hello all, this is my first post in 914 club forums
i have a 75 914 2.0 which has always worked well.
recently we went on family vacation for two weeks, and suddenly, when we came back, the 914 wouldnt shift into 2nd or 4th anymore. if you try to shift into 2nd, it will immediately pop out of gear, then if you try again, it will just grind
this leads me to believe that the synchro hubs are bad.
if this is indeed the problem, is there any kind of miracle fix (say, only use 1, 3 and 5 gears ), or should i just start saving to have someone rebuild the transmission?
thanks

edit: if you happen to know any good porsche/vw mechanics in the southwest florida area, id love to hear about them

Welcome! Check the linkage, especially at the base of the shifter. It sounds like you're not going far enough into those 2 gears to fully engage the synchros. Make sure the ball cup on the side shift arm is intact, as well as the coupler and shift console bushings. Make sure the cone screws are tight. The Cap'n

The Cap'n speaks the gospel... There are a handful of bushings in the linkage between the shifter and the transmission. Find a supplier like Pelican, GPR, or even the dealership and replace them all. This will tell you if you even have a problem with the transmission.

Maybe Paul will pipe in here about good mechanics in Florida... URY914?

its a shiftrod bushings or shifter adjustment problem. Order new bushings/screws etc and replace 'em.

As the Cap'n said: probably the coned set screw.
If this happened suddenly, it is probably the coned set screw. I advise against removing it completely from the threaded hole. Just tighten reasonably or you will strip the threads out.
Where the coned set screws are if you don't know:
Look underneath the 914 just where the shift rod comes thru the firewall and connects in that universal joint looking metal part to the long shifter bar.
That is where the main cone set screw that normally needs tightening will be.
Also another coned set screw is on the rear end of the long shifter bar as it connects to the shift lever arm on the tranny.

MikeCool

its gone from bad to worse...
we put the car up on jacks, and the floorpan cracked on the bottom. how much would this be to get fixed? i imagine the entire frame is rusting though. it might be time to part out the car

Check the usual places for rust if it is as bad as you think get yourself a good

tub, fix what rust it has and paint it. Than just put your parts on it.

You can adjust the linkage (shift rod) and make it a little longer. If it goes into 2nd

and 4th then you know it is most likely bushings. Or it could be out of adjustment.