Transmission quirk

[daveymc29]

I drove up a rather steep hill from my house, first, second, then third gear, slowed for a speed bump and put the car in first. Let the clutch out and it feels like just the tips of the gears are touching and if I persisted the made a grinding sound that leads me to believe had I continues to put the pressure to it I would have seriously damaged the tranny. The car drives fine through all gears on the level, so what is happening? I'm not a dummy, but I can't believe that it is caused by the incline. What should I look for? Thanks in advance. I have had the shift tower off the tranny, but have driven it often since I put it back on with no strange sounds.

[daveymc29]

The only thing I can think of is that I did remove the shift tower and refill the tranny after I drained it. I have done this quite often over the years with no ill effects, This one has me baffled. It is okay in all gears on the level, first and reverse, no problem. It has not jumped out of any gears while climbing or defending that same hill Now this grinding sound, but only in first.

[tbirdtbird]

had you done any work to the tranny at any point?

Calling Tom Endy !!!!!!

[daveymc29]

No work that I am aware of. I just bought this car a couple of weeks ago. I have driven it up that same hill before once, without any problem, though I had never slowed enough to put it into first gear in the middle of the hill on that trip. This time was after I had the tower off, and perhaps I did some misalignment putting it back on, though I notice no problems in any gear on level ground. But it sure ground some gears on this last trip up. I stopped and turned around and came back down in second. On the level I retried first and reverse, no problem there. I have driven it daily for a couple of weeks.

[700rpm]

I suggest you pull the trans top and make sure your shifting forks are engaging as they should, and that they aren't bent.

[J Franklin]

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I think another look inside might give a clue. Was it fully in mesh? Shift forks worn? Any balls missing from the output bearing? ( it has happened). Look at the gears closely for signs of misalignment. Cluster gear solid on its bearings? No wiggles?

[daveymc29]

Yup! Tomorrow the top comes back off. Can't tell much from the outside ,can we? I wonder if it is possible to get one side of a fork hooked and the other side not and end up not pushing the gear all the way into mesh? It felt like it had jumped back out of gear and was just touching the tips of the gears together. It didn't seem to be doing anything inside a lot of good. I just hope I didn't break off some metal. Another bit of befuddlement. Dang....

[tbirdtbird]

are you saying it was fine until you removed the shift tower? why would you remove that randomly

[James Rogers]

Originally Posted by daveymc29

Yup! Tomorrow the top comes back off. Can't tell much from the outside ,can we? I wonder if it is possible to get one side of a fork hooked and the other side not and end up not pushing the gear all the way into mesh? It felt like it had jumped back out of gear and was just touching the tips of the gears together. It didn't seem to be doing anything inside a lot of good. I just hope I didn't break off some metal. Another bit of befuddlement. Dang....

What you suggest is not possible. If you mis-aligned the forks in any way, you either couldn't get the top back on or the gears wouldn't shift no matter where you were. Sounds like you need to learn how to double clutch the motor and tranny so you don't grind the gears. It is very common to grind gears if you don't know the double clutch method.

[daveymc29]

Been double clutching 18 wheelers, model a's and fire engines for a goodly part of my life. Haven't encountered this noise before. Will look deeper this morning. Thanks for all the input.

[Keith True]

I think that if you loosen the tower bolts a little and shift it while they are loose you will see the tower move around a little bit.Those shift rails slide into some holes in the bell housing,and sometimes when they are disturbed they hang up a little when shifting.Loosen it up,shift it a bunch until those shift rails are friendly again with the bell housing holes,then tighten the bolts back down.I'm sure you know better,but don't spin the engine over or start it with the cover off.

[daveymc29]

I think Keith True hit on the problem. I took the cover off and looked at all the gears again, no missing teeth or unnecessary movement. When I put it back together the shift pattern did seem a lot deeper into first. Must have been hitting the shift rail and not entering the bell housing, I did the same hill, stopped at the speed bump and pulled right on over it with no singing from the gears. Pulls the hill nicely in second, never had a Model A or early V8 that would do that before. That Police head does make some extra HP. Thanks to all that contributed. Works great now. Tbirdbird, I did that to have a look inside as this is a new car to me and I was changing all the fluids. Easy to fill the tranny with the tower off and I wanted a look inside for scored or broken gears, seeing none I put it back together. (evidently slightly misaligned.)

[tbirdtbird]

glad it worked out!

I must say, Keith, that your solution would not have dawned on me immediately

[Mitch//pa]

Yes Keith excellent tip

[daveymc29]

See latest post under "Spoke too soon." The dang thing worked yesterday and not this morning. Still looking for answers. Go Patriots! Then I'll have another go at it.