tranny will not engage after an "incident"

[dinghyguy]

So story goes like this.
car was in first, no key in switch
starter motor engaged due to elec issues with ign switch (whole other story)
operator was lying across pass seat and to avoid taking out a shed pulled gear lever into neutral to stop movement.
crisis averted (sort of)
Ignition switch issue all fixed, but
no way no how can any gear be engaged car on or off.
with car started clutch feels and sounds normal but no way to engage a gear.

Thoughts? suggestions? trying to help a friend.

Dinghyguy with a mystery

[18Fiatsandcounting]

124 spider? Does the shift lever go from left to right in neutral as it should, and does it return to the center position when released? Does the knob feel "sloppy" like something broke?

Since it's not in gear, it doesn't sound like something's wrong inside the gearbox, but rather like something broke in the shift lever assembly.

-Bryan

[dinghyguy]

thanks bryan,

yes 124 spider
shift lever goes forward back, sisde to side but not quite enough to engage in anything.
pushes up and down as well.
guess the solution is to take the cover off the tranny shifter and look around.......

any other thought?

[bobplyler]

Maybe this:
https://autoricambi.us/shifter-lever-lo ... t-1973-85/

[dinghyguy]

well time for an update.

shifter lever removed all the parts look in good condition.
removed shifter assembly from top of tranny by lowering tranny at rear support slightly. Shifter assembly looks good, no obvious issues.

Shift linkage sticking up out of tranny moves left right against the springs, but not in or out.

Conclusion is that something is jammed in the tranny. So to i remove the pan and see if anything turns or just bight the bullet and remove the tranny so the rear housing that hold the shifter lever that engages the rods insde the tranny can be examined?

thoughts and comments please.

cheers
Dinghyguy

[18Fiatsandcounting]

So to i remove the pan and see if anything turns or just bight the bullet and remove the tranny so the rear housing that hold the shifter lever that engages the rods insde the tranny can be examined?

I'd start by removing the pan. If the car is already in the air, it's 15 minutes compared to many hours to remove the transmission.

See if there is anything obvious that is wrong, whether you can spin the gears, and if you can move (using a large screwdriver) the two selector rods for 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th, etc.

-Bryan

[dinghyguy]

Bryan, That is exacly what we did, but i used a prybar. Initially neither of the shift forks would move but the key was the reverse gear shaft, i pushed it back a bit and "click". After that the two shift forks could be shifted and the shift lever sticking out of the tranny could select all the gears.

just have to put it all back together, i will supervise with a cold drink in my hand. I am wondering if we can pour the oil in the top before we put the shifter assembly back on top. Not sure if the oil will run from the rear into the main section of the gearbox.

cheers
dinghyguy

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Excellent work, DinghyGuy! Yes, there is an opening between the main section of the gearbox and the rear casing, so you can fill the transmission from the opening where the shifter extension bolts on (the opening with the 4 studs or bolts).

However, part of me wants to tell you to fill it the normal way, through the fill plug in the side of the main section. I use a cheap hand pump that screws onto a gear oil plastic bottle, and just pump the oil in until it starts leaking out, then pull out the fill tube, insert the fill plug, and wipe off the excess oil.

-Bryan