Car goes forward in neutral??!!

[Mikewazowski]

Hey we just finished putting the 5 speed into Alessandra's 810 Wagon but now it doesn't seem like we can select 1st or reverse, and if the car is in neutral it will move forward as if it is a forward gear. Any ideas why this would be happening?

My only thought is that something might be wrong with the gearbox itself, particularly to take out both 1st and reverse?

Also, just went and checked it out more, and it doesn't seem to have 2nd or 3rd either. So it can only go into 4th and 5th gear.

[Bartman]

I'm picking the selector fork/striker fingers are out of whack. The gearbox is in 1st already, and the striker finger isn't in that position. It's quite commen to need to have a few goes at getting it right when refitting the tail housing to a datto gearbox.

[Mikewazowski]

Okay, so we swapped the 4 speed back into Alessandra's car so she can make it back to hamilton.

Sounds like you've got it Bart. I tryed it out and when it is in neutral it is in 1st gear. So how would I go about fixing that? Or will it be something that I'd have to take it to a gearbox place to do?

[Bartman]

it isn't an impossible task, but it can be a wee bit frustrating to gete right. You should be able to do it yourself though.
Which gearbox is it?

[Mikewazowski]

Sounds promising

It's a 5 speed dogleg. I can't remember what numbers are written on it. Does it make a difference?

[Bartman]

the numbers aren't important in this case.
Rereading what you've written I think it might be a shorn roll pin on the selector fork.
You can move the gearstick thru Reverse and 1st, but can't select any other gears?
If so, it'l either be the roll pin, or maybe a damaged fork or striker finger. Whats happened is the selector has engaged 1st gear, and while the shifter is still moving 1st gear is still selected. And since it can't be in two gears at once, you can't select any other gears either.

The stink part is that the 1st/reverse selector is in the tail housing section, so it's a bit fiddley to put them back together.

But the repair itself shouldn't be too hard. Do you have a workshop manual for a 180B? I can post you mine if you like, and you can bring it back when you come down for akaroa.
If it's the fork thats rooted, I have a spare one from my old 63A that I kept for parts.

[Mikewazowski]

Ok, I don't know how well I've described it above so I'll have another go just to clarify everything:

The gear stick can't go into 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or reverse. As in I physically can't move the gearstick into those gears, not just that it won't engage if I let the clutch out.
If I leave the gear stick in neutral and let the clutch out, the car moves forwards as if it was in first gear.
With the clutch pedal down I can select 4th and 5th gear with no problems, and if I let the clutch off with either selected then the car will attept to move off but will struggle (as you would expect in such a high gear).
Not sure if that changes the diagnosis?

Cheers for the offer of your manual Bart but I've got one here I've had a bit of a look through regarding the gearbox trying to get my head around it, and I'm keen to try my hand at fixing it but sometimes it is good to get a few tips from people in the know before you start

[torqued]

most library's have workshop manuals

[Bartman]

I'd start by removing the front housing, and seeing what happens when you change gears. Do you have circlip pliers? You'll need a pair to get the circlip out of infront of the front bearing to get the front section of the belhousing off. then you may need to remove the rear housing too. The book (If it's a haynes like mine) should explain how to do this. Then one at time slide the selector rods fore and aft on at a time, and see if it's selecting each gear correctly. (Remember unless some parts have been left our by someone at some time, the gearbox should only be able to be in one gear at a time.)
If all three rods can move smoothly into and out of their gears, check to see if the striker finger which engages into the ends of each selector rod is bent, That too can stop things working properly.
Also don't forget to check that the roll pins are intact which secure the alumimium forks to the selector rods.
Although the more I think about it, the more I think that the striker finger isn't properly aligned atm.
When you pull out the gear leaver, have the box in nutral. Then when you remove the tail housing, look to see that the notches on the ends of the selector rods are all in a line.
When you say you can get 4&5 but its hard to move, can it actually move under when in these gears? If it is in 1st, you may still be able to select 4&5th, but the caar wont be able to move becuase it'll be in two gears at once.
It can be in 1st/rev, and 4/5th at the same time because the wee jellybeans that stop two gear being selected similtanously are on opposite sides of the central selector rod.

Now I'm rambling. Study the book, especially when reffitting the tail section. I'd say thats where someone has gone wrong.

[sunny79datto]

5speed dogled dam i got one of em an have run into the same problem its real frustrating i couldnt do it