position OR reverse (the gear it's stuck in). The shifter WILL go into the 3/4 gear positions, but when you let out the clutch the car goes nowhere as if the tranny is locked up and you can hear the engine straining. (I gently did this to avoid damaging anything further).

Based on this info, does anyone know of a common problem that might cause this? I'm assuming I'll have to pull the engine and trans to fix this? Or could it MAYBE be fixed without pulling?? It's a ribcase gearbox if that makes any difference.

I was REALLY hoping to have this fixed by the weekend so I could drive it to the British Bash in Louisville. Not that it's a show car, it's just the thing to do. Any words of wisdom are greatly appreciated!!

 

[Trevor Jessie]

It has been a long time since I had this happen to me. I pulled the engine/transmission and found that something had slipped out of place in the remote, but I can not remember the details and if it could have been fixed without pulling the transmission. Have you pulled the shifter and tried to use ply tools to get it out of reverse?

 

[NardisCNC]

Haven't pulled the shifter yet, but my mechanic did take off that side access cover with atempts to pry it out of reverse but to no avail. I've been thinking thinking about a 5 speed rivergate conversion, and this might be a good time to do that, although at the same time I'd like to overhaul any 210 trans I get so with the time (and money) I need to wait a little longer. I can't wait to get my car back on the road though with any trans!!

 

[bugimike]

I don't think pulling the shifter will give you access to the problem. It lies in the shifter rods and the forks attached to them via a set-screw. I suspect that the reverse fork set-screw has loosened while the car was in reverse! Access to the reverse gear and fork can be made through the drain hole and the shift out of reverse can be made with a flat screwdriver. Once popped out of reverse the rest of the gears should be operational. Access through the side cover can ensure that all the forks are set tightly on the rods. Access to the reverse set-screw is made through the drain hole!

 

[NardisCNC]

Mike - can this be done with everything in the car or does the engine/trans need to be pulled?? Also, what position does the shifter need to be in before doing this? Remember it won't even go into the reverse position. Do I need to pry the gear out of reverse first? Thanks so much for your input as I am a beginner!

 

[bugimike]

The disengaging of the reverse cluster can be done without removing anything but the filler-plug on the bottom of the tranny. The cluster should be pried towards the rear of the car to pop it loose. If this does not do the trick, then unfortunately there will be no choice but to pull the engine and tranny and have your mechanic dive into it. The fix should be fairly simple, but getting at it is the problem. If the forks are secure on the rods, then the problem may lie in the detents placed between the rods in the tranny case being mis-aligned. If you have a Moss or Victoria British catalog, refer to the blow-up drawings of the trans components to familiarize yourself with the various parts. A Haynes manual gives pretty good step-by-step tear-down instructions on how and which order all the parts are assembled.

 

[zimmy]

sounds like ur "shifter rod" has slipped outta its "slots".... the car wont go into any other gear while in reverse....u will most likely have to pull the motor i would think......z

 

[jlaird]

I vote for an engine tranny pull.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Jack may be right, but mike's advice is worth a try. (Jack just likes to pull the engine/tranny) :wink:

 

[bugimike]

:lol: Jack likes to time himself on how quickly it can be done I think!!

 

[aeronca65t]

I'd agree with Mike. I've "fixed" this problem via the side cover but it's an enormous pain in the neck for a person with my-size hands.

If the locking screws are loose (and you can tighten them) you're in luck. If they aren't loose, then this can happen if the fork becomes worn or bent.

It is very possible to "unjam" the trans via the sidecase, but it may lock up again the next time you use reverse
(so if you get it unjammed, avoid using reverse until you reach the "non-driving" season).

 

[jvandyke]

My first Midget, '75 1500 lost reverse shortly after I got it. Drove it for months that way. Put in another gearbox (I had it done) That one lost reverse a few weeks later. Kept driving. All was well (careful where you park) until one day I pulled up behind a garbage truck, that started backing up!!

 

[NardisCNC]

How reliable is a rebuilt Datsun 210 trans? Esp. Vs. The orig 4 spd gearbox?? I know there has been a lot of debate about this mod. How reliable is a 4 spd ribcase that has been rebuilt? Just deciding what to do next. My borrowed engine hoist arrived today. (I think I know whats next)

 

[aeronca65t]

Personally, I've never had a ribcage fail.
The comment I made about was in reference to some else's well-worn 1275 race car.

The Datsun trans is probably fine, but like every other modification, it depends on how well it is done.

The 1500 trans that jvandyke described above is a very different "Marina-trans" that is not related to the ribcage (I have one in my 1500 racer). It is a Triumph-designed unit. Those things have terrible shift mechanisms and tend to jam up for a different reason than the ribcage.