Big trouble? Can't engage 3rd/4th. UPDATE POST 17

[SeriesShorty]

Thanks guys! Hoping for a break in the weather to get back out there again and do some more inspecting regarding the springs. I'm not feeling near as bad as I did when I first started this thread.

Neil, make sure you don't take down those instructions on Picassa!

[SeriesShorty]

What'cha think of the guts?

So I opened the gearbox up again and removed the forks. Using the wooden stick and hammer method I was able to free up 3rd/4th a bit. I can't see any missing or mangled synchro springs. Check out the two pics, the first is of the gear pushed as far rear as I could get it, the second is pushed as far forward as possible. I see a little rust in the area so that may have been blocking the movement originally. Anything else seem obviously out of place or to be concerned about?

Is this enough movement to engage 3rd/4th? It moves a little less than 1/2" total from full front to full rear.

Thanks for any advice!

http://s233.photobucket.com/albums/ee284/sailorjennie6/?action=view&current=PICT0065.jpg

http://s233.photobucket.com/albums/ee284/sailorjennie6/?action=view&current=PICT0066.jpg

[SafeAirOne]

Is this enough movement to engage 3rd/4th? It moves a little less than 1/2" total from full front to full rear.

That's not the full stroke. Have a look at the shift fork and shaft assembly. Now imagine how much the shift lever moves it when going from 3rd to 4th (or 1st to 2nd). Or, you might get your shift lever and move it the distance it usually takes to shift from 3rd to 4th, then observe the distance that the lower part of the shift lever below the pivot ball moves. The synchro assembly must travel about that same distance.

[knac1234]

FWIW definitely more than a 1/2". I had to push rather hard using my fingers to move it back and forth.

Good luck...
Julian

[SeriesShorty]

Had a few minutes to get back on it tonight. I whacked the synchro pretty good with a wood dowel and hammer and that's all I can get it to move. I was afraid to really pound it too good for fear of causing more damage.

Any other thoughts?

[SeriesShorty]

Played around some more today and learned how to rotate the syncho around so I could check for all the clips. Is this my problem?

[scatterling]

that's probably it. It looks like the spring might have broken and/or twisted out of it's seated position, thereby not allowing the synchro to move. Can you see the other two springs? Are they still in place?

[cousindave]

That's it! You might be able to get the spring back in with a screw driver then she should shift easily. Mine is missing one spring and she still shifts well. But since you are this far might as well replace all three. Good luck!

[SeriesShorty]

Sweet! I am sooooo smiling right now.

Actually, 2 out of the 3 are twisted out of place. Thank you again Neil for posting the link to the instructions showing me how to rotate the synchro to see that they weren't all seated the same. I had merely acknowledged that all the springs were there...not that they were correct.

Today is our last day of good weather again for a while so I'll be back at it when we have another break. Oh how I've loved the last couple days of 60F weather!

[SeriesShorty]

So I've got all 3 clips out. Should the synchro be able to move at this point? I've read several old posts that state that some people were able to drive just fine missing clips. With all 3 out my synchro can still only be moved forward about 3/8". I'm hoping there isn't anything more to my problem.

Also, for folks who have replace their clips in-situ, what size angled needle nose pliers did you use? I got a long set that has a 90 degree bend at the end, and the bent part is about an inch long. It's almost impossible to reach inside through the top and get a good angle. Surely there is a degree/tip length that works best...

Thanks!

[cousindave]

I have my transmission out right now. I' ll look tomorrow to see. Right now I have two clips in and I can shift between third and fourth easily just using my fingers

[Apis Mellifera]

Give the gears a little spin as you're trying to move the syncro. It's been a while since I replaced the springs, but I seem to recall the syncro being hard to slide back and forth. I fitted the springs in situ and used only a flat screw driver and a long pick with a 90 I bought at Harbor Freight. This has to be one of the most fiddly jobs on a Series.

[knac1234]

Seriesshorty--

Here are the pliers I bought at Autozone 2 weeks ago when I did mine. I cannot say they are the correct or best ones, but along with scraped up hands and a couple of hours I was able to get my one clip in with them!

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...ier=914140_0_0_

I did use a very small screwdriver also, like Apis says, once my clip was almost all the way in.....holding the clip with those pliers I pushed forward with the flat screwdriver blade.

Good luck!

Julian