Hey guys so my transmission won't go into gear at all. I pulled the top cover and the shift fork for 1 and 2 is worn all the way. However 3,4,O and R don't work either. Would one bad shift fork cause this or is the tranny busted? It had a grinding sound before it went out the day of. Also the tranny would be in gear but act like it wasn't when I let off the gas (rpms would go down) it makes a grinding noise when in neutral as well. I was able to rotate the gear by hand in the tranny, all gear spin with the clutch in and with the clutch pedal out only the things that the forks ride on and the small gear that I believe is overdrive spin. Any ideas?

 

Did you check to make sure the 1st-2nd gear collar wasn't engaged or partially engaged in these respective gears?

Check for fork material down in there also.

 

I don't know how to check. Both gear collars where the forks sit rotate when I turn a shaft

 

The collars spin freely, which is why the forks get worn.

It should be obvious where the neutral position is even visually, you can even move the collar with your hand or screwdriver/pry bar as long as the gears are lined up.

 

So it might be slightly engaged in 1st or second and that's why I've lost all gears? Should I try to get it out of first or second by hand?

 

When you say you lost all gears, it won't go into any gears, or it will go in and nothing happens? If it won't go into any gears, then it sounds like it's in gear or partially in, yes.

 

I can put the shifter into all gears but nothing happens. Also it grinds a little even in neutral. I haven't drained the fluid or checked the magnet

 

And you replaced the forks?

 

The shift fork for 3 and 4 looks new still. And I can freely move the fork (it's not a fork) for reverse and overdrive by hand in the top cover

 

I did 2 years ago but not yet as of now.

 

If nothing happens in any gear, the forks are not riding in the collar or you have a broken shaft. I highly doubt it's a broken shaft, so I'd start with the forks. Engage a gear by hand (fork cover off) and see if the truck will move. If it doesn't, there's a broken shaft.

 

A broken shaft in the top cover? Or in the trans itself? I will try to engage it by hand when I get home. Just to clarify 3and 4 are to the front, 1 and 2 in the middle and R and O are in the little area with the single gear right?

 

If you engage the gears by hand, and you can see that they are engaged and truck doesn't move, you have a broken shaft inside the Trans. It's possible the clutch hub is sheared in this scenario, but unlikely.

Correct, 4th is up front, 1st is in the rear of the main case.

 

Okay I will let you know what I find out later today. I won't be able to check till after work. I'm praying this is the issue

 

89, I did what you said. 1 and 2 shift fork is gone. However I found something. I would still lose all gears until I put it in neutral and put the transfer case in 4H them back to 2H and it would work. But after I shift to 4th it starts acting up again so I pulled over and did the transfer case thing again and it worked. So I purposely made it mess up again and this time I put it in 4H and let off the clutch and it grinded for a millisecond and I shifted back to 2H and so far no problems. Any ideas?