New Engine in and Car is now stuck in gear

[Theo]

Hi guys. I recently got around to putting a new engine in my car. We took the old engine and trans out, put a new clutch disc in, bolted down the clutch pressure plate and then assembled the transmission to the engine, then bolted it in. Everything was going great until we went to push the car in the garage.. It wouldnt budge. It seems that the car is stuck in gear. We moved the shifter around, and the shifter shows the car is in neutral, but the car clearly is not. The brakes are not locked because when we move the car, the engine is turning over as well. It is important to note that when we took out the engine we unbolted the shifter.

We tried messing with it and no luck. I pulled the inspection plate off and the throwout bearing is moving and the clutch itself seems to be working as it should. Any ideas on what the problem could be?

[Gary WA]

Tight engine!!!Or did you put a long bolt in the starter???they will hit the flywheel teeth???

[Theo]

Originally Posted by Gary WA

Tight engine!!!Or did you put a long bolt in the starter???they will hit the flywheel teeth???

The engine is fine. Any the flywheel is spinning when the car is moving in gear, so I dont think its hung up on anything.

[JoeWay]

Time to pull the shifter tower.

Joe

[jburessr]

Take the top off of the transmission and see if the fork is off of the slide gear, sounds like it's stuck in two gears at the same time!!!!!

[Theo]

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Ok, I have the shifter tower off. What exactly should I look for now? Should I take a picture for you guys?

[jburessr]

Make sure when you lower the shift top down the forks slide into the two slots of the slide gears. then put maybe two or three bolts in and shift it and see if the car is free from the engine

[Gary WA]

Make sure the 2 sliding gears are in Neutral. and make sure the shifting forks seat correctly in both sliding gear collars?

[Gary WA]

Originally Posted by theo

ok, i have the shifter tower off. What exactly should i look for now? Should i take a picture for you guys?

sure!!!!

[jan bogert]

Theo, is the clutch disc in backwards? JAN.

[Theo]

Here are the pictures for you guys:

[RichPA]

Set the gears in neutral,set the shifter in neutral, carefully install the top cover without anything moving.

[Bob C]

It almost looks like it is in two gears, second and reverse.

Bob

[jan bogert]

Theo, if your trans is bad, i have a good one all together w/shifter $100.00

[Gary WA]

All need to be in neutral as stated above.Place the shifter lever in neutral,and space the gears on the shifts so that they line up with and fit into the shifter forks.

[Tom Endy]

Originally Posted by Bob C

It almost looks like it is in two gears, second and reverse.

Bob

I agree.

Take a screwdriver and pry the two slider gears so they are in the neutral plsition. The neutral position is when the two sliders are in between the gears on the cluster.

Take the tower over to a work bench and tap the two forks into place so they are in the neutral position. The neutral position is when the two forks are a few inches apart in the center of the tower. The shifting rods should not be sticking out into either end.

Carefully put the tower back on engaging the slots in the gears with the forks. Bolt the tower down and you should be able to shift it into the four positions.

Tom Endy

[Fred K-OR]

Originally Posted by RichPA

Set the gears in neutral,set the shifter in neutral, carefully install the top cover without anything moving.

To set the two gears in neutral, you need to move the two that you took the shifter off of, sort of to the "center" of the tranny-spaced a little ways apart so they do not mesh with the gears below. Move them by hand. If they do not move by hand, push the clutch in and then try it. With the two gears in the center and in neutral, you should be able to move the car. Check this before you put the cover back on. If it is OK, then line up the two shifter things to fit in the gears where they are at in the "center" of the tranny and in the neutral position (of course the shifter needs to be in neutral position).

I had the same problem and this is what I did to fix it.

[Theo]

Thank you for all the responses guys! It means alot! Ill give everything a try tommorow and hopefully I will be able to wheel it in the garage.

Heres a pic of the engine I put in. Id personally like to thank JAN and his friend for the great deal on the engine, and all of the help hes given me thus far

[ford1]

make sure the shifter lever ball fits in the slots on the shifter rails snug, if the ball has excessive wear it will allow the ball slip out of the rail and leave the trans in gear, when that happens you need to remove the top of trans and get it in nuetral

[Tom Wesenberg]

I agree that the forks both appear to be shifted into gear in the last picture.
It also looks like the fork pin is ready to fall out of place. Be sure to spread the end of the pin so it can't fall through the hole.