Hey,

So, I'm a total noob.

About a year and a half ago I took my car apart. I replaced my first gear synchro. And rebuilt my entire engine.

Today I started the car for the first time. It started easily and idles. I think I got the timing pretty close. However, when I put the car in first gear and ease off the clutch it wants to roll backwards.



What did I screw up? Is my engine turning the wrong way or did I flip something around in my transmission?

oh man! i feel for 'ya dustin.

is it going backwards in only 1st gear? what about the other 4? what happens in reverse?

have to ask the obvious... 1st is all the way towards the driver and down, correct (2nd in a "normal" car)?

Is my diff flipped??

Yeah, I know where first is... I'm going to try it in second.

In that case, you do know that 1st is to the left and towards you, correct?

Left and forward is reverse ...


PS: Dang, i got beat to it!

Yes, Backwards in 2nd too.

You installed the diff on the wrong die of the gearbox.. It is "flipped".

So, I have to flip the diff front to back or side to side?

Nevermind, I'm starting to remember how this thing goes together...

I did this part over a year ago.

Why did you pull the diff to do a 1st gear sychro?

I was curious. I knew nothing about cars when I started this. I bought this car just so I could take it apart. I replaced all the oil seals too. I was going to do other synchros but I got intimidated by the gear cluster and decided to just put it back together.

At some point I'll do the rest. I want to drive it though. Obviously this was wise of me.

ITs to bad you didnt go to Docs "tranny" convention....they even let you wear blond wigs...and rebuild trannies

It's an easy flip.

how about a collective hazzah for the noob who takes apart a 901 and rebuilds his engine to learn about cars?

did you have any assistance or guidance? why the 914?

not sure if i'd have the guts to do the same and i've owned and driven mine for almost 20 years.

Sure: Drain the tranny, remove the nose cover and the shift console or mechanism, remove the gear cluster, remove the side cover, pull the diff, flip and reinstall the diff and then the cover, measure and replace the intermediate plate gasket/shims, install the cluster and the nose cover (with a new gasket) and shift components, fill with oil, and you're done. Not exactly easy, is it?

The Cap'n

Dustin, although you have a slight hickup in your project, congratulations on diving in to it with abandon. The diff flip is a minor issue and you will get that corrected quickly.

My first car was a Bugeye and I rebuilt it at age 14 with a very sketchy set of tools in my parents carport. Thank goodness there was an MG Midget workshop manual at the public libruary. If we had the internet in 1980 I would have been much more efficient at the project.

Welcome to the wonderful of the 914. There was another member in the last week that put his calipers on the front of the car with the bleeders down and wondered why he couldn't get any pedal pressure..............

David Lee

I used a local machine shop to check out my engine components and rebuild my heads. That guy answered a bunch of questions that came up along the way. Other then that just the internet.

914, love it first sight. I saw my first one when I was about 8, around 1982. I bought this one in 2005. So I have had some time to do my research.