No forward gears after clutch install on stock 1989 KA24 S13

[JR's240]

Ok I know this is a strange problem. My car is a bone stock 1989 240sx with the stock single cam engine and a 5 speed manual transmission. I usually do all my own work on my cars, but due to time constraints I had to source this out to a friend of mine.

The original problem is i made a rookie mistake and left the flywheel bolts loose after replacing the clutch, and it had to come back out to be fixed. The car sat for a year or so after I did that, before I finally dragged it to my friend to fix it.

He pulled the transmission, had the flywheel turned, installed the shim and new bolts, changed the pilot bushing, and reused the rest of the new clutch I previously installed.

Now the car will only engage in reverse. There was no damage to the transmission itself before this happened. He said there was metal in the fluid after checking it, but I took him the car with all 5 gears and reverse working. Even with the flywheel bolts loose and making a hell of a racket, it had all gears before he took it apart. less

This can't be anything but the mechanics fault, but what exactly could cause this? Why would it work fine before dissassembly and now not work at all? Had to be something that happened while he was working on it,but what?

The problem all started when I purchased an RB for this car(That I never used) and went to the dragstrip in this car and made back to back passes never allowing the clutch to cool. It absolutley killed the clutch but the trans made no funny noises. At the time I was planning on a swap, but life gets in the way.

Any ideas? Tell me whats wrong with it and I'll be your new best friend. Or atleast the creepy guy in your apartment complex who says "hey" everytime he passes you in the hallway.

[spank044]

Try 5th gear once for me and see if that works. If so then the you have a problem with the 1st and 3rd shift fork.

[modulation]

This is just when the car is running right?It'll go into any gear when the car is off right?

Can you start it in first and see if it'll drive?(Put transmission in 1st gear, push down clutch, start car, let go of clutch.)

If that doesn't work, can you start in 1st gear with clutch out?(The car will roll, but it'll start)

[JR's240]

Good questions. I'm not sure of the exact symptoms tonight, just what his son told me. However I will have you an awnser tommorow after lunch when I go look at the car.

Is there anything elese I should look for? Thanks again for the help.

[spank044]

I personally don't feel that this is a clutch issue since he had no problems in reverse. The there are three shift forks in the transmission. one for first and second, one for third and fourth, and the last being for fifth and reverse. Have you tried to move it in any of the other gears besides first of second? If you can then you might have broken a part of the first gear shift fork by driving it with a loose clutch from the vibration.

[JR's240]

Ok guys, sorry for the delay. Holidays+ two jobs means I don't have much time to work on the toys.

I finally got to check out the car. It is reassembled correctly, but stuck in reverse. Running or not. You can press the clutch and it disengages, but it never comes out of reverse, no matter where you put the shifter. I pulled the shifter, and nothing is wrong underneath. You can put the shifter in 1st, 2nd, and Reverse only, but in never disengages from reverse. I was able to take a screwdriver and move the rod with the shifter out, and put in in neutral once. But as for now, no matter what you do, it's stuck in reverse.

I know jack squat about manual transmissions, but from what you guys are saying, I'm guessing the fork for 5th and reverse has broken from whatever it attaches to, and thats why its stuck in reverse?

Thanks again for the help.

[del82]

Broken shift forks? What the hell did that mechanic do?

It would explain the metal bits in the oil, but only if we're talking shavings and not dust, which can be normal if the trans hasn't been serviced in a long, long time.

If you can see them, the forks look a bit like a big upside down U, the base of which attaches to the rails at the top of the trans, and up there, there should be a bushing, or spot for one, that the shifter itself mates to. That said, the mechanic had no business being *inside* the trans just to replace the clutch, so he's either about to owe you a transmission, or he just had to remove the shifter and didn't get it reinstalled properly, make sure the base of the shifter/linkage mates properly to the bushing or socket inside the trans.

[scottydog]

The mechanic would have drained the transmission oil taking it out, and hence noticed the metal shavings. Linkage obviously isn't working right.

It is easy to try pulling the shifter and reinstalling. Remove the four bolts holding it in. When you put it back in it should drop in easily, no significant force required.

Me thinks the shifter isn't in the bushing correctly.