VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1940 chevy - first gear does not shift

Discribed my Problem Years ago on this Thread
https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/416316/re-frame-off-1940.html#Post416316
Now its Time for the first Ride, but the Problem does still exist. My car is an RHD, so there is a linkage from right to left to shift the gears. The Threads are re-cutted and now the Linkage fits into the holes from the Gearbox Shifter Cover. Reverse, 2 and 3 are ok. But the first gear can not be changed at all or very difficult, or jumps out again when I release the clutch. How could this happen? The shifting R/1 to 2/3 is done only by the upper small lever without vacuum support, isn't it? That seems to be okay, since the reverse gear works. Find the Mistake? Why only the First. If something were wrong with the linkage, the 3rd would not work either? Did some changes in the Linkage, but nothing works. Shifting per Hand directly at the gearbox is fine. SO there istz noc Problem with the Box

Andre: The small lever being improperly adjusted is what is causing your difficulties in shifting. I had just the opposite problem after I "fixed" the small shifting rod with a new shifting rod. I could not shift from 1st to 2nd or 3rd without a tremendous gnashing of gears. The upper small lever moves towards the rear of the car as you pull the shifting lever in the car back to shift into 1st or reverse. Conversely as you move the lever forward in neutral to shift into 2nd or 3rd the small lever moves all the way forward and allows the transmission to shift into 2nd and 3rd. The only success I have ever had at adjusting the small lever is by unhooking both levers at the transmission, setting the shifting lever in the car so that it is parallel with the horizontal spoke of the steering wheel. The wheels must be straight ahead so that the spokes of the steering wheel are perfectly horizontal. Now for the fun part. Under the car unhook both levers. Put the large lever in neutral. You should be able to feel 3 detents, one all the way forward, one in the middle and one all the way aft. If you cannot feel the detents you will have to approximate the middle which is neutral. Next, recheck inside the car to make sure the shifting lever is still parallel with steering wheel spoke. Next, hook up the large shifting rod by adjusting it so that it fits easily into the large lever on the transmission- do not allow the large lever on the transmission to move as you adjust and hook up the large shifting rod. Now reach up and move the small lever fore and aft, you should be able to feel detents here also and you should put the small lever in the middle detent. Once again if you cannot feel the detents you will have to judge where the middle detent (neutral) is. Now adjust the small rod so that it fits easily into the small lever. Adjusting the large and small shifting rods is best done with 2 people, one up top to adjust the rods and one below to tell him when each rod is adjusted correctly. If you do it by yourself I guarantee sore quadriceps the next day 'cause you are going be getting up and down many times. Good Luck.

Hello Mike, sounds like a Plan ;-) Will do my very best. Thanks. At one point, the first and reverse were very close together, so the way to pull the lever would be very very small. Pulling the lever all the way let the first gear scratch or it did not shift in

Hello Mike, thanks for this great Tip. After thinking about it, that is the only right way to do this. So i did it in about half an hour and could take the first ride after 5 years of Restauration. I am so happy and it makes a lot of fun.

Alligator,
Congratulations! You have put a smile on all our faces with your update.

Andre: Great!!! Glad you are on the road. Was hoping the mechanical translation from RHD to the transmission wouldn't change things and apparently it didn't.

Alligator,
I believe your transmission has new synchro rings that are glued in with a Loctite product, is that correct. This appears to be a solution to a technical problem in that the factory secured them in a way that is difficult to duplicate.

Yes, that is correct.
https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/270938/re-1940-synchronizer-rings.html#Post270938

Very interesting discussion for me. Shifting out of my first gear works...but I do need to grab the shifter and pull it out of gear with some effort...enough that on past occasions I would tap reverse, not good. That hasn't happened in quite a while as I've learned to adjust the amount of force used in pulling out of first. So drivable but I worry from this thread discussion that a linkage adjustment may be wise, but I'm uncertain. How easy should it be to lift the shifter out of first? Very little effort, lifting with a couple of fingers or is some resistance to be expected? I should add that the first step in the adjustment process noted by Mike above is to place shifter in neutral, parallel with the steering wheel spoke. With my 40 when I do this, the shifter drops from a 3:00 to 4:00 position, so quite a bit of play, so perhaps the problem here is something other than linkage adjustment? Appreciate any thoughts on this.

The lever should go very easily, without resistance ( if the motor runs!).
I rather suspect that your vacuum support is not working. Their setting / function you should first check. Possibly also the small filter is clogged

My apologies....I should have noted that my vehicle had the vacuum assist removed before I got it. So not having the vacuum assist would be a possible/likely cause of resistance to coming out of first gear? Otherwise, the transmission shifts easily from second to third ....and from third to second with less effort when driving. The extra effort is just to lift out of first and once out it slides into second without issue. Sorry I didn't provide a better explanation the first time.

Oh, no Vaccum? That might be the Propblem. For me it is very difficult to shift without the Vaccum help. But my car is a LH Drive and I have to switch over a linkage, which certainly does not make the whole thing easier.

Thanks Andre. I can imagine your configuration is an even greater challenge and good to see that Mike's linkage adjustment procedure solved your problem. I hesitant to pursue installing the vacuum assist unit both because I expect one would be difficult to locate and because I have read that they can present temperamental and difficult to maintain in correct adjustment, which caused many owners to abandon them. No idea if this is fact or fiction. Perhaps others will provide comments on their experiences driving vehicles with and without these units. I tend to think, at this point, I should try Mike's linkage adjustment procedure and see what results. Cheers.