Z32 Tranny, no 2nd, 4th or reverse

[Mikester]

Z32 TT trans in S13 (SR20)

As stated, out of the blue, I had no 2nd, 4th or reverse. Nothing went 'pop' or snapped, no weird noises, no grinded shifts etc... 1st, 3rd & 5th work like champs- drove the car home 25+ miles in traffic./freeway no additional woes. Clutch, PP, MC, pivot, slave etc are all either new or in perfect working order... again, tranny itself seems to operate nice & smooth in the gears I CAN get into lol

Before I drove the car home, I got under it and found the shifter mechanism was loose, so I tightened it all up... Still no 2,4 or R...

My theory is that maybe the return spring fingers came off-track when the shifter was loose; not allowing the striker to go forward (2nd, 4th, R)... Does this sound logical?

I apologize for not searching- anyone who posts from a gov't computer will vouch for why lol

Will try Google in the meantime, but wonder if anyone here may have had this 'experience'

Thanks~

Mike

[jr_ss]

Definitely sounds like a linkage issue, perhaps internally though, rather than externally. You'll probably have to pull it out to do this, but I'd pop that top inspection plate off and see if anything is obvious. You could have a broken gear selector bar causing the issue. Any warranty offered through the company you purchased it from? I'd let them deal with it, just swap bell housings and call it a day.

[Mikester]

Fuck! I've got MAYBE 150mi on it at best.

Broken linkage wouldn't have some type of sound associated? I literally backed it into a parking spot just fine, came back out, started it up and had no 'back' gears but no weird sounds etc- nothing.

Just pulled the return spring caps & reverse sensor- nothing. Only other thing I can do externally is see if the shifter is somehow binding with the bracket. Also gonna pull the neutral sensor. There doesn't seem to be any reason to suspect anything else under the inspection plate- if any of the pins came out, I figure it wouldn't go into any gear(?)

[jr_ss]

Well based on the FSM, it can't be your shift forks. 1/2, 3/4, and OD/reverse are paired together. I think it would be a bit strange that only one side of those pairings don't engage.

What does it do when you try to put it into those gears Mike? No noises at all, will it go into gear or just hit a wall? Seeing as all the gears you are trying to get into are pulling back on the shifter(which actually pushes the shifting forks forward) perhaps you have a sheared pin or something binding in the trans. There are quite a few things accessible through that inspection plate on top, including the shift and selector lever, striking arm and a portion of the control rod, that makes everything in the trans happen(shifting wise).

[waxball88]

Oddly enough my KA trans did something similar, parked on a decline stayed at a buddies place, next morning no 3rd gear. Never got around to pulling the trans apart, maybe i'll do that tomorrow.

[Mikester]

Well based on the FSM, it can't be your shift forks. 1/2, 3/4, and OD/reverse are paired together. I think it would be a bit strange that only one side of those pairings don't engage.

What does it do when you try to put it into those gears Mike? No noises at all, will it go into gear or just hit a wall? Seeing as all the gears you are trying to get into are pulling back on the shifter(which actually pushes the shifting forks forward) perhaps you have a sheared pin or something binding in the trans. There are quite a few things accessible through that inspection plate on top, including the shift and selector lever, striking arm and a portion of the control rod, that makes everything in the trans happen(shifting wise).

Well that's good to know-Thanks Glenn!

It hits a wall when trying to pull the shifter back (push striking rod fwd)... No grinds or anything... Just like a wall. Either way, it sounds like the trans needs to come out to really get a look... Taking it to Andy's Monday. Luckily, it drives like a dream with the 3 gears that work haha! We're either gonna be able to fix it; or I'll have to split the spare & put it in this casing.

Fun.

Will report back... Got weddings to go to today & tomorrow...

[foreverdeath]

i know exactle how something like this could happen on any FWD tranny, but on a RWD tranny hmmm, mabye you bent the shifter and its hitting some thing try removeing the shifter and shifting it with a screw driver or bar. moving the shift rod towards the firewall would put it into 2,4,r. i dug into my transmision book from class last year it could be;
-interference with shift lever
-damaged syncro (usally only for one gear, unless it will go into gear with the engine off)
-damaged shift linkage
-restricted travel of shift form
basicly your problem is most likely in the rear of the housing where the shifter drops in.

[Mikester]

^^The shifter is not bent. ..and it's not where the shifter drops in b/c a Z32 shifter does not drop into the tranny like a KA or SR.

[Ka-t in progress]

To me,Coming from the same issue,yet in srt4's,it was the slave wasn't pushing far enough to shift,had to drop a ball bearing in it to allow it to push just a tad bit farther and let it engage. Also maybe sounds like blocking rings,yet strange for it to be in all the gears.does it shift with the car not running? If it was a synchro it would pop back out of gear more than likely. Also have u tried to rev match to see if it will go in?

[racepar1]

It's definitely a linkage/selector mechanism issue. It is not a coincidence that all the gears with a problem are gears that you pull the shifter back to get into. You may have to pull the trans and take it apart to figure it out...

I have had a similar issue on one of my KA trannies. My buddy drove it for the last session at a track day and when I got in to leave I had no 4th, 5th, or reverse. When we stopped to get gas I got pissed and started smashing the shifter into gears untill I got 4th and reverse back and drove it home. When I took the trans apart I was expecting to find something obviously wrong, but I didn't. All I found was a damaged shift fork. I replaced the forks with a set from a junk donor trans, put it back together, and everything was fine.

[Mikester]

^^Thanks man. I'm expecting something silly like that little spherical link that goes into the striking rod to be either broken or no longer connected due to the shifter previously being loose... only because like Glenn said, 1/2, 3/4 & 5/R ride on separate different forks; so the likelihood of it being something past the rear plate linkage (knock on wood) is hopefully pretty slim. Yesterday, I messed with it some more, pulled the driveshaft out of the way so I could see everything better- nothing appears to be wrong externally. Gonna pull it tonight at Andy's shop & take a look. I suppose it could be one of the 2 retaining pins, but I feel likee if it were that; I'd have NO gears at all(?)

Of course, I emailed Zcarfever (seller) and told him what's going on. He basically said that it's either an installation problem, my car makes too much power for it (lol); or I drove it with no gear oil (lol again)... except he was a lot more condescending in his response- douche.

[jr_ss]

Of course, I emailed Zcarfever (seller) and told him what's going on. He basically said that it's either an installation problem, my car makes too much power for it (lol); or I drove it with no gear oil (lol again)... except he was a lot more condescending in his response- douche.

Of course he is going to point to another reason it shit the bed, besides it being a bad transmission. He's not going to take any responsibility because he'd be out money. I'd stay on him, let him know the transmission was professionally installed and you're using a 4cyl, it makes no where near the trq the 3.0 V6 it was behind did.

He's basically looking for a way out. I can't stand people being condescending. That would've made for an interesting conversation for me to say the least. Good luck with it this evening!

[racepar1]

Of course, I emailed Zcarfever (seller) and told him what's going on. He basically said that it's either an installation problem, my car makes too much power for it (lol); or I drove it with no gear oil (lol again)... except he was a lot more condescending in his response- douche.

This is pretty typical of all sellers. Honestly in the same situation I would have the same initial response, granted I would try to be less condescending and accusational. I would stay on him a bit and see if he gets more reasonable with some more time to think about it. Honestly the trans most likely came out of a junkyard, probably not a running car. Z 5-speeds are all over the place in the yards, I'm surprised more people don't pull them and sell them.

[jr_ss]

Hey Mike! Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike! Guess what daayyyy it is? Huuuuump daaaaaay!

Sorry, I had too, that commercial cracks me up...

Any luck?

[Mikester]

^^^LOL that camel is effing hilarious! Thanks I needed that~

Unfortunately, I've got a ton of stuff happening atm. Long story short- Something had to give; so I rescheduled with Andy... she will have to sit till we can hit it on a Saturday. I'm slammed this weekend... Andy's gonna be out of town the weekend after; so it'll realistically be about 2.5wks till I can yank it out & see wtf is going on. I could do it myself, but pulling a tranny in the absence of a lift is much more 'fun' with 2 people.

Will update with pics (if applicable) when I get it out. Sorry everyone for the delay; and thanks for all of your inputs so far!

[fliprayzin240sx]

Fuck that, I'm not pulling that heavy ass tranny without a lift and a tranny jack. KA/SR trannies are one thing to catch but RB/Z32s...nopes.

PS: I waved at you/Scott AFB while I was driving thru Monday on my way to Norcal...

[Mikester]

^^DICK!!! You obviously passed right thru St. Louis; and I was off work all day Monday. Wish you would've let me know.

[Mikester]

Fixed this yesterday... Found 2 relatively simple problems:

1. Mazworx had sent me the shifter with the spacer where the shift arm screws together installed backwards; and it was hitting on the back part of the shifter.

2. Under the tranny front plate, the washer/snap ring on the main fork rod (under the 2 long front plate bolts) came off... sorta wedged in there, precluding any possibility of the fork being able to travel fwd to engage 2nd, 4th or reverse.

Did some further adjustments to the linkage, clutch piston rod etc...

She is now better than ever- Just ask the guy in the Camaro who couldn't seem to understand that he wasn't gonna be able to pass me if I didn't want to let him. I think that's what the cop prolly told him too when he finally got pulled over hahahahahaha!