HELP!!!! Lost 2nd, 4th, and Reverse gears!!!!

[MO-KAN SHO]

Okay, I need input...

Lately, I've noticed the car doesn't shift as smoothly as it used to squint ... Driving it today, It got worse, and now I can't shift into the bottom row of gears. eek! cuss I managed to wiggle into 1st and third, although it wasn't easy, so I got home, but I don't have any way of getting under it safely to check out the shifter hardware. Basicly it feels like the gates all slid toward the back of the car, now when it is in 1st, the shifter is where neutral between 1st and second used to be, and I can't go far enough back to catch 2nd. 4th and reverse are the same.

When the car IS in gear, it drives fine, nice and smoothly, It doesn't buck and grind like my cavalier did when the tranny in it went out, it just feels like there's something wrong with the shifter.

Anyone come across this before??? If not, any ideas at all????

I'm also consulting my helms (which thankfully arrived yesterday!!!) so between this and that, I'm hoping to figure it out. Whether it's a tranny bad, or a bolt missing, I don't care, I just want it fixed!

 

[gosho89]

I had this happen to a brand new rod shifter after only 6 months of use.

Chances are you broke a weld on the stablizer arm for the rod shifter. Put the car on ramps and look at both rods for the rod shifter, you'll find the solid one that bolts to the trans case is more then likely just laying there unattached. Take the car to a certified welder he can reweld it while its on the car.
Good luck,

<small>[ June 26, 2003, 06:52 PM: Message edited by: gosho89 ]</small>

 

[MO-KAN SHO]

Update!!!!

I took my roommate out to wiggle the shifter while I watched underneath to check for unnecessary movement. I did notice the (pardon the vague terms) box under the car directly under the shifter is moving a LOT... Then while she was wiggling... a rather large bolt with washer just fell out underneath the engine. I can't get underneath it to see exactly where it came out, but I'm assuming there's a bolt that connects the shift linkage to the tranny... is this right?

Again, I'm reading my helms and watching this post at the same time... so I may answer my own question...

 

[gosho89]

The large bolt is what attached the support rod to the transmission not the shift linkage, the support rod is nessasary to use as leverage to access the 2nd and 4th gear. Sounds like you may have gotten lucky and the bolt has just backed out of housing instead of breaking at the weld. Get under the car and reattach the rod.

 

[MO-KAN SHO]

I got to lookin' and what that is exactly what happened.

Thanks for the help... thumb