68 850 Spider Transmission Shifting Issue

GarageTimeTV

GarageTimeTV

Garage Time TV
Hello all,

I am new here! I have a 68 850 Spider and I have recently dropped my trans and engine. I replaced all the gaskets on the trans as well as cleaned off all that nasty road grease. I put the two halves together and reinstalled it without the engine. I hook up my shift linkage and now I feel like I am fighting it, as before I had no issue. I can hear it actually move when I try to go into 2nd or 4th, but I can't even get it into 1st or 3rd, let alone reverse. 2nd and 4th gear engage after some wiggle but I can't even get into neutral. My first guess is that I don't have the forks and syncro gears in the right position.

I don't think it could be a neutral lockout since I can't get it into neutral anyway. Other than the gaskets I haven't adjusted anything else, as I had no reason to. Could some of the gears shifted out of place on the bench? I am just getting to that serious head scratching point. It shouldn't be hard to run through the gears while sitting.

Thank you for any advice or starting points.
 
Check to see the transmission bellhousing is vertical meaning parallel with the firewall. If it's not supported with cribbing there will be a strain on the linkage and it will bind. Next loosen the two bolts on the coupler and move forward or back , tighten and try again. Check the two hanging motor/trans mounts for position meaning are the all the way up. If none of this helps pull it and clamping a vise grip on the input shaft (use something like heavy paper or metal to prevent scaring) attempt to shift gears. DON'T hammer but tapping with a rubber mallet helps. If still no go remove shifter fork cover as one of the shifter forks may have jumped it groove/flange in assembly. Good luck.
 
Update: Had to pull it. On the bench I can get it to grab reverse and second by hand. I cannot get it into 3rd or 4th by hand, and I definitely feel like I should be able to. I also am able to get it in neutral but when I manually spin the splined shaft the axles move, so I think it is in a gear, but I just cant tell what. I will attach a photo so maybe a good eye could help me out. I will show both halves. I can feel the selector move freely between the three selector rods when in neutral. Maybe a syncro is out of place?

Note: When I have the reverse gear engaged, it doesn't go in reverse, so that is part of why I think another gear is engaged.
 

Attachments

  • image0 (1).jpeg
    image0 (1).jpeg
    128.4 KB · Views: 86
  • image1.jpeg
    image1.jpeg
    115.7 KB · Views: 96
  • image2.jpeg
    image2.jpeg
    118 KB · Views: 88
  • image3.jpeg
    image3.jpeg
    102 KB · Views: 88
Alright, sorry to blow up the feed, but it was in 3rd gear and I didn't have the fork properly lined up. In neutral the axles still spin, but so little that the car wouldn't be able to move. Reverse is good and everything can be shifted through smoothly. Don't rush through things right? Could've saved myself hours of work! Oh well, live and learn! Thank you for the help.
 
Update: Got the transmission back in. I did remove the shifter during my diagnosis stage, but have since put in back in. I try to go in reverse gear, but only grab 4th. I can shift through 1-4 easily but cannot seem to get the shifter to go to the right enough to grab reverse. Its as if I hit a wall. Could the shifter be spun around? I know the base itself has 3 bolts holding it down to the car, so it can only fit one way. I have tried adjusting the spoon bolts to get a better pull but still nothing. Is there another adjustment I am missing?
 
850EV said:
Wow. I feel so so dumb. Thanks.... So glad I asked lol
Click to expand...

It is why we are here. Unless someone told you or you had the original owners manual in front of you there is no way you could know.

Don’t feel bad, even though I have owned a Fiat of one kind or another since the early 1980s, it is a rare day that I don’t learn something new from some one here. This is a great place with great people willing to help.

The only bad or stupid question is the one you chose not to ask.

So please ask, we can assist in making your ownership more enjoyable and hopefully cost you less.
 
Last edited:
@kmead I have a 124 Spider as well (1978) so I was expecting to be have reverse all the way to the right and back. I guess I can't be too hard on myself. I haven't seen any other car have that style of reverse. Thanks again!
 
VW Beetles weren’t much different at least in the way one engaged the gear if not the position.

Yeah I have a variety of vehicles which require a bit of thought to which one I am in. Left down and forward for the VWs, right and further to the right and back for the X, Miata and the 124 Coupe and then the right and push down to the rear for the 850. Cars are fun.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top