1. Home
  2. Automotive Technologies
  3. First gear fails on 74 Chevy

First gear fails on 74 Chevy

Believe it or not my 1974 Chevy Nova, with 200K or 300K... miles on it, finally decides to have transmission problems.

Couple months ago I noticed that when I started from a dead stop the trans would intermittently pop out of first gear.

More recently, say 60 days later and after my son's been driving the car around, I find that I rarely get the thing into first gear. Ensuring the clutch is completely depressed to the floor I still find that my attempt to shift into first gear results in grinding gears. Sometimes, rarely, I can successfully get it into first and at that point it appears to behave normally.

To correct this, is there something to adjust or am I looking at having the transmission opened up and worked on.

Thanks in advance, Charlie

Reply to
Charlie
Loading thread data ...

When's the last time it had a fresh clutch? 30 years on a clutch is one helluva run...

Failing that, might be a linkage issue going on.

Reply to
Don Bruder

Alternately, if it has a synchro first, might be the first gear synchro going.

In any case, if the tranny comes out for any reason, a fresh clutch would be a good idea, along with pressure plate, throwout bearing, and pilot bearing. "While you're in there..."

nate

Reply to
N8N

If the clutch is mechanical, then I would be checking the adjustment or the linkage pivots for wear.

A worn out engine or tranny mount can make a mechanical linkage go off too.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

I bet this is related to the age of the son driving the car recently. A bit too many downshifts into first at too high of speeds may have toasted those old synchronizers.

Reply to
Al Bundy

And on that note, might as well replace the rear main seal.

-j

Reply to
Josh Wyatt

Fixed. The problem lay with the mechanism connecting the driver's shifting lever to the levers on the transmission. The nuts connecting the rods between the driver's shifting lever and the transmission had worked loose and created excessive play in the linkage. Tightened up the bolts, eliminated the play, and now all is well.

Thanks guys for your suggestions.

Cheers, Charlie

Charlie wrote:

Reply to
Charlie

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.