A few weeks ago I was going down the freeway and driving just fine, then when I exited and started to drive down the road, I noticed all the sudden it would not go in any gears, not down or up, and every time I tried I would get the horrendous grinding sound.

The clutch pedal felt fine so when I pulled over I looked under thinking maybe the clutch cable loosened so it wouldn't disengage, but that was all fine.

• I noticed I can get it in gear when it's off (all of them including reverse)
• The car starts when it's not in gear fine, then when I try to go in gear would grind or stall immediately.
• When I try to put in in gear and start it with the clutch pedal in, it would just lurch forward as if you were starting it in gear with no clutch pedal in.
• Its a side shift tranny, and I haven't had any issues shifting or noise prior to this situation.

My thought is maybe the throwout bearing? but someone mentioned maybe the main input shaft bearing?

Id like a better idea of pinpointing the issue as it's a decision to pull the tranny, or both the motor and the tranny.

As of now its back on Jack stands and waiting

Click to view attachment

clutch cable fraying clutch coming loose in tunnel pivot in trans broke

I just bout this 75 1.8 last week same problems. trying to sort out the grinding first and cant find fourth gear problem. new bushings and clutch cable adjustment to start. hopefully the cheep fix will do it.Click to view attachment

Try pulling the access plate behind the shift lever and look while working the clutch pedal to see if the tube that the clutch cable is in moves.

I’d guess it’s the clutch cable rather than a bearing. Sounds as if the clutch fork is not being pulled enough to disengage the pressure plate.

Have someone depress the clutch pedal while you watch the movement at the trans. If all seems ok I second the clutch cable tube coming loose in the tunnel.

Would the clutch feel the same as it would when it was working with the cable stretching? Because it has the same resistance and return.

I was playing with it when I first put it up on jack stands with the wheels off and in first and second I can get it in gear, and get the hubs moving, but it seems to be stalling the motor out and I can't get a consistent pull, maybe just some more slipping and clutch adjustment ?

I have not had to adjust or any issues since a put a new clutch cable in a little bit ago. So it's not the original cable.

Check the clutch tube.

Probably broken lose, it can break off in the front (just north of the shifter) and/or in the back where it goes through the firewall.

Unbold your shifter console, turn it to gain access to the tunnel and see if you can move the clutch tube with your fingers. If the answer is yes, you found your problem.

Also good to check is the pivot mount on the pedal cluster where the cable attaches and make sure that isn't broken either.

Look in the access hole just below the back pad too. How much pedal free play at the pedal? With the engine off. Did you double nut the cable? Check the set screws. Inspect the rear ball cup bushing while the cover is off. Takes 15 minutes. Start ruling things out.

Just lowered my 3.2 from jack stands. I found that the cone screw had backed out from where the front rod universal joint meets the rear rod. And then just as i was double checking things discovered that one of the 12 mm nuts had backed off the transmission mount and the one on the other side was trying to do the same. The movement of the transmission was probably enough to cause trouble.
The cone screw left me almost stranded last year in Portland. I tightened it again and will keep an eye on it. The mount nuts were torqued to spec and are nyloc. Any advice is welcome, but i sure didn’t see that coming.

Did you locktight the cone screw?