Gear Selection Help

chris68 · Post by **chris68** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 4:33 pm

Hi,

I'm having trouble selecting gears on my rebuilt 901 box. After setting the linkage as per the book I can only select what I think is 4th and 5th. Plus, now I've fitted the driveshafts (it's been a real slow restoration) I realise I can't seem to get the box into neutral.

The box was rebuilt by a friend a while ago, but it's been stood for a good while before being mated with the motor and reffitted.

Anyone had similar problems??

Cheers,
Chris

Lightweight_911 · Post by **Lightweight_911** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 4:52 pm

Have you changed the bushes under the gearlever & in the shift coupler at the rear ?

chris68 · Post by **chris68** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 5:00 pm

Hi,

Yes, I've put new bushes in the coupling that connects to the selector rod.

Cheers
Chris

Nick Moss · Post by **Nick Moss** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 5:27 pm

I have never set "by the book", just by feel and trial and error. Set the box in neutral, place the lever in the centre of its gate then do the clamp nut up. If you are having touble getting first/reverse then undo the clamp and move the lever to the right. If you are having touble getting 4th/5th move the lever left.

chris68 · Post by **chris68** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 5:35 pm

Thanks for that.

I've tried various lever settings but still can't seem to get anything but 4th and 5th.

I'm concerned also that I can't find neutral between 4th and 5th positions. I set the lever in what feels like neutral but when I push the car it's trying to turn the engine over.

Could the transmission be locked in gear?

Cheers,
Chris

Nick Moss · Post by **Nick Moss** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 5:38 pm

It sounds like the selector in the box has not been adjusted correctly or has popped out. Talk to the mate that rebuilt it.

chris68 · Post by **chris68** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:09 pm

If that's the case, am I right in assuming its an engine/transmission out job?

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 6:48 pm

Hi Chris: just a quick thought: could you/have you tried the various gears by putting vise grips/ mole grips direct onto the gearbox gear selector shaft assuming you've got enough room? At least that would rule out gear lever/linkage adjustments from the equation.

If you still can't select everything, it sounds rather like the engine/box will have to come back out. If it's any consolation, it's surprising how easy/quick it is second time around. As Nick says, it sounds suspiciously internal doesn't it?

impmad2000 · Post by **impmad2000** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 7:04 pm

Just a quick sanity check here, are you absolutely sure that you are not getting neutral ? you will get a degree of friction coulping through the gears that is enough to turn the diff. Lock the drive flanges so that they cannot move (Fit the drive shafts and pop on the handbrake ?) . This is the only real way to make sure that you have a neutral. I assume that you haven't got a quick shift kit on the car, as I have tried a car with one of these fitted and it made the selection somewhat indistinct IMHO.
Did your mate use the tool for holding the bearings whilst you set up the selection ? If not, and if the worse happens and you do need to strip the gearbox again, then I have one I could lend.
At the minute, just don't panic.... take a step back before rushing to drop it all over again !
Good Luck

Tim

chris68 · Post by **chris68** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 7:12 pm

Thanks for that Barry. I'll give it a try.

Oh Lord, I really can't bare the thought of taking the engine out again. I've only just put it in (on my own, in a single garage, precariously balanced on a trolley jack). After buying it as a wreck and slowly restoring it for years now, I wonder if I'll ever actually get to drive it.

Is it just me, or does everyone get this p!!>>ed off with their cars!

ARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!TAKE ME AWAY!!!!!!!!!

Just needed to get that out of my system. I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks again,
Chris

chris68 · Post by **chris68** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 7:48 pm

Hi Tim,

I'm confident I'm not getting neutral because the with the driveshaft fitted the engine is loading the transmission when I push the car.

Even though the gear lever position feels like neutral, the engine is trying to turn over when I push. I can't find any lever position that gives me neutral.

I've just tried gripping the transmission gear selector shaft and trying to engage each gear. It only wants to go into what appears to be 4th and 5th. If I rotate the shaft the other way and push/pull, it doesn't move.

Does anyone know why I can select these two gears but not the others?

Cheers,
Chris

Barry · Post by **Barry** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 9:35 pm

Chris: I don't know the answer to your gearbox question, but can reassure you that just about every restoration has it's low points.

I've probably fully restored around ten cars now: I would say that without exception there's always been a point when you are convinced you will never finish, you wish you'd never started and even if you do finish, it will bankrupt you anyway, and you never want to see another classic car, car magazine or program ever again.

Then you make a bit of progress: perhaps overcome a particular problem, go for a ride in a friend's car, meet some fellow enthusiast or whatever. All of a sudden things have moved on, and you can't believe that you had got fed up with it. With the last 911 I did, believe it or not, the worst point was just after having run the engine for the first time. I lost all enthusiasm, and could barely look at it. Went to a Porsche show and came back even more fed up. Left the thing for a week or two, reapproached it, and it was finished, MoT'ed and registered a few weeks later.

As Tim says, double check (again) everything, and after that grit your teeth and go for it: there's plenty of expertise on this forum, so I'm sure you'll get it sorted. Any pictures of your project??

impmad2000 · Post by **impmad2000** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:17 am

Chris, whatever conclusion you do come to, I am happy to assist if you do need to drop the engine again. As you say, single handed, in a single garage, wobbly trolley jack etc.... I know this feeling exactly !
Burton on Trent is not too far from Leicester after all.
Cheers
Tim

chris68 · Post by **chris68** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:14 pm

Thanks very much for the support.

It's good to just to hear other people's experiences. I'm now coming round to the idea of taking the lump out again (and not dragging the whole lot round the crushers).

It's been a long haul. In between having children and moving house I've replaced all the panels and stripped/rebuilt just about everything on the car (at least once). I probably wasn't thinking rationally when I bought it as a rolling shell plus multiple boxes of bits. Half the parts weren't even off this car - next time I'd only buy a complete car and preferably a runner.

I've got a few photos that I'd like to let you see. I just need to sort out getting them onto the web. Admittedly it's looking quite pretty now.

Thanks for the offer of help Tim. I might take you up on that. We're moving house in three weeks (still near Burton), so unfortunately I'll have to put it off until sometime after then.

p.s. anyone planning to go to the TIPEC gathering at Elvaston Castle on 30th July. It would be nice to put names to faces.

All the best,
Chris

Graham · Post by **Graham** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 7:33 pm

I would like to see some piccie's of your car,Ive got a 68 911 2.0,that needs the works!

DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker