Junkyard transmission only has 1st and R

[dmention7]

So I picked up a festiva sans transmission last fall, and I recently finally got around to putting everything back together with a junkyard 4-spd manual transmission I picked up. After (wisely) taking it for a mock-test drive with the front end jacked up, I was happy to learn that the engine seems to run just fine, but dismayed to realized that the tranny has some issues...

Shifting is stiff, but I can get it into all 4 gears + reverse. However, all the gears except 1st and R are "frozen" for lack of a better description. When I let the clutch out in those gears, the engine instantly dies as if the transmission is frozen up. Further, when I let the clutch out in the neutral position, the transmission appears to actually be stuck in reverse.

I've never played around actually inside a transmission before, so I'm having a little trouble visualizing exactly what the problem might be, but it seems to me like there is something fubar'd with the gear selection mechanism that is not properly engaging and/or disengaging gears as I shift--i.e. when I try to put it in any gear other than 1st or R, more than one gear is actually engaged, effectively binding things up.

I guess my question is, to the best of anyone's knowledge is this something where I could open up the transmission case, fiddle around with a few parts that are obviously out of place, and slap things back together? Or would I be best off seeking out a new tranny and leaving the repair of this broken one as a side project/learning experience?

Thanks!

[NovaSS]

sounds like maybe a shifter fork is damaged and it locked into two gears at once. I would remove the linkage and shift it from under the car into each gear WHILE ITS NOT RUNNING, maybe a shifter fork is damaged

Its not hard to open a tranny case, no real special tools needed but you have to ask yourself... why was the car / tranny in the junk yard in the first place?

[Bathtub Tom]

I know a guy who dismantled his gearbox (that's what they're called this side of the pond), and messed up the selector forks on re-assembly. It was engaging a forward gear and reverse at the same time.
The first time he started the engine, and put it in gear, he let up the clutch, and a very loud noise emanated from the gearbox!

[dmention7]

NovaSS, I got the same suggestion from a buddy who knows trannies pretty well. Makes sense to me, and I'll probably give that a try this week sometime.

With regards to cracking the tranny, I guess the main thing I was worried about is undoing all the bolts, lifting the cover off, and having a million little bits go spilling across my workbench... hehe

[Festy46]

Make sure you remove the 2 detent plug bolts, springs, and balls before you split the case or you WILL have parts spilling across your workbench.

[dmention7]

Okay, so just to verify, these are two plugs that go perpendicularly into the transmission case, with something like a 12 or 14mm bolt head? I seem to recall seeing these when I was putting the transmission in, and just want to double-check that I'm thinking of the right thing.

[jasonpaulbauer]

Yep Those are the ones... when you take them out there will be a spring and a small steel ball.

[Icedawg]

I would get another one and treat this one as a project. If you have never done a tranny before it could take you a while to learn how on this one.
If it does work in first then it can't be genuinely stuck in reverse. When you get it apart the problem could be obvious, or it could take a while to sort out. If it is the shift forks those are around $25 each and you have to take parts of the gear train apart to sort it out and fix it. It could also be the shift gate is bent and not letting the gear selector align right, which is a pretty easy fix. It could be the linking parts that engage reverse are broken and allowing it to partially slip into place, depending on what other gear is selected.

Here is a link to the shop manual for the G25mr tranny in the capri turbo. It is not the same tranny, but they are quite similar in assembly and design, so reading this through will give you an idea of what to look for and how to dissasemble it. (halfway down the linked page under transaxles) Perhaps someone else has a link to the e series tranny in the Festiva.
http://www.techcapri.com/Repair/Capr...ice_Manual.htm

[dmention7]

I appreciate the link... printing it as I type. Also, I did do a couple of forum searches for a similar manual for the festiva, but didn't turn up any active links. So if anyone has a link to that manual, it would also be appreciated.

[dmention7]

Hey, just wanted to post a follow-up... I pulled the tranny and split the case today, and immediately I noticed that the reverse idler gear shaft was out of place. It looked like the fork that engages the idler gear somehow popped out of the collar, so the reverse gear was partially engaged at all times. So luckily, that was a pretty simple fix.

I ran it through all 4 gears + reverse on the workbench, and everything seemed to operate as it should, so I'm about 98% sure I've got it straightened out. Although, sliding the shift forks along the shafts (i.e. 1-2 and 3-4 shifts) is still pretty notchy. For the time being I'm attributing that to the fact that there's probably a bit of corrosion between the gears and the shafts. Does anyone have any specific advice for alleviating that without getting into full rebuild territory?

Also, while I've got the case split, are there any obvious replacements warranted besides the output seals, and that don't require a lot more disassembly? I'm fairly pleased with myself for getting this fixed on my own, and I'd hate to bugger it up by being overambitious... lol

[Icedawg]

Check out the bearings on the diff. You can change those without needing to change any set up. Bearings on the input shaft might need you to redo the preloads, which requires tools and knowledge. Measure the gap on the synchros to see if they are still inside spec. Spec should be the same as for the G series notes you already downloaded. 'Course if you need to replace them you need to do harder work than you have had to to fix the problem so you might not want to.