Toploader stuck in 3rd?

[DK832]

I have a Toploader behind a very healthy 351W, delivering to a 3.70 geared 9" with Detroit Locker. The Hurst shift is sloppy and I'm waiting for the complete install kit from Summit to redo the control box.

Saturday I'm out cruising and during an accelleration 1-2-3rd I'm unable to shift to 4th or even get it out of 3rd.
My mechanic tells me that this can happen and that 2 gears are selected at the same time, preventing anything from happening. I did drive it home in 3rd, so how can that be?

He tried readjusting the sloppy rods, putting in some spacers etc. but it will eventually get stuck in either 2nd or 3rd. He thinks something more than the control box might be affected. I'm not very knowledgeable about Toploaders besides what I read on Toploaderheaven.com, so opinions appreciated!
Will the install kit (control box) fix the issue or should I take the tranny down and go through the insides as well? The tranny (and not the shifter) was redone 5 yrs ago and has had about 20.000 mi on it since.

 

[69 Rustang]

I do know a sloppy shifter can cause these problems (and a good one prevent them). When I was running the stock shifter in my 69 it would occasionnally get stuck between Reverse and 1st--which locks your tranny and you can't go anywhere!!! I would have to rock the car while jimmying the shifter to unlock it to move again. Finally I upgraded to a new Hurst Comp Plus and the problem never recurred again. If you have bent the shift forks, well that could be another problem...

 

[dennis112]

A bad shifter will give you all kinds of problems.

I am not saying that you didn't break something inside the tranny, but the design of the toploader shift rails (inside the case) pretty much prevent you from putting it into 2 gears at once. You certainly are only in one gear if you were able to drive home.

 

[DK832]

Thanks, I'll fix the control box and see if that fixes all problems then.

 

[D.Hearne]

Most times this happens it gets hung between reverse and 1st. All you need do is get it fully into reverse then it'll come back out. Or get under the car and remove the shift rods from the shifter and then you can work them on your own to get it un-hung. When you can do this in the dark, without a flash light on the side off the road, with out tools, you're truly an expert, or rather one step from it. Once I figured my Toploaders were hung between gears and what casued it ( slipping it halfway into reverse while trying for 1st) it's never happened again. Even my 20 year old kid's adept at it. He first did it when he was 16.

 

[2nd Mustang]

My top loader got stuck in second gear before I had the transmission rebuilt. I had just stopped and was trying to "clear" the neutral gate as I had trouble getting it into first at times which required me to drop it into second then first. Good luck.

 

[DK832]

Or get under the car and remove the shift rods from the shifter and then you can work them on your own to get it un-hung.

That's what I ended up doing. Had to use a wrench to operate the frontmost of the shift levers with a good deal of force. Is that normal or should it move easily?
Will driving it stuck in a gear damage anything? I drove it 15 mi home stuck in 3rd the first time. Hope that wasn't too stupid...

 

[D.Hearne]

That's what I ended up doing. Had to use a wrench to operate the frontmost of the shift levers with a good deal of force. Is that normal or should it move easily?
Will driving it stuck in a gear damage anything? I drove it 15 mi home stuck in 3rd the first time. Hope that wasn't too stupid...

They'll usually come out of a hung position without using a wrench on the shift lever. The front most lever is 3-4th. rear one is 1-2. Middle is reverse. And no it won't hurt it driving it. If it was truly hung between gears in the transmission, it wouldn't go anywhere. As in 1st & reverse. The shifter is what's hung up.

 

[RMODEL65]

yeah my tranny was stuck i removed the shift linkage like above it was stuck in a gear? i moved the all the levers and now it works smoothly! but i did the linkage on the tranny its self instead of the shifter so i wouldnt have to readjust the linkage! then i decoded the tag on the tranny its coded heh-t for a 289 hipo close ratio anyone recommend gears in the rear end for this tranny? its close ratio! i got a mild crane cam?

 

[fastback brian]

First thing sounds like a worn shifter assembly and if your adjustment and shifter is over shifting your trans then it can cause damaged to the shift rails, detents or sliders. best thing to do would get a new hurst shifter/linkage and carfully adjust the linkage and shift stops.

 

[D.Hearne]

yeah my tranny was stuck i removed the shift linkage like above it was stuck in a gear? i moved the all the levers and now it works smoothly! but i did the linkage on the tranny its self instead of the shifter so i wouldnt have to readjust the linkage! then i decoded the tag on the tranny its coded heh-t for a 289 hipo close ratio anyone recommend gears in the rear end for this tranny? its close ratio! i got a mild crane cam?

With a close ratio Toploader you need 3.70-to 4.10 gears out back. Your first gear is 2.32. Wide ratio Toploaders have a better 2.78 1st.

 

[dennis112]

With a close ratio Toploader you need 3.70-to 4.10 gears out back. Your first gear is 2.32. Wide ratio Toploaders have a better 2.78 1st.

RModel65---Good Advice Above!

If your car is primarily a street vehicle and does a little highway traveling, I recommend staying closer to the 3.70-3:80 range with your close ratio.

For those owners with a wide ratio, 3:25-3:50's work well and 3:50's are preferred for a performance street car.