my '71 w/tailshifter started to pop out of first gear occasionally, now it wont stay in at all. no problems with the other gears and reverse. fairly new shifter bushings and clutch has been adjusted. any thoughts? thank you

Probably get ahold of Dr. Evil as hes in your area ( I think) he can sort you out.

If all of your external stuff it in good shape, then the teeth and or band are shot.

This aint the one you built at the clinic, is it?

no, that one is going in the 72 on the rotisserie, this is the yellow 71 that I have been driving a lot this year. it never shifted well, is it possible that the linkage is adjusted incorrectly? how you be, btw.

I am alive....long story

You have to verify that all is healthy and adjusted in the linkage before you go into the transmission. However, tail shifters are notorious for crappy shifting at their best. BUT, it should stay in gear. Any other gears messed up?

no all the other gears are fine including reverse, which makes me think your first thought is accurate. first has always been wonky. I hope all is well.

Autopsy time

still in the parts business?

The following article may help, if you decide to dig in:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/9...anny_repair.htm

--DD

You know it, man. I cant keep away. I got what you need

I finally had the time to address the woes, swapped the whole first gear assembly with the one done at the clinic, what is the trick to replace the tail cone? first gear dogs we toast as was the synchro band.

The cone should be easy, unless you are doing it with engine in car. If that is the case, a little heavy grease holds the washer and flat bearing in place. When you say you swapped 1st, did you swap the idler gear and the little gear on the end of the shaft, too? You must keep these all together as one happy family. Make sure to TQ the big-ass-bolt to 80-90ft/lb. Uses a deep 30mm.

I did not swap the idler gear, I guess I will be doing that today. thank you. the engine and trans are in the car.

Anytime, man. Glad I can help.

I must have fuched something up, now it wont shift at all, the lever wont move and it was difficult to reassemble. going to go back out and take it apart again. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I had to leave it alone for a few minutes because I started to reach for a bfh.

Tail shifters are the biggest PITA and for lower performance.

You must make sure the shifter rod in the box that is actuated by the tail cone stuff is not dislocated. Then, you must make sure the mechanism in the tail cone is lines up and engaged with that rod. If you dislodged the internal main shift rod, you need to relocated it first and foremost. Hard to explain, a PITA to do. Sorry. Wish you lived closer as it would take me a second.

thanks mike, I appreciate the attention. when I take it apart again, should I remove the speedo drive? I think it was in first gear when I took it apart the first time now I have no idea.

Speedo can stay in. It needs to be in neutral when you assemble it so that the internal rod has some play to mate with the external tail cone shift mech. Do you have the little plate on the tail cone? That needs to come off to get the parts to mate properly.

BTW, neutral means the rod can easily be rotated. In and out = shifting gears.

the plate is off but it looks like I may got the linkage in wrong. I am now taking apart again. hopefully I didn't destroy anything when I put it back together.

Probably not. Pretty resilient things. Probably stuck it in a gear.

its apart, no damage, first slides in and out by hand. I am assuming that slid all the way back, dogs not in contact, is neutral.

so far, I am the vishnu of dumbasses.

"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds"

All the way back is Reverse. Neutral would have the slider just at the edge of the 1st gear band.

What is the main shift rod doing when you are shifting 1st around? If you accidentally select a gear, you can trap the shifter mechanism where the dong meets the rods that select the gears. Hard to describe....I know. At work so no pics.

pics tomorrow before I proceed, aside from trip to flaps for goops and fluids I have been under that fucher for 9 hours.

Ya, I am working today and the next two so no time for pics. I have the guts on hand to explain....no time.

thank you, I appreciate the guidance, at your leasure.

the tail cone is back in, thanks for guidance doc. it feels like it shifts better than it ever has. it almost feels like it has a gate. now to address a missing exhaust stud.

Woot

going to stick to the old adage," if it aint broke don't fix it", the exhaust stud is broken off in the head, I have 2 months of driving left so it is going to stay that way. I will pull the engine in the fall. it has not been popping nor is it loud, I suspect it has been this way since I got the car 3 years ago. I only noticed it while inspecting the trans.

finally buttoned everything up and went for a test drive. what a difference, shifts into first, no nicking or grinding, shifts into all gears nicely and even into first while rolling. did not even have to adjust linkage. thanks for the help everyone. still have some time left to drive it.

Always happy when I get reports back on a build