Took my 1st drive ever in my 75 yesterday. Still some bugs to work out, but my biggest concern now is the tranny.

A quick shift to 2nd and I get a bit of a crunch. Much bigger crunch if I try to downshift into 2nd as you might do making a turn at an intersection. But if I take it easy, 1st to 2nd, it drops right in with no crunching.

Never got fast enough in my neighborhood to hit 5th, R & 1, 3 & 4 engage nicely.

I know the standard answer is, "I'll have to open it up to know for sure." But what are your thoughts?

2nd question: My old 68 bug just would not go into 1st with the car moving, I was a bit scared to try yesterday, but should the 914's tranny shift into 1st while moving?

Clark

Try tightening the clutch cable. Take it for another spin to see if 2nd gear is still giving you issues.

Check your cone screws.

Where should the friction point be? it is pretty low to the floor now. Won't it go lower if I tighten?

And when I reluctantly dismantled the whole thing last month, I noticed that the springs on the pressure plate had been touching the clutch release bearing during all the attempted (and failed) cranking They were kinda shiny.

I have to come to a complete stop or just about a complete stop with the clutch pedal held for a few seconds before puting it in 1st. I find it shifts better when the trans get good and warm. I also get a crunch going into second with an agressive shift but if I hold the pedal to the floor and give it a second I can shif into second smoothly. Down shifting to second works if you hold the pedal to the floor and give it a second before down shifting to second.

Sounds very much like what I am experiencing. I would not think that that is a design feature, so I bet we have the same problem. Although, I never successfully downshifted or tried your method.

Easy enough to try that and the clutch cable after work.

Never underestimate the need to adjust the shifter. The pinch bolt in the tunnel can address many shifting problems. Took me a while to get it right but I rarely get any crunch now that is not completely operator error.

If you need new cone screws, check out the JWest ones.

It's synchronized, so you should be able to shift into first when moving, no problem. If shifting is worst cold then it sounds like bad synchos. They get old and rounded, especially 1st-2nd, usually the most used.

Your throw-out bearing shouldn't be touching anything in the clutch, so something's not right. Drive it for a while though, and check everything else first. Change the transmission fluid too, get some new detergents in there to clean things up. Keep in mind there's a characteristic called "SLAP", or "shifts like a Porsche." The transmissions are an old design and can be made to be acceptable, but they won't ever shift like modern cars.

Except the fingers on the pressure plate. Which it rides on continuously.

--DD

Yeah, good point. He said contacting the "springs" which I understood to be an old springed pressure plate, but it could mean the ends of the fingers of a diaphragm pressure plate.

Mis-name on my part, but I think I Dave figured out my lingo. And he confirmed that shiny "fingers" on the pressure plate is OK, right.

So back to Tim's thought: Should I tighten up the clutch cable? And how much... measured by nut turn, 1/2 turn, 1 turn, 2 turns?

Clark

Have you checked your shifter bushings?

In the Coupler, at the Firewall and at the side shifter in the rear?

Mine made all sorts of noises when these parts started deteriorating.

Vysoc

I have not checked them, but they are new. Pretty much this whole car is new, or fixed, or re-bushed, or re-re-built. I have been at it since 5/2011.

Wouldn't missing or worn bushings cause all gears to act up or be hard to find, etc....?

Absolutely!!