Help Please - Trouble engaging gear

M

mattp64

Member
Has anyone experienced problems engaging gears, specifically 1st? I've got an issue with my coupe that occurs when I’ve come to a standstill (at a traffic light for example), after being in neutral then depressing the clutch to engage 1st gear and move off it seems like there is something blocking the ratio from engaging. This has lead to a number of frustrating situations where the lights go green and I’m stuck waiting, trying to get the gear to engage. This only happens intermittently, and sometimes the gearbox is a peach.

The dealer looked at the issue a month ago when the car was serviced and topped up the gearbox oil because it was low. it improved the situation but the problem seems to be reoccurring.

My main question here is - has anyone else experienced this, and was there a resolution? Im concerned that if there is an issue with gearbox oil, it may be causing undue wear and problems in the future.

Car is a 57 3.0 coupe and has covered 18k miles.

Any help much appreciated! Matt
 
Next time it does it, count to 2 (to let the brake assist let go) and let it roll back just a little bit, should make it go into gear just fine. Mine only seems to have a problem when I've backed into the driveway and I'm putting it in 1st to shut down. Did you try to double clutch (clutch pedal depressed, move to neutral, clutch pedal up, clutch pedal depressed, shift into 1st)? Sometimes that works.
 
I have tried double clutching and pumping the clutch. It will engage after a few attempts, or if i force it in really hard, but that cant be good for the 'box. Brake assist isn't engaged - it often happens when the car has been in neutral with the handbrake on or whilst being held on the footbrake down hill... Will try the 2 second tactic next time it happens.
 
You could try putting it into second, then shifting it into first. That used to work well on another of my cars which would rarely go into 1st. I lived with the problem for about 60,000 miles. I found it easier not to bother leaving it in neutral at lights and staying in first.
 
I also have the problem, but only when i just started the car, when everything including gear oil is cold.
 
Yeah I've noticed it between Reverse & First, but as Shooter said, only when the car is cold & the temperarture outside is cold. I just do a slow run through all the gears (not moving of course) to help lube up the gears (or whatever happens) with the engine running. It's not usually too bad after that, and once the car is fully warmed up after being midly driven I don't notice it again for the rest of the day.
*edit- also it's not impossible to get into gear, just slightly difficult, requiring some muscle instead of the simple nudge. But yeah when it does that I don't force it, I just cycle through all the gears and that usually frees it up.

I saw in the Chiltons manual that it could be some of the linkage getting worn, but I think then you'd see it across all gears and temperatures.
 
Shooter said:
I also have the problem, but only when i just started the car, when everything including gear oil is cold.
Click to expand...

Same problem. It may happen once a week. When I can't engage first gear from netural, I put it in second and shift to first. It works all the times. As others said, it normally happens only when the car is cold.
 
These gearboxes are notchy and stiff, a good shove is often needed to get them into gear. Think of the power they have to handle and they need to be pretty heavy duty.Don't worry about it, mine does it occasionally and I let out the clutch, dip it again and it usually goes in, if not I bung it in 2nd and then go for 1st.That always works. :thumbsup:
 
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