Missing 3rd Gear. Sometimes... Options

[yeahmag]

Had my first autocross in 3 years this weekend and everything went better than expected. Towards the end of the day (dual entered the car), 3rd gear started acting up on me. It was acting like it was physically locked out... It wouldn't go in without a fight even in the pits.

I simply ran the last two runs in 2nd and figured I was out of luck. Packed up and low and behold, 3rd was back. A bit notchy compared to the other gears, but didn't grind and really didn't make much of a fuss.

Anything I should consider other than a linkage issue?

Here is my current setup:

Rennshift
Bronze side shift console bushing
Swepco 201
...everything else normal.

I have one of Chris' fancy firewall bushings to go in, so I'll be taking everything out (linkage wise) to inspect. I half wonder if that bronze bushing worked it's way out...

[Dr Evil]

Poached this pic from Pelican. It shows better what I was trying to explain.

This is the newer style, 73 and up, of internal parts for the gear synchro assembly. The lower block can break, usually along the yellow line, and it will jam up one of the internal bands which then keeps the synchro band from compressing (which has to happen to allow the slider to engage the synchro hub and thus select the gear). The block can break on either side, and one side is up shift, the other is down shift (that's why there is two internal bands). Ironically, sometimes a break of the block causes the gear to pop out as the band cannot push against the synchro band and lock it in place once the gear is selected.