98MustangSTL

Ok so I come to North Carolina to visit my buddy in the Marines...

We are driving his car, I drive the car, he drives the car, he races an S197 Mustang GT (it seems like on/around base everyone has some sports car), and then he goes for a second run....He tries to shift the car from 5th to 3rd, but it's locked out of gear. We pull the car over and start troubleshooting. To limp the car back, we just put it in third (while turned off) and drove it like that. When the car is running it will not go into any gear. When car is turn off, you can put it in the gear and then drive like that.

Ok some things I've noticed about the car:
- Has Pro 5.0 shifter, with a different handle (bolts are a little loose)
- The ciggarette lighter is hard wired, instead of the little clip that slides on. I'm guessing there was a nitrous switch there before.
- Not sure of the trans type either. I look inside the door frame and the sticker is gone.
- When I drove the car the clutch only moved about an inch and never really felt engaged or disengaged. The pedal would only move about and inch and was hard to tell when it caught or not. Kind of weird...
- As soon as this happened the throwout bearing got suddenly a lot louder.

I think that's about it. What could the problem be? Spring on clutch disc popped out? Clutch arm slid off the stud?

Any help would be great.... We're wanting to tear into it Friday night and get this done before I head back Sunday.

Thanks,
Kevin

Jazzer The Cat

Sounds like a mechanical issue with the clutch to me and would pepe into the bell housing for a look see.

Jazzer

EDIT: My own clutch had trouble a couple years back and was ultimately the fork sliding off the stud. It cannot slide completely off, but about half-way. This cause some SERIOUS bind against the sleeve the TOB rides over and caused some issues you describe.

Jazzer

whiterabit998

well sounds like the clutch is not dis-engaging, check the clutch cable to see if it isn't broken and check your clutch reservoir for the right fluid level..

because you can put the car in gear when its off with out having to put the clutch in but not when its running.

Jazzer The Cat

^ psssst.... there is no clutch resevoir, silly

Does sound like a clutch issue though. For all the years I have owned a stick, I don't believe I have ever tried shifting the trans while not depressing the clutch and the motor not running.

Good luck!

Jazzer

98MustangSTL

Cool thanks. The input shaft all of the sudden feels a little rough. Like the sliding isn't as smooth as it should be. I guess I'll have to get the car up and see what's going on.