Gear Selection Issue

[grey_ghost]

Hi All,

I finished the restoration on "Roger" my 1960 Series II about a year ago.. Apart from regular starting, and driving up/down the driveway, he hasn't been registered... Basically he hasn't had regular use since the restoration finished about 1 year ago.

Anyway - a few weeks ago I sent the car down to the local mechanic, and it sailed through the road worthy. The mechanic DROVE the car home and left it in my driveway!! [thumbsupbig]

I got home from work that night, started the car, tried to put it in gear - and crunch/crunch/cruch.. [bawl]

Turned the car off - I could select all gears, without an issue...
Started the car - tried to put it in gear - crunch/crunch/crunch.
Pumped the clutch pedal - didn't feel any different, but tried it anyway - tried to put it in gear - crunch/crunch/crunch.
Turned the car off. Checked the fluid resevoir - compeltely full.
Started the car - selected a gear without issue... Hmm. Weird.
Next day - problem returns and I have not been able to fix it since. You can't select gears without crunching them - like you don't have you foot on the clutch pedal at all (although if feels like the clutch is engaged)
If you start the car with the clutch pedal down, foot on the brake, and in gear - it starts and does NOT pull or creep.

I read a thread on here recently were somebody had issues with the gear selector springs - so I asked the mechanic to look into that.

Today the mechanic (who is definately not a Land Rover guy) rang me and said:

I pulled up the floor and the trans tunnel, so that I could look at the top of the gearbox (like you said).
I can't see anything wrong with the action. However - I CAN select all gears when the floor is out - it seems as though the pedal has about 3 mm more travel, and that's enough to change gears.
Did these floors have an indent on them, so that the clutch pedal can travel further?

Obviously the floor doesn't - so I asked him to check the adjustment on the clutch pedal, slave & master cylinders...

As part of the restoration:
* Installed a brand new clutch
* Installed a brand new slave cylinder
* Installed a brand new master cylinder
* Machined the flywheel
* Installed all new clutch/brake lines (both the hard lines and the flexible lines)

The mechanic says that he can't see any fluid leaks - and that he's bled the clutch a few times (no air comes out) - and that it doesn't make sense to him because he drove the car home (about a 5km trip)

Suggestions? My initial thought was the the spring that prevents gears from being selected might be broken (like another forum member) - but now that he told me about the fact that it works when the floor is out, it simply sounds like an adjustment issue... Having said that - something ain't right?!? [bawl]

Any suggestions are welcome - I now have the registration plates for this vehicle, and I can't drive it...

Cheers,
Grey Ghost

[incisor]

did you adjust the pedal mechanism to specs?

[grey_ghost]

Incisor - yep, at the time Homestar any myself measured it, adjusted it, tested it and drove the vehicle... So I am reasonably confident that it is to spec...

[incisor]

I had to rebuild the pivot on mine as it measured up well but was hopeless in day to day use

[nickm]

I have the same issue in my '63 2a. Will only go in to a forward gear if reverse is carefully selected or started in gear. This has only recently started. 3rd can be difficult when shifting up sometimes, though this could be me, don't get to drive her much.

[Homestar]

The clutch is adjusted to spec and is working fine - I'm pretty sure it's a gearbox issue, but not sure exactly what. All gears work fine whenever the box allows a gear to be selected. Clutch isn't dragging as if you select a gear, clutch in and start it everything is fine and it doesn't creep or effect engine revs when back in neutral.

When working, everything drives fine and the clutch picks up mid travel as you'd expect. Everything is new in the clutch assembly too - including sleeve and pin so actuation is very good, not like it was when it arrived with a bolt in there and chewed out - and it still worked ok even then.

Thinking something to do with the selector or lockout mechanism, but I've yet to work seriously on one of these boxes so my knowledge stops there.

GG - don't let the mechanic go too far with it, I would think as you've discussed with me that he wants to pull the box out but I don't think that's a good starting point. I feel it works ok with the floor out, either ask him to adjust the pedal or to drive it back to your place.

[grey_ghost]

Hi All,

I thought that I should update this thread... I believe that the issue is fixed - although I haven't taken the car on a long drive yet.

The car has been at the local mechanics for weeks - and he rang me on Friday to report that the issue is fixed... Here is what he did:

* Checked the adjustment of the actual pedal - which was fine.
* Bled the system - which was fine.
* Checked the adjustment on the master cylinder - which was fine.
* Checked the adjustment on the slave cylinder - which was fine.

When we rebuilt the car - it was all new parts (clutch, slave cylinder, master cylinder, lines, etc).

The fix was - he tightened each of the clutch forks "one complete turn"... He said that he "had never had to do this with a new clutch" - but it was a trick that he had used in the past when clutch plates get worn..
He went on to say "that's what was weird - we had hydraulic pressure, but the forks weren't engaging the plate enough"..

Anyway - I've driven the car around the block a few times, and it now seems fine. (It now needs a wash, a few drives, and then a check over)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/11/623.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/ZmfCDT)IMG_1850 (https://flic.kr/p/ZmfCDT) by Grey Ghost (https://www.flickr.com/photos/156172026@N07/), on Flickr

Cheers,
GG.

[Homestar]

Well that's a new one - it has me stuffed and I've been over what we did on assembly a dozen times in my head and couldn't work out what I'd done wrong - I don't feel so bad now. [emoji4]

[grey_ghost]

Hi Gav - when we fitted the clutch (oh so long ago) - I certainly didn't even think of checking the nuts on the clutch forks.. Perhaps they were on finger tight (from the manufacturer) and that explains why it drove for a little while before having the issue... It's certainly a strange one - hence another reason why I posted up the "fix" - just in case anybody else ever has this strange issue..

[mick88]

Tom,
what "nuts" is he referring to?
Did he have the gearbox out to do this?
Are they on the actual pressure plate?


Cheers, Mick.

[rangieman]

Tom,
what "nuts" is he referring to?
Did he have the gearbox out to do this?

Cheers, Mick.
Thats a bit personal[bigwhistle]

[grey_ghost]

Hi Mick,

In the below picture - I think it's the clutch bell housing? There are 3 nuts (circled in blue).

The gearbox and engine were still in place. He said that it was a real pain, but he could get a spanner on each of these 3 nuts - and thus adjusting the 3 forks. I'm guessing that they were tight when we fitted the clutch, but not tight enough!

He said that he had to adjust one nut, then I'm guessing he turned the engine or spun it by hand - so that he could then do the next one? He said something about getting to the nuts via the inspection plate? (Maybe the plate that you use when checking the timing?) Sorry I couldn't be more specific - I was just glad that he fixed it!

132458

Cheers,
Tom.

[B.S.F.]

He probably meant the plate under the gearstick mounting bracket. .W.

[Homestar]

Hi Gav - when we fitted the clutch (oh so long ago) - I certainly didn't even think of checking the nuts on the clutch forks.. Perhaps they were on finger tight (from the manufacturer) and that explains why it drove for a little while before having the issue... It's certainly a strange one - hence another reason why I posted up the "fix" - just in case anybody else ever has this strange issue..

Never checked anything on the clutch as it was brand new - just stuck it in.

[Homestar]

He probably meant the plate under the gearstick mounting bracket. .W.

No, the box was out for the repair.

[mick88]

No, the box was out for the repair.

Makes more sense, otherwise getting at those bolts via the peep hole under the gearstick would be an absolute ***** of a job.
I don't think there would be satisfactory collection of words that would be suitable enough to assist with getting the job done.
Working through that small opening to access the nuts on the pressure plate, the guy has missed his calling and would be better suited working as Gynaecologist, than a Mechanic.

Cheers, Mick.