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Can’t get into any gear

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hybrid707
  • Start date Start date Jul 15, 2020
  • Tags Tags
    clutch cable transmission
H

Hybrid707

Member
Feb 26, 2020
40
3
18
California
Jul 15, 2020
#1
  • Jul 15, 2020
  • #1
Hello, I recently bought a 95 GT and have been having a problem occasionally where only when I’m not moving (like at a stop light or stop sign) it will not let me into gear with the clutch pedal all the way to the floor, I can force it into gear if I push hard enough and it won’t grind but it is an extreme amount of force needed to the point of where it feels like I might break my shifter. My pedal is “mushy” all the way until it’s basically on the floor and even then it takes minimal effort when at the bite point
I thought it might be the clutch cable adjusted incorrectly because it was a bbk adjustable cable so I just changed it out with a stock ford cable but while installing the only way to get the cable onto the fork once it was placed into the stock quadrant was to hold up on the pedal to give me enough slack to get the clutch fork end in. After all of this I can no longer get it into gear at all. Would it likely be that I had to somewhat force the clutch cable to fit by holding up on the pedal?
I’m about 85% sure it’s not the tranny because supposedly it was rebuilt and while testing and shifting clutchless all of the synchros seem fine and when using the clutch when it works it had no slippage or anything. Anyone have any ideas I should check for next ?
 

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
20+ Year Stangneter
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#2
  • Jul 15, 2020
  • #2
It's not the transmission. Clutch is probably shot. Once it gets all wobbly, it will do that.

Kurt
 
H

Hybrid707

Member
Feb 26, 2020
40
3
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California
Jul 15, 2020
#3
  • Jul 15, 2020
  • #3
revhead347 said:
It's not the transmission. Clutch is probably shot. Once it gets all wobbly, it will do that.

Kurt
Click to expand...
That’s what I was thinking too, I’ve just never had a clutch that doesn’t slip but does that. The only other thing I would think of is the tob because if I started it in gear with clutch to the floor it would still lurch toward as if I was starting it clutchless in gear

thank you for all the help with my random problems Kurt !
 

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
20+ Year Stangneter
Jun 14, 2004
9,301
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Acworth, GA
Jul 15, 2020
#4
  • Jul 15, 2020
  • #4
Hybrid707 said:
That’s what I was thinking too, I’ve just never had a clutch that doesn’t slip but does that. The only other thing I would think of is the tob because if I started it in gear with clutch to the floor it would still lurch toward as if I was starting it clutchless in gear

thank you for all the help with my random problems Kurt !
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's definitely a clutch problem. You're going to have to pull that transmission and see what's going on in there.

Kurt
 
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jozsefsz

15 Year Member
Aug 11, 2013
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124
Cleveland OH Area
Jul 15, 2020
#5
  • Jul 15, 2020
  • #5
I'd suggest (before dropping the transmission) you check your stock quadrant for any missing teeth or other problems. They went bad in huge numbers on the Fox Mustangs, I can't imagine the old plastic gears will last forever on an SN95 either. Since the cable is fine, with missing teeth it may not disengage enough to let you get into gear. I'm with you that I've not experienced a bad clutch that doesn't slip, not being able to get into gear usually isn't a clutch failure-mode.
 
Reactions: revhead347

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
20+ Year Stangneter
Jun 14, 2004
9,301
1,643
214
Acworth, GA
Jul 15, 2020
#6
  • Jul 15, 2020
  • #6
jozsefsz said:
I'd suggest (before dropping the transmission) you check your stock quadrant for any missing teeth or other problems. They went bad in huge numbers on the Fox Mustangs, I can't imagine the old plastic gears will last forever on an SN95 either. Since the cable is fine, with missing teeth it may not disengage enough to let you get into gear. I'm with you that I've not experienced a bad clutch that doesn't slip, not being able to get into gear usually isn't a clutch failure-mode.
Click to expand...

Very good advice. I didn't even think of that.

Kurt
 
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H

Hybrid707

Member
Feb 26, 2020
40
3
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California
Jul 17, 2020
#7
  • Jul 17, 2020
  • #7
jozsefsz said:
I'd suggest (before dropping the transmission) you check your stock quadrant for any missing teeth or other problems. They went bad in huge numbers on the Fox Mustangs, I can't imagine the old plastic gears will last forever on an SN95 either. Since the cable is fine, with missing teeth it may not disengage enough to let you get into gear. I'm with you that I've not experienced a bad clutch that doesn't slip, not being able to get into gear usually isn't a clutch failure-mode.
Click to expand...
I will check it tomorrow, I think it may have something to do with my problems because I’ve also just never had the cable be so hard to put on to the point that I need 2 people to install it, and when starting it in gear with foot on the clutch it rolls forward which I would expect to happen if the cable snapped or something (I melted a cable in my 94 and started it and drove it home in first)
 
H

Hybrid707

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Feb 26, 2020
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California
Jul 17, 2020
#8
  • Jul 17, 2020
  • #8
revhead347 said:
Very good advice. I didn't even think of that.

Kurt
Click to expand...
I forgot to tell you, apparently the throw out bearing was replaced 3 weeks before I got the car and the clutch didn’t look too bad while the transmission was out, granted a lot can happen in 3 weeks wear wise if it was at the end of its life
 

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
20+ Year Stangneter
Jun 14, 2004
9,301
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Acworth, GA
Jul 17, 2020
#9
  • Jul 17, 2020
  • #9
Hybrid707 said:
I forgot to tell you, apparently the throw out bearing was replaced 3 weeks before I got the car and the clutch didn’t look too bad while the transmission was out, granted a lot can happen in 3 weeks wear wise if it was at the end of its life
Click to expand...

A cheap throwout bearing can easily fail in 3 weeks. I've had them fail immediately.

Kurt
 
H

Hybrid707

Member
Feb 26, 2020
40
3
18
California
Jul 17, 2020
#10
  • Jul 17, 2020
  • #10
revhead347 said:
A cheap throwout bearing can easily fail in 3 weeks. I've had them fail immediately.

Kurt
Click to expand...
That’s true, same here. How would I go about checking if it’s the teeth on the quadrant ? I thought once you popped it off the stock one was done for , although I could be wrong
 

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
20+ Year Stangneter
Jun 14, 2004
9,301
1,643
214
Acworth, GA
Jul 17, 2020
#11
  • Jul 17, 2020
  • #11
Hybrid707 said:
That’s true, same here. How would I go about checking if it’s the teeth on the quadrant ? I thought once you popped it off the stock one was done for , although I could be wrong
Click to expand...

I generally just pull the dust cover off the clutch fork. Shine a flash light in there and rotate the engine over by hand to look for broken stuff.

Kurt
 
R

rockyracoon

10 Year Member
Nov 23, 2005
874
27
49
margate NJ
Jul 17, 2020
#12
  • Jul 17, 2020
  • #12
I would first try an aftermarket quadrant. It would be good to have even if its not a problem with the stock self adjusting unit.
 
T

TheLeech405

Member
Feb 23, 2020
12
7
13
Oklahoma City
Jul 21, 2020
#13
  • Jul 21, 2020
  • #13
Inspect the clutch cable. I'm actually dealing with a bad clutch cable on a customer's car right now. On cold start it is fine fir about 60 seconds. But once any heat gets to it, the pedal gets very spongy, and the functionality of the clutch is destroyed. You can tell on a hot start that with the car in first and foot all the way on the clutch, car lurches forward ever so slightly unless I put my foot on the brake. His cable was a SR Performance cable from American Muscle. The outer material ripped and is allowing the metal to be exposed. This is right where the cable goes through the little hole in the bellhousing before attaching to the fork. Definitely start with the cable and adjustment, before tearing anything major apart.
 
H

Hybrid707

Member
Feb 26, 2020
40
3
18
California
Sep 30, 2020
#14
  • Sep 30, 2020
  • #14
Late reply to the thread but I figured out my input shaft bearing was non existent and I could draw 8s with my input shaft. It destroyed my clutch and all my bearings pretty bad from the movement
 
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revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
20+ Year Stangneter
Jun 14, 2004
9,301
1,643
214
Acworth, GA
Oct 1, 2020
#15
  • Oct 1, 2020
  • #15
Ugh, that sounds miserable.

Kurt
 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair
20+ Year Stangneter
Aug 25, 2016
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polk county florida
Oct 2, 2020
#16
  • Oct 2, 2020
  • #16
I'm surprised it didn't chatter worse than be'n nekid in a snow storm.
 
Reactions: Hybrid707 and revhead347
H

Hybrid707

Member
Feb 26, 2020
40
3
18
California
Oct 13, 2020
#17
  • Oct 13, 2020
  • #17
Update part 2: while dropping the tranny I noticed my driveshaft was only about 1/2 way into the tailshaft of the tranny and though it was odd and that maybe I had the wrong driveshaft. Come to find today after buying a new trans, it was a fox t5 in the car. Never thought to check until I went to put the the bellhousing on the new trans and then saw the extra plug for for the cruise control on top
 

revhead347

Apparently my ex-husband made that mistake.
20+ Year Stangneter
Jun 14, 2004
9,301
1,643
214
Acworth, GA
Oct 14, 2020
#18
  • Oct 14, 2020
  • #18
Hybrid707 said:
Update part 2: while dropping the tranny I noticed my driveshaft was only about 1/2 way into the tailshaft of the tranny and though it was odd and that maybe I had the wrong driveshaft. Come to find today after buying a new trans, it was a fox t5 in the car. Never thought to check until I went to put the the bellhousing on the new trans and then saw the extra plug for for the cruise control on top
Click to expand...

A factory driveshaft with a Fox transmission will work, it just doesn't get as much contact in the splines. It's a simple fix, you don't need another driveshaft, just buy a spacer for it. I know Steeda sells one.

Kurt
 
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