Sudden difficulty selecting gears

VictorVictor · Jun 2, 2021

Hi all, took my series 2A (but I believe with a S3 engine and gearbox) out yesterday. All going well until about 10 miles in when I suddenly could select gears. Pulled over idling I could coax it into another gear with a lot of waggling, pulling, clutch pumping revs.

Nursed it home in 3rd.

A couple of weeks ago I found metal in the gear oil suspected synchro spring from 2nd.

Haven't had a chance to run it cold and see if the problem has gone away or not.

Any ideas? Clutch or gear box? Strip down needed?

George

kermit_rr · Jun 2, 2021

Apart from the bits in the oil, which won't be helping and needs fixing, sounds like a clutch problem. Is the slave cylinder leaking? Have you bled the clutch?

Colthebrummie · Jun 2, 2021

If the clutch pedal felt normal, its more likely to be the gearbox. Maybe a bit of metal was jamming the selector mechanism. With the engine off, keep going through the gears to see if it clears. If not you may beable to see the problem by removing the trans tunnel and looking in from the top. Maybe the end of the gear stick has worn but a bit unlikely.

Col

VictorVictor · Jun 2, 2021

I thought it may be the clutch but it feels normal. Idling in neutral when I declutch I get a slight engine tone change and then when I release it changes again. This is with the floor up so you can hear what's going on quite well.

The selectors were recently greased and were moving fine and the gear lever is new, as I had everything up to replace the reverse gate which had failed, and I replaced the gear lever at the time for aesthetics (it had been badly welded at the bottom).

I had the top inspection cover off the bellhousing while replacing the reverse gate and you could see the clutch actuating and the slave pushrod moves fine. I have not bled it s the nipple is seized tight. I guess that is telling me I should replace the slave.

kermit_rr · Jun 2, 2021

Replace the seized bleed nipple, at least!

boguing · Jun 4, 2021

VictorVictor said:
I thought it may be the clutch but it feels normal. Idling in neutral when I declutch I get a slight engine tone change and then when I release it changes again. This is with the floor up so you can hear what's going on quite well.

The selectors were recently greased and were moving fine and the gear lever is new, as I had everything up to replace the reverse gate which had failed, and I replaced the gear lever at the time for aesthetics (it had been badly welded at the bottom).

I had the top inspection cover off the bellhousing while replacing the reverse gate and you could see the clutch actuating and the slave pushrod moves fine. I have not bled it s the nipple is seized tight. I guess that is telling me I should replace the slave.

If the clutch isn't dragging then it's probably one of the syncho springs. They're about 50mm long strips and about 8mm wide before the ends snap off and fall out. Whether the baulking is due to them getting part way out or coming out completely and dropping into the wrong place I can't tell, but I found that a moment's stick wiggling would move it and all would be fine. Eventually it does drop out and will come out with the oil. You'll lose whichever synchro it was, but it's not terminal, or any real need to rebuild the box.

btw. When @Colthebrummie said selectors - he didn't mean the outside rods - he meant the forks inside and the gears that they slide to and fro.

Sudden difficulty selecting gears

VictorVictor

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kermit_rr

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Colthebrummie

Well-Known Member

VictorVictor

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kermit_rr

Very

boguing

Well-Known Member

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