Transmission, why do I have to always learn the hard way?

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xirdneh
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My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Transmission, why do I have to always learn the hard way?

Post by xirdneh »

I installed a working tranny in my car today
but after installing it will not shift to any gear
the gear shift barely moves
the car is still on jack supports
after trying several things like rotating tires and engine (nothing worked)
I got to thinking that maybe tilting the tranny as i was trying to get it installed had something to do with it
I decided to experiment with the tranny i had removed (bad 5th gear)
i tried shifting it thru the gears and it worked fine
then i tilted the tranny to about 75 degrees by lifting front then do same lifting the rear
sure enough, now that tranny will not shift
WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED INSDE THOSE TWO TRANNYS AND HOW DO I FIX IT?
I AM SICK AND TIRED OF HAVING TO LEARN THINGS THE HARD WAY
ANOTHER DAMN TERCEL FIASCO IN THE MAKING
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Transmission, why do I have to always learn the hard way

Post by Petros »

try leveling the trans with the jack and see what happens. I can not think of anything in the trans that would cause this. very worn and sloppy fit between some parts falling out of line when tilted perhaps?
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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dlb
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My tercel:: '87 sr5, '83 dlx parts car
Location: bc, canada

Re: Transmission, why do I have to always learn the hard way

Post by dlb »

dang, rob. sorry to hear it.

so you raised the front of the trans and lowered the back, is that right? when you level it out, is it still stuck? if you lower the front and raise the back is it still stuck? have you tried removing the snap ring and gear shifter and reinstalling them to rule them out as the cause of the binding?
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marlinh
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My tercel:: 'Everett' Blue 87 4WD Wagon (Rocky 86, recently retired)
Location: Kootenays

Re: Transmission, why do I have to always learn the hard way

Post by marlinh »

Are you saying that with the transmission you removed, on the ground, you were able to make the shifter stick in it too? I can't imagine what happened.

Usually any time you can't shift a newly installed trans, it is the shifter being installed incorrectly. But it doesn't sound like that is the case with you.
xirdneh
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Posts: 2124
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: Transmission, why do I have to always learn the hard way

Post by xirdneh »

for the experiment I had a tranny only (minus the diff/bell housing) sitting on the workbench
it shifted just fine
i put it in neutral
then grabbed the front of the tranny and raised it upwards while rear of tranny rested on bench
i tilted it at least 75 degrees
then i set it down and did the same to the other end
thats all it took to freeze the shifter
i have tried removing the shifter and re-installing it
today i plan to look at some of the trannys i have taken apart to see if i can figure out what could have moved
later i might try some manuvers with the tranny like shaking it while its upside down or something
i have nothing to lose
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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marlinh
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My tercel:: 'Everett' Blue 87 4WD Wagon (Rocky 86, recently retired)
Location: Kootenays

Re: Transmission, why do I have to always learn the hard way

Post by marlinh »

Did you try rotating the input shaft on the tranny on the bench too? And then see if it shifts? I know you did that on your installed one. Just grasping at straws.
xirdneh
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Posts: 2124
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: Transmission, why do I have to always learn the hard way

Post by xirdneh »

Son of a B, i figured it out
i always wondered what the 17mm plug was for (located in front of 4 bolt cover on top of tranny)
so i started there
i removed the plug and shined a light in there
i could see the reverse idler gear so i pushed it forward with a screw driver
it moved forward about 3/4"
that did the trick
it began to shift just fine
it turns out that tilting the rear of the tranny up at abt 75 degree angle messes up that gear somehow

i have another tranny in the shop somewhere that will not shift
i am going to try this on that one today
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
Location: Arlington WA USA

Re: Transmission, why do I have to always learn the hard way

Post by Petros »

the revers gear has a lock out on it so the trans can not go into any other gear when in reverse, so it looks like perhaps the detente spring is weak enough to allow it go into reverse without benefit of the shift lever by just tilting it. I can not imagine it was designed that way, it just must be old enough and loose enough that it will just slip into reverse from being tilted up.

That is really good to know, thanks for sharing!
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
xirdneh
Highest Ranking Member
Posts: 2124
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: Transmission, why do I have to always learn the hard way

Post by xirdneh »

I found that old non-working tranny that does not shift hidden in my shop
i fixed that one using the same technique

got the car going
had to remove everything neccesary to lower rear of tranny
not much room to get anything between floor and top of tranny
it was very difficult to get at that 17mm plug
had to get at it from topside hole in floor for shifter
good thing it was not super tight
i stuck a screw driver in the hole and pushed the gear forward
now everything is back to normal
"back on the road again"
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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