Cant get into 1st

[Mr Bit]

This evening I somewhat stupidly let a female workmate drive my alfa75 TS from work to my place (I was not in car). She gets back to my place and says 'geez it was hard to get into 1st'. This was an unwise move as the gearboc/clutch combo can be quite challenging for an inexperienced alfa driver.

Apparently, half way home she was stopped at some lights and 1st gear could not be engaged.

I get into the car to investigate and the gear shifter will not go into 1st gear, no matter how hard I force it. The girl is adamant that she didnt do anything untowards with the gearbox (ie:crunched it etc...).

Has anybody else had an experience where a gear cannot be selected, and what was the problem/outcome and the cause.

Any feedback is appreciated.

[papajam]

Welcome to the Board, Mr Bit!!

If gears 2 thru 5 engage OK, that would seem to rule out the clutch not releasing all the way. I'd have to say it's something in the shift linkage, an adjustment (due to rough handling?) or a bushing perhaps.

[Mr Bit]

Thanks Papajam, its good to be here.

Thanks for the advice. What you say makes sense.
It wouldnt involve removal of the gearbox or anything major like that I hope? My bank balance isnt big enough!

[papajam]

There are many members on this Board who have far more knowledge and experience about the transaxle car shift linkage than I do. Expect detailed responses.

[nizam]

Mr Bit - can you actually shift into ALL other gears except for first?

Or is it not shifting at all? Diagnosis will follow your answer.

[Mr Bit]

Sorry, I should have specified.

I am able to shift into all other gears other than 1st.

Cheers

[nizam]

Mr Bit,

From the description you provided above, it would seem that two things could have happened:

1) the shift linkage is no longer aligned (due to age, and potential abuse from this latest incident, or both) to correctly select 1st gear. The way the linkage works is rather complicated, and most have failed to describe it in words. I actually have a spare linkage on my workbench and from looking at it, it is amazing it works as well as it does. It depends on all the bushings being in exactly the right plane, with little to no slop in the action. Replacing the linkage is relatively easy, but should not be undertaken if you're short on tools and time. A reputable mechanic could get this done in under two hours. I did my linkage in three hours, which included disassembling the front transmission carrier from the body for access to the linkage. All this in my garage, working on my back.

2) You have a catastrophic failure in your gearbox. At this point in the car's life, it's probably cheaper to buy a used gearbox (e-mail vbhachu@aol.com, he has a few and I've had no problems dealing with him) that has a known history rather than tearing you 'box apart to replace one or two bad carriers, shift forks or synchromesh (75's have synchros on everything except reverse).

Sorry to bring bad news, but outside of wearing synchros out, those gearboxes are fairly bulletproof, and can handle lots of torque/hp. Only determined abuse, or continued mishandling of the shifter could cause a catastrophic failure.

Nizam
88 75 3.0V6

[Mr Bit]

Nizam,

Thanks for your detailed reply. The gearbox was in good condition (120,000 gentle Km's) beforehand and I am now of the opinion that this is a linkage problem.
The car was only driven for 10-15 mins max by my workmate, so I'll assume for the time being that she was unable to cause a catostrophic failure in this short time.

Thanks to all who replied. I'll post/reply again after my mechanic has confirmed the problem.

[universible]

To add to the linkage theory...my old Verde had some linkage issues for the first 2 years I owned it. Either the PO, or the sorry excuse for a mechanic I went to during that time, decided that it was ok to use part of it as leverage, while working on the car. My new mechanic informed me that it appeared someone had bent the linkage, which is the reason it had trouble getting into gears occasionally. Let me just say that it can be a pain in the *** if it binds up while driving...especially when its on Highway 9 (for the Bay Area folk here). Not as bad as my headlights going out on Bear Creek Rd....at 1am My, then girlfriend (now wife) held my flashlight out the sunroof all the way down the mountain...no moon out

GOOD TIMES!

Ted

[Mr Bit]

Bad news.

Mechanic has removed gearbox and confirmed 1st gear has completely gone and must be replaced.
I'll get the donuts replaced also while the box is out.

This is going to give my mastercard a hammering!

Such is life!

Thanks to all who replied.

[rbitzer]

Thanks for the update...sorry to hear of your bad news. Ask him how the 2nd gear syncho is while everything is out....whats an extra $100 for years of shifting joy?

[nizam]

It's no consolation, but bad shifting by a valet parking teenager chipped a tooth in my wife's Verde (75 3.0V6). It's not impossible to destroy a gear, but it takes damned determination to get-that-shifter-into-the-gate-whatever-the-cost (e.g. sitting at a traffic light in rush hour and the car won't go into first ... >CRUNCH< )

Lucky for you, 75 gearboxes are plentiful, and reasonably decent ones should be easy to obtain. The lesson learned perhaps is that, be wary whom you give the keys to. It could cost you lots.

(so much so that in the Nizam household, if a friend wants to borrow a car, I offer to rent them one, it's cheaper for me in the long run)

[Mr Bit]

Thanks for the help guys.

I got my baby back from mechanic a few days ago.

New 1st gear and new synchros on all gears.
New donuts and clutch, flywheel and tailshaft all balanced.

All very smooth, but very expensive!

Happy motoring!

[rbitzer]

YAAAY!!!!

Sorry about your wallet, but happy to hear you are back on the road!