1979 Trans Am, goes into gear, wont move.
#1
1979 Trans Am, goes into gear, wont move.
This car is a real frankensteins monster. It's a 1979 Trans Am body with a 1974 Pontiac 400. We just ditched the TH400 transmission to install a BW Super T10 4spd. The transmission worked fine before it was pulled from the donor 1979 Camaro. We opened it up and the insides looked good. We got the proper flywheel and a centerforce dual friction clutch. The pedal cage was rebuilt and all the linkage was replaced or rebuilt as well.
We started the car tonight and it wouldn't go into gear, just made grinding noises. I checked the linkage and still had plenty of slop so I adjusted it to get the slack out leaving just a bit of free play. Now it goes into gear just fine but wont move. If the car is off and the transmission in gear you can't push it because it feels as though the clutch is engaged. I've installed plenty of clutches and never had this issue before. Looking for some ideas on where to go next.
We started the car tonight and it wouldn't go into gear, just made grinding noises. I checked the linkage and still had plenty of slop so I adjusted it to get the slack out leaving just a bit of free play. Now it goes into gear just fine but wont move. If the car is off and the transmission in gear you can't push it because it feels as though the clutch is engaged. I've installed plenty of clutches and never had this issue before. Looking for some ideas on where to go next.
#2
#3
Sounds like the trans is stuck in two different gears---as dumb as that might sound.
Had a '56 Ford 2dr with three on the tree that if not careful downshifting from 2nd to first the sloppy, worn-out linkage would somehow pick up reverse and 1st at the same time.
The temporary cure was crawling under the car, yanking on the rods from the column to the trans and it would pop out of one gear.
Eventually replaced all that with a Hurst floor shifter and full syncro 3 speed trans from a '63 station wagon---good times way back then!
Might wanna start again with adjusting the linkage and make sure the shifter gates aren't causing some of your issues with this.
HTH
Had a '56 Ford 2dr with three on the tree that if not careful downshifting from 2nd to first the sloppy, worn-out linkage would somehow pick up reverse and 1st at the same time.
The temporary cure was crawling under the car, yanking on the rods from the column to the trans and it would pop out of one gear.
Eventually replaced all that with a Hurst floor shifter and full syncro 3 speed trans from a '63 station wagon---good times way back then!
Might wanna start again with adjusting the linkage and make sure the shifter gates aren't causing some of your issues with this.
HTH
#4
When you let the clutch out with the transmission in gear the car just continues to run.
The shifter rods have double lock nuts so they didn't come out of adjusment when he had the shifter off. We checked them when we put it back on by putting a rod in the alignment hole and everything synced up as it should. The one thing we didn't put back on the car was the reverse lockout rod which as I understand only prevents you from getting in reverse if you are moving forward. I have never had the rod on my mustang, but could that possibly cause this double gear situation you speak of?
The shifter rods have double lock nuts so they didn't come out of adjusment when he had the shifter off. We checked them when we put it back on by putting a rod in the alignment hole and everything synced up as it should. The one thing we didn't put back on the car was the reverse lockout rod which as I understand only prevents you from getting in reverse if you are moving forward. I have never had the rod on my mustang, but could that possibly cause this double gear situation you speak of?
#5
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if the trans was in two gears the engine would stall when the clutch is released.
i say your problem is in the length of the clutch rod. before it was too short, hence the grinding when trying to put it in gear because the clutch was not fully released.
now the rod is too long, preventing the clutch from engaging.
i got a harley given to me that was doing the same thing. the guy got tired of messing with it.
he put a 64 trans in a 48 bike. but the linkage was wrong. when you put it in gear it would "clunk" like i should do when going into gear, but nothing when releasing the clutch.
i took it apart and realized the clutch rod was 3/4 inch too long. shortened the rod and everything worked perfectly.
i say your problem is in the length of the clutch rod. before it was too short, hence the grinding when trying to put it in gear because the clutch was not fully released.
now the rod is too long, preventing the clutch from engaging.
i got a harley given to me that was doing the same thing. the guy got tired of messing with it.
he put a 64 trans in a 48 bike. but the linkage was wrong. when you put it in gear it would "clunk" like i should do when going into gear, but nothing when releasing the clutch.
i took it apart and realized the clutch rod was 3/4 inch too long. shortened the rod and everything worked perfectly.
#6
Well we finally figured it out, there was a loose nut behind the wheel. I guess my friend went out to work on the car and decided to try it again. It moved, he backed it out and took it down the road with no problem. When I asked him what he did, looked at the ground and said "I wasn't letting the clutch out all the way last night". In his defense he doesn't have a ton of experience with a clutch. He thought it should engage sooner and therefore wasn't letting the pedal all the way up. We still need to adjust it some as it doesn't engage until the last couple inches of travel but at least it works. I appreciate your time in trying to help us figure this out.
#7
Well we finally figured it out, there was a loose nut behind the wheel. I guess my friend went out to work on the car and decided to try it again. It moved, he backed it out and took it down the road with no problem. When I asked him what he did, looked at the ground and said "I wasn't letting the clutch out all the way last night". In his defense he doesn't have a ton of experience with a clutch. He thought it should engage sooner and therefore wasn't letting the pedal all the way up. We still need to adjust it some as it doesn't engage until the last couple inches of travel but at least it works. I appreciate your time in trying to help us figure this out.
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#8
Oh yes, it was the same way with the engine. When we first started it after the swap it had developed a knock. It sounded like a rod knock, but ended up being the distributor cap. When the motor tipped back the cap bumped the firewall and shifted it causing the rotor to contact the inside of the cap. That first night was a nail biter, knocking motor and malfunctioning transmission. Thankfully everything was solved the next day.
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