i have a 75 merc bobcat with a 2.3L engine and a manual 4 speed transmission. i was driving along today, and go to shift to 3rd, but no 3rd, so i think i missed a shift and try again, no 3rd, so i try other gears, no 2nd, no 1st, no 4th, i play and play, and before i stop coasting i managed to get into third and get it off the road and parked, while waiting for the tow truck, i played some more, an manged to get it into 1st and rev once right after i parked it, but couldnt get anyting after. when you move the stick, you can still feel stuff move around in the tranny, but nothing ingages. in addition, you can put it in where 1st should be and move the stick right accross to 3rd without going to neutral first...
whats wrong? waht am i looking at to fix the old girl?? might be time for the big old scrap heap in the sky... :(
I had something similar happen. I was stopped at a stop sign(for once) and went to pull onto the intersecting road. There was a log truck a little ways off, but I was in my bad butt pinto, right? ;D I slammed it into first, dropped the clutch, hit some sand on the road(the spool wasn't too happy about that :-\), got it straightened out, went to put it in second, dropped the clutch again, floored it and thank god for MSD, pegged it at 7000 :-[. I did the same thing you did searching for a gear and not getting none. Meanwhile there's a fully loaded log truck bareling down the road at 70mph headed toward the rear end of a pinto :o ;D. I finally got it into first and pulled into somebody's yard just in time to not get hit. If you have the same trans I have (78ET, 3.99:1 first gear) The shifter just popped out. The shifter threads into the top of the housing and is held there by metal tabs that are bent down against the housing, keeping it from unscrewing. The tabs on mine had broken off/ weren't bent down. I pulled the boot up, stuck the shifter back where it was supposed to be, threaded it back on, bent the tabs, and never had a problem since.
Here's what my manual says:
Shift Lever Removal:
1. Place the gearshift lever in Neutral position.
2. Raise the vehicle and remove the backup lamp switch from the extension housing (Fig 5).
3. Lower the vehicle.
4. Loosen the gearshift lever knob locknut and remove the knob and locknut.
5. Remove the two front attaching screws from each step plate.
6. Remove the attaching screws from each kick pad and remove the pads.
7. Working from the front, fold the carpet or floor mat up against the shift lever(Fig 6). Remove the four shift lever boot retaining ring screws. Remove the boot through the opening in the floor mat.
8. Compress the corrugated rubber spring(Fig 7) then remove the retaining snap ring and slide the spring upward on the lever.
9. Bend the shift lever lock tabs up, then carefully thread the plastic dome nut from the extension housing(Fig 8).
10. Lift the gear shift lever from the extension housing.
Shift Lever Installation:
1. Make sure that the shift lever insulator is in a straight downward position on the shift rail.
2. Position the shift lever in the extension housing so that the forked end engages the insulator properly.
3. Carefully thread the plastic dome nut into the extension until it seats, then bend a minimum of three tabs downward to lock it in place.
4. Compress the corrugated rubber spring, then install the retaining snap ring.
5. Install the boot and attaching screws.
6. Position the carpet or floor mat and install the step plates and screws.
7. Install the two kick pads.
I'm not really sure that it's necessary to remove the backup lamp switch. Anyone else? Interesting that they don't tell you to repace it in the installation instructions. I took mine out a while back and never replaced it. Is that legal? Who cares!
I also don't have a carpet, so that makes things slightly more difficult.
I must have just shoved the shifter back in and drove home (I seem to remember holding it in gear) then got a pair of pliers for the snap ring before reinstalling it. I do remember the threads being plastic and a bit chewed up.
If:
1 your shifter is still attached
2 the threads to hold it on have been completely stripped
3 you have an entirely different transmission
Then my amazingly long posts will not be of much use. Good Luck!
If you click on the pictures, they should get bigger and you may or may not be able to read the text. (my scanner are greats)
possibly the problem, ill have to check it out on the weekend, unfortuantly it not at home where my tools are... :(
it still feels/sounds like stuff is moving around in the transmission so im not sure if this will work...
thanks for the info! ill let you know how it turns out... :D
nope, no go, shifter was all still attached, looks like time for a new car..
4cyl 4spd trannys are fairly cheap & plentiful in the junkyards why not just replace it? you can get them from Rangers, Mustangs Pintos Fairmonts Capris Zephyrs Even a few Tbirds & Cougars. anything with a 2300 & 4 speed will bolt up just fine. (beware I'm sure the 5spd is sixed a bit bigger)
thanx, i phoned around and found a 4 speed off a 76 pinto for pretty cheap... :) best part is the wreaker already has it off the pinto :D
There ya go! with a decent set of ramps, or jackstands you can have that puppy out in a couple hours & back in just as quick. Personally, if I were doing it i'd go ahead & put a clutch & throwout bearing in it. Better safe than sorry ya know.
unfortantly the tow bill to get the car home would be more than what im going to pay a local shop to install it, oh well....
as for the clutch and throw bearing, the were just replaced about two years ago from when i froze the clutch and all the springs grenaded(-40*c outside plus windchil, and in 8 inches of snow meaning the whole bottom side of the car was draggin...)
provided there are no glitchs, i get to pick it up tommorrow.. :)