transmission sticking in gear.

[rudee023]

So I pull off of the freeway yesterday and I am at a stoplight and shift into what I think is neutral. As I let go of the clutch the car stalls as if it was still in gear. As I try to move the shift lever it won't go into any gate! It's stuck in what looks like neutral. I try to pull over to the curb and it is like I am starting out in third or something. I slowly drive that way home (a couple of blocks) and immmediatley start to disassemble my shifter (OBX) hoping that it is an easy fix and something came loose down there. I take it apart, look at the wave washer, bush socket, etc and everything seems fine. I put it back together and now it shifts fine. I turn on the ignition and go through the gears like nothing ever happened. Just to make sure I remove the key and start one more time and the thing lerches forward as if it were in gear and the lever is stuck again. WTF! Am I doomed to spend the rest of my days in 3rd gear?!?

[I am Technoman]

It sounds to me like a shift fork is broken. Do not let the car idle wile it is stuck because the clutch is engaged and will burn up.

[rudee023]

Could a bad/leaking slave cylinder be the cause of what I described? Upon closer inspection at a shop mine seems to be leaking. Another mech said that if it was a shift fork it would be a permanent problem and not be off and on like that.