Still Stuck In Neutral....Any Suggestions
09-11-2002, 07:28 PM
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Still Stuck In Neutral....Any Suggestions
Last Thursday, I pulled my '97 C4S into the garage and decided to check and top up the engine oil. After finishing, I reached into the car and shut the engine off with the 6sp in neutral and the parking brake set. When I tried to drive the car on Saturday morning, I found that I could not move the shift lever to engage any gears. The transmission was in neutral, confirmed by letting the clutch out with the engine running.
The gear shifter appears to be in the center position, neutral 3-4 shift plane. I can rock it slightly from side to side but not by much. Same for moving it fore aft to engage 3rd or 4th gears. I visited the dealer and he suggested to check the shift linkage under the car to see if anything had come adrift.
My inspection found nothing obviously wrong. The adjustment nut on the adjustment rod was tight and in its original position as indicated by a dab of red paint.The illustration in the shop manual, Volume II page 34-31 illustrates the shift linkage for a C4. I have disconnected the shift linkage from the selector shaft on the transmission. The linkage now moves freely, indicating that something inside the gearbox is preventing the shift forks from moving from the neutral position.
Have any of you ever experienced anything like this?
It's alomost as if there is a anti theft devie engaed to prevent selecting a gear. I know wsuch device exists, but that's the effect I'm seeing.
The car was running pefectly when I shut it off in neutral. Now, I cannot move the gear selector.
Any hints as to what to check next?
If I can't sort this out in my garage, I'll have to have it towed to my dealer. I'm VERY nervous about my dealer's knowledge, training, and tooling to disassemble and repair a gearbox.
If the box needs to be opened up, perhaps I should consider sending it to someone else (ANDIAL, others, any suggestions?) to have the repair done. It might be the perfect opportunity to change the gearing to that used in Europe before 1997 - G64/21. Is this possible?
Does anyone recall the cost for re-gearing the box to G64/21 specs.
Right now, I’m stuck in neutral, and can't go anywhere unless I want to push the car.
Looking for advice...
Fred R.
LAST 911
The gear shifter appears to be in the center position, neutral 3-4 shift plane. I can rock it slightly from side to side but not by much. Same for moving it fore aft to engage 3rd or 4th gears. I visited the dealer and he suggested to check the shift linkage under the car to see if anything had come adrift.
My inspection found nothing obviously wrong. The adjustment nut on the adjustment rod was tight and in its original position as indicated by a dab of red paint.The illustration in the shop manual, Volume II page 34-31 illustrates the shift linkage for a C4. I have disconnected the shift linkage from the selector shaft on the transmission. The linkage now moves freely, indicating that something inside the gearbox is preventing the shift forks from moving from the neutral position.
Have any of you ever experienced anything like this?
It's alomost as if there is a anti theft devie engaed to prevent selecting a gear. I know wsuch device exists, but that's the effect I'm seeing.
The car was running pefectly when I shut it off in neutral. Now, I cannot move the gear selector.
Any hints as to what to check next?
If I can't sort this out in my garage, I'll have to have it towed to my dealer. I'm VERY nervous about my dealer's knowledge, training, and tooling to disassemble and repair a gearbox.
If the box needs to be opened up, perhaps I should consider sending it to someone else (ANDIAL, others, any suggestions?) to have the repair done. It might be the perfect opportunity to change the gearing to that used in Europe before 1997 - G64/21. Is this possible?
Does anyone recall the cost for re-gearing the box to G64/21 specs.
Right now, I’m stuck in neutral, and can't go anywhere unless I want to push the car.
Looking for advice...
Fred R.
LAST 911
09-11-2002, 08:51 PM
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[quote]Originally posted by Fred R. C4S:
<strong>
Any hints as to what to check next?
If I can't sort this out in my garage, I'll have to have it towed to my dealer. I'm VERY nervous about my dealer's knowledge, training, and tooling to disassemble and repair a gearbox.
If the box needs to be opened up, perhaps I should consider sending it to someone else (ANDIAL, others, any suggestions?) to have the repair done. It might be the perfect opportunity to change the gearing to that used in Europe before 1997 - G64/21. Is this possible?
Does anyone recall the cost for re-gearing the box to G64/21 specs.
Right now, I’m stuck in neutral, and can't go anywhere unless I want to push the car.
Looking for advice...
Fred R.
LAST 911</strong><hr></blockquote>
Fred,
Guess is the shift fork broke.
Send me an email and I will give you my mechanics number. If you have to ship your tranny anywhere you want to send it to him. He is very reasonable also. Name a Porsche race team in the US (except AJR) and they will use his services. Many shops (incl TRG) send him their trannys anyway so you could skip the middle man.
Greg
<strong>
Any hints as to what to check next?
If I can't sort this out in my garage, I'll have to have it towed to my dealer. I'm VERY nervous about my dealer's knowledge, training, and tooling to disassemble and repair a gearbox.
If the box needs to be opened up, perhaps I should consider sending it to someone else (ANDIAL, others, any suggestions?) to have the repair done. It might be the perfect opportunity to change the gearing to that used in Europe before 1997 - G64/21. Is this possible?
Does anyone recall the cost for re-gearing the box to G64/21 specs.
Right now, I’m stuck in neutral, and can't go anywhere unless I want to push the car.
Looking for advice...
Fred R.
LAST 911</strong><hr></blockquote>
Fred,
Guess is the shift fork broke.
Send me an email and I will give you my mechanics number. If you have to ship your tranny anywhere you want to send it to him. He is very reasonable also. Name a Porsche race team in the US (except AJR) and they will use his services. Many shops (incl TRG) send him their trannys anyway so you could skip the middle man.
Greg
09-12-2002, 01:47 PM
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The shift fork, if I am not mistaken it is what selects the gear, is inside the tranmission. Maybe he does have a broken shift linkage but he seems to have ruled that out by disconnecting the linkage and still not able to "manually" engage a gear.
09-12-2002, 03:43 PM
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hallo
I would check the Soundproofmat between the Axletube and the Tunnel around the Shifter. It can come loose and will get into the Shifterlinkage and blocks it.
Than you can check the Forward Point of the Linkage almöst on the Frontaxle.
When you loosen the Connection on the Tranny can you shift the Tranny direct with a Screwdriver ?
If not it is inside the Tranny . If you can it is within the Linkage.
harald
I would check the Soundproofmat between the Axletube and the Tunnel around the Shifter. It can come loose and will get into the Shifterlinkage and blocks it.
Than you can check the Forward Point of the Linkage almöst on the Frontaxle.
When you loosen the Connection on the Tranny can you shift the Tranny direct with a Screwdriver ?
If not it is inside the Tranny . If you can it is within the Linkage.
harald
09-12-2002, 06:34 PM
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Gents,
This would be easier to explain if I could scan and post the illustration from the Service Manual.
On a C4, at the front of the transmission , attached to the "nose cone", there is the viscous differential housing. The output shaft from this diff is connected to the drive shaft running forward through the "torque tube" to the front differential. The transmission selector shaft exits the nose cone below the viscous diff housing and below the "torque tube".
The end of the selector shaft has a flex coupling to which the external transmission shift linkage bolts. I have removed these bolts, completely separating the external linkage from the box. With the external linkage disconnected at this point, it moves freely. However, the tranmission selector shaft will not rotate or translate (move in or out). For this reason, I suspect that something has failed or come adrift INSIDE the gear box that is preventing the selector shaft movement.
It looks like I'm going to have the car towed to dealer for them to drop the box. This is not an easy proposition on a C4 as you must disconnect the drive shaft to the front diff, and remove the torque tube and external shift linkage. At that point, unless PORSCHE USA has a simple solution for this dealer to try or check, I'm probably going to ship the tranmission to a third party rebuilder to make the repair. My dealer just doesn't have the experience or tools to work on a transmission if it requires much disassembly, trouble shooting, and reassembly.
This far I've spoken with "Dieter" at ANDIAL who says he can repair the box and re-gear it also if I choose. This might be a great time to upgrade to the Euro gearing if it doesn't cost two arms and a leg. If you have any other repair shops that I should consider, let me know.
Thanks for your advice,
Fred R.
This would be easier to explain if I could scan and post the illustration from the Service Manual.
On a C4, at the front of the transmission , attached to the "nose cone", there is the viscous differential housing. The output shaft from this diff is connected to the drive shaft running forward through the "torque tube" to the front differential. The transmission selector shaft exits the nose cone below the viscous diff housing and below the "torque tube".
The end of the selector shaft has a flex coupling to which the external transmission shift linkage bolts. I have removed these bolts, completely separating the external linkage from the box. With the external linkage disconnected at this point, it moves freely. However, the tranmission selector shaft will not rotate or translate (move in or out). For this reason, I suspect that something has failed or come adrift INSIDE the gear box that is preventing the selector shaft movement.
It looks like I'm going to have the car towed to dealer for them to drop the box. This is not an easy proposition on a C4 as you must disconnect the drive shaft to the front diff, and remove the torque tube and external shift linkage. At that point, unless PORSCHE USA has a simple solution for this dealer to try or check, I'm probably going to ship the tranmission to a third party rebuilder to make the repair. My dealer just doesn't have the experience or tools to work on a transmission if it requires much disassembly, trouble shooting, and reassembly.
This far I've spoken with "Dieter" at ANDIAL who says he can repair the box and re-gear it also if I choose. This might be a great time to upgrade to the Euro gearing if it doesn't cost two arms and a leg. If you have any other repair shops that I should consider, let me know.
Thanks for your advice,
Fred R.
