NO fifth gear?!

[Mainegsxhick]

Heres the story folks, I was driving to work last week when my balance shaft belt broke and got between the t belt and belt some valves. At the time this happend I was accellerating in first gear. I had her flatbedded to my house. The next day as I was yankin the head, my friend was in the drivers seat messin around and said something about where's fifth in this thing? I didn't really think about it but when I got her fixed she had no gear at all. It doesn't go into gear at all, it doesn't even grind when you try to force it in gear. All the other gear work great, just not fifth. I even tried to put it in gear with the shifter cables off and still the same. All the fluid levels are good. Please please please please help!!!

 

[Defiant]

http://www.geocities.com/qwik93awd/Vfaq/shifter.htm

 

[Mainegsxhick]

My buddy tried that fix on his tranny and it seized up. Anyone else try this before? I really want to get my tranny fixed bad, driving in fourth everywhere really kills the gas mileage.

 

[jfdid]

First: Does the shifter move to the '5th gear' slot in the cockpit?
Had you heard any grinding or weird sounds coming from your transaxle before this?
What colour is your tranny fluid? Had you just changed it or has it been in there for the duration?

I would take the time to take off the front cover of the transaxle and check things out. There's nothing really to be scared of there. Just pull it off as per the VFAQ and look at things. HOPEFULLY you won't find some chewed up gears, and just a broken shift fork.

Try hard not to scar that damn case though, and have some RTV on hand for when you put the tranny back together.


Oh, and as for your friend lunching his transmission. If it's done right, there's no need to be worried about this "fix." You're basically just retorquing the nuts. Make sure you have the torque specs ~100lb/ft as I recall. If you're worried, borrow a torque wrench. But I suspect something a little more in depth, as above.
Good luck, and let us know what happens.

 

[Mainegsxhick]

Ya she was doin the typical grind in second, and also it was and still is making a slight whur/ grind when you let off the gas and stay in gear. The shifter did move a very little bit but not that much. She drives fine still 1-4 and reverse is still good.

 

[notractiongst]

If reverse is still working i doubt the 5th gear shiftfork is broke

EDIT: if the shifted goes into 5th very easy.. almost like theres no gear ...its possible your roll pin fell out of the shift rail... very easy fix. THis happened to me a year ago . The car wouldn't go in to 3rd but would go into 4th since it was 3rd and 4th gear it was a harder fix but yours will be very easy if it is indeed just a roll pin

 

[Mainegsxhick]

It really doesn't even go into the fifth gear slot at all, it will go half way but and feels like its being blocked out.

 

[kevingst]

Hey man, did you ever figure this out? I'm getting the exact same thing now. I just got done putting my tranny back in. I had to pull it because two of my flywheel bolts had backed out. Everything went back together the same, except I put in prothane mounts and I also added a washer behind the clutch fork pivot ball. It does just like you said. Goes in all gears good except it won't go in to the 5th gear position.

 

[kevingst]

Nevermind....I worked it out. Visually I couldn't see anything binding at the linkage so I guess something musta been sticking on the inside. I ended up just getting pissed and ramming it into gear. It was resistant at first but then it loosened up to normal. Been over a week and it drives just fine. Sooooo, I guess every now & then you gotta coax 'em a bit and everything'll be alright. My point to a fix is: If you're tranny is possibly already screwed... then eff it, start ramming that bi***!!!