C3 shifter Muncie manual 4 speed - problem with 3rd and fourth only , newly restored and purchased a yr ago, out for a an hours drive When suddenly --car will shift and drive in 1st and 2nd only will not shift to 3rd or fourth nothing there ??
C3 69 Muncie shift 3 and 4 nothing
- Thread starter DEZ
- Start date
Hi. I wondered if there was any different noises etc. that you noticed? Did you have a chance to look under the car at the side/ bottom of tranny? If it's 3 &4 hopefully it is something as simply and inexpensive as linkage problems. I believe that 3 &4 gears have common linkage on transmission and at the bottom end of the shifter. As I said, hopefully something just came loose and can be a easy fix.
XFIRE82
Power User
You need to give us a little more info. When you try shift to 3rd does the shifter " feel " that it slid over and up into 3rd and feel solid like it should ? from 3 to 4 does it feel like you are moving the gear ? or does the shifting feel empty like nothing there ? does reverse and neutral feel right ? did you try from stand still put in 3rd and take off ? sounds like linkage problem my first guess but need to you tell us more.
XFIRE82
Power User
it sounds like the linkage rod fell off the shifter and 3/4 are sitting in neutral waiting but the rod will not move them. You need to lift it up and look under there. I doubt anything is wrong with the tranny.
XFIRE82
Power User
should be more like 1/4" rod, but you are getting closer, go get it fixed and all should work again.
XFIRE82
Power User
really can't see much like this , you have to get it up on the hoist and let someone who knows what he is looking at and see what is wrong there. That short thin rod is for the back up light switch . There are 2 long rods, one is for 1st to second and the other is 3rd to 4th , a shorter rod is for reverse.
@XFIRE82 is the man of this era, and this is more your turf than mine, but could the shift fork on the bottom of the lever be a problem? I've broken this before (twice!), and lost a couple of gears because it can only go one direction. Once I was lucky, and couldn't activate the linkage to fourth (it broke in third and I only had 1 and 2 after I downshifted). Once I was very lucky and after I came off the highway and was shifting from second to third it broke the fork and dropped down into the gears. Let me tell you, when the transmission stops spinning so do your rear tires. You can push the clutch in all you like. It also makes it extremely difficult to push the car off the street.
- Thread starter
- #12
I would like to have the parts on hand prior to getting the car to a shop in order to expedite.
I see under the car.... the linkages are attached The 1/4" rod in pic may have been broken for some time and is not related to my shifting issue.
I have read about the soft forks in a Muncie being a problematic, what other parts will likely need replacing during the repair.
I see under the car.... the linkages are attached The 1/4" rod in pic may have been broken for some time and is not related to my shifting issue.
I have read about the soft forks in a Muncie being a problematic, what other parts will likely need replacing during the repair.
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XFIRE82
Power User
Impossible to tell you what you need for parts by just looking at a picture that doesn't show everything. Best is one guy in the car, car is up on the hoist, now let him go through the gears 1-2, 2-3, 3-4 , N-R and see if all the levers are engaged by the shifter and rods move the levers on the tranny. The levers on the tranny shafts need to be tight as slim chance the hole is worn and lever moves but does not move the shaft which moves the forks inside the tranny. If all checks out ok on the outside then the trans side cover has to come off and look inside at the forks. Like I said, got to look at it up in the air to see the problem. Don't buy anything yet untill known what is what, could be a 2 minute fix costing nothing.