transmissions/starter not engaging right suddenly

[1Gina2G]

okay so this is a completley new rebuild, the car was moving around find in neutral the whole time, since it was left in neutral.

today I moved the car forward just enough to get it out of the garage for a start up (still in neutral) and when I tried to start the car and the car jerked forward the tinyest bit as if engaged but not nearly as strong as it would be if the starter bumped the car in first gear..

with that said, I imediatley checked the shifter and linkage, the shifter was moving freely side to side as if in neutral. it doesnt do it with the clutch pressed in but I didnt want to start up with the clutch pressed in.

heres the scary part. I wanted to get the car back in the garage but I noticed some resitance, noticed THE TIMINGS MOVING! It was clockwise but still,it feels like it's in neutral I don't understand! So I left the car outside...

how can this happen out of nowhere?

EDIT - this problem was solved, and talked about MORE in this thread below, culprit - lucas oil stabilizer
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/452658-best-way-address-serious-transmission-issue.html

 

[fwddsmtsi]

make sure it is in neutral, could be in 3rd, that is all i can think of

 

[1Gina2G]

Like I've said, to where I'm certain it's in neutral these problems happen..

okay so to recap...

the car budges slightly in neutral, but starter will continue to move freely right after with the car not moving.

with the car in neutral, the timing now moves. left it alone to avoid messing with the timing.

with the clutch IN the car can be moved without the timing moving. I avoided moving it that way for any distance though.

Is this clutch drag?? or something far more serious??

 

[undefined0000]

Test for clutch drag is to push in the clutch and give it gas up to 7, if it moves before then, its clutch drag. I read that off of one of the vendor's sites. Its to test for proper clutch adjustment I believe.

 

[gst noob]

Check and make sure your clutc petal is adjusted right. If its adjusted the wrong way the slave could be not letting the clutch un-engage all the way causing it to drag.

 

[Mischif]

If your in neutral and the engine is wanting to move then the issue is inside the transmission.

In neutral the clutch is engaged and the engine and tranny are connected...but your in "nuetral gear" so the tranny can spin independently from the engine. So there is an issue somewhere inside the transmission.

 

[1Gina2G]

If your in neutral and the engine is wanting to move then the issue is inside the transmission.

In neutral the clutch is engaged and the engine and tranny are connected...but your in "nuetral gear" so the tranny can spin independently from the engine. So there is an issue somewhere inside the transmission.

what would be the difference between 'neutral' and 'neutral gear' I don't understand? When the shifter moves freely left & right, not engaged to anything, that's neutral gear you're saying?

 

[Mischif]

Think of neutral as a gear...a zero gear if you would, it has its own little gear set that allows the input shaft to spin freely. When the clutch is engaged it makes the input shaft spin with the engine and turns whatever gear the transmission is in.

Gears 1-5 and reverse when the clutch is engaged will move with the engine which in turn makes the wheels spin. So when the engine spins the wheels spin, or when the wheels spin the engine spins too. Now with neutral your clutch is engaged but the neutral gear spins freely and doesn't produce any movement of the wheels. So the engine can spin while the wheels stay still, or the wheels can spin and the engine will stay still. Your car is wanting the engine and wheels to spin when in neutral. Which can only point to an internal problem with the transmission. So clutch adjustment or drag has nothing to do with neutral.

 

[1Gina2G]

how can there be something wrong inside the transmission if it's rebuilt correctly.?

could this happen to be the flywheel / clutch not being correctly lined up? I was sure i put everything on right before the transmission. im totally lost.

 

[andrew k]

how can there be something wrong inside the transmission if it's rebuilt correctly.?

could this happen to be the flywheel / clutch not being correctly lined up? I was sure i put everything on right before the transmission. im totally lost.

you said the car does not move when you depress the clutch petal. so that would mean the clutch is working as it should. if the transmission is trying to move the car while the engine is running and the gear selecter is in nuetral that mean there is either 1. a problem in the shift linkage and the car is not actually in nuetral or 2. there is a problem inside of the transmission aka broken shift fork or something of the like. if the trans was rebuilt correctly you shouldnt have a problem. but whose to say it was? and 2. even new parts can be defective and or fail.

also on a normal properly working transmission with car running if you press the shifter against a gear without depressing the clutch it will hit the synco and cause the car to try to creep. but not fully engage is that type of feeling you are experiencing?

 

[1Gina2G]

you said the car does not move when you depress the clutch petal. so that would mean the clutch is working as it should. if the transmission is trying to move the car while the engine is running and the gear selecter is in nuetral that mean there is either 1. a problem in the shift linkage and the car is not actually in nuetral or 2. there is a problem inside of the transmission aka broken shift fork or something of the like. if the trans was rebuilt correctly you shouldnt have a problem. but whose to say it was? and 2. even new parts can be defective and or fail.

also on a normal properly working transmission with car running if you press the shifter against a gear without depressing the clutch it will hit the synco and cause the car to try to creep. but not fully engage is that type of feeling you are experiencing?

How can I test the shift linkage? The shifter itself mvoes freely left and right but I havent had someone else move the shifter while I watch the cables, I only looked to see if there was anything in the way or if the cable came loose, they were just as I left it.

Yes the car wont move the timing when I hold the clutch in, with the shifter still in neutral. It deffinatley does have a slight engaged feeling like you said, but without the sifter itslef engaged, not sure where the actual arms inside the transmission are really at.

does anyone know how hard it is to check out the gears on the trans with the shift cables removed? I know its possible but I have no idea how to go about that after I remove the cables...

 

[andrew k]

yes i would have a friend try putting the car into different gears and neutral. while you observe the shift linkage to see what it does. you may have a cable binding.