Can't shift into 1st or 2nd

[Scat Pack Fever]

Hello All,  I Can't shift into 1st or 2nd. I shift into 3rd and 4th and reverse. I put the car into 3rd and rocked it back and fourth to see if it would free it up, but no luck. I also disconnected the shift rod and tried to move it by and and it is still stuck. Any idea's? Do I have to take it out and rebuild it? Thanks, Robert

[Cooter]

Ok People, PLEASE,PLEASE tell us even though it's embarrassing what and why this situation happened....


Ex: "Ok guys, I know this may sound stupid, but I was out in the road today as I was bored and was reading up on how some of you guys are making big power and decided to play Ronnie Sox for the day and hung my 4-speed in 1st gear"...


This makes diagnosing MUCH easier instead of guessing at about 500 different things, we can narrow it down to you fu*ked the linkage up either internally or externally...


Question: Did you have the car's rear wheels off the ground when you tried to shift out of 1st gear by hand?
If not, then you prolly wouldn't be able to move that shift lever on the trans with the weight of the car against 1st gear...

Also, you COULD pull the side cover if all else fails and take a peak inside the trans to see if any of the blocker rings are screwed (Brass ones)..Also, you can see the shift forks through the side cover hole as well...
Getting the cover back on however, may pose a real Challenge....

[fantum]

Don't know if this is what you've done, but several years ago I broke the brass fork street racing.  Had to pull the side cover and replace the fork.  Sorry I don't remember all you have to do to get the side cover back on.

[Scat Pack Fever]

Actually the car isn't even running yet. I Just hooked it up today.

[Chryco Psycho]

so if you rotate the driveshaft will it shift into 1st & 2nd ?

[Aussie Challenger]

Has the 1/2 shift lock out stuck not allowing the lever to move, that is stuck only allowing 3/4 to move.

[Scat Pack Fever]

so if you rotate the driveshaft will it shift into 1st & 2nd ?    I haven't tried that yet.


Has the 1/2 shift lock out stuck not allowing the lever to move, that is stuck only allowing 3/4 to move.   Where is this located on the transmission? I don't have a reverse lock out set up.

Thanks,

Robert

[Aussie Challenger]

In the cover that the shift levers protrude through.

[Scat Pack Fever]

I'm guessing it's time to remove the cover and check things out. It moved fine when I bought the trannny. I'm not sure what could have happened.

[Chryco Psycho]

if it worked before you installed it it has to worek now unless you dropped it or something , I don`t recommend removing the side cover until you are sure you have a problem , just jack up the car , remove the shift linkage to be sure it is not binding somehow , rotate the driveshaft & see if it will shift

[ShelbyDogg]

Mine did the same thing when my girlfriend was driving my car around '83. Picture the shift fork where the handle breaks off. That is what happened to mine.   I bought the newer steel forks then cut off the later model shift detent "tips" then installed them.  Get rid of those brass forks and install the steel ones.