Trans/Clutch question

[tommyturbo]

So just picked up an 88 Shelby Z that's in good shape, except for the clutch/ trans. I was able to get it very cheap due to this issue.
The car will start and run, shifter will move through the gears (verified the cables are still attached to trans and the linkage is working) but the car will die if you let out the clutch, even in nuetral. I didn't hear any bad noises. Seller thought the car has an issue with the release or t/o bearing which ever term you prefer to use. Any ideas on what might cause this. If the weather stays nice, might pull the the trans and engine apart and see whats going on.

[cordes]

So just picked up an 88 Shelby Z that's in good shape, except for the clutch/ trans. I was able to get it very cheap due to this issue.
The car will start and run, shifter will move through the gears (verified the cables are still attached to trans and the linkage is working) but the car will die if you let out the clutch, even in nuetral. I didn't hear any bad noises. Seller thought the car has an issue with the release or t/o bearing which ever term you prefer to use. Any ideas on what might cause this. If the weather stays nice, might pull the the trans and engine apart and see whats going on.

Can you manually actuate the trans from under the hood? Does the car try to move at all when you let out the clutch in 1st?

[tommyturbo]

acutate the gear selection or clutch? I watched as my buddy moved the shifter, and I can see the linkage is attached and moving, through all the gears. That part looked fine to me. I haven't messed with it much, I'll give that a try tonight when i get home from work.

[cordes]

acutate the gear selection or clutch? I watched as my buddy moved the shifter, and I can see the linkage is attached and moving, through all the gears. That part looked fine to me. I haven't messed with it much, I'll give that a try tonight when i get home from work.

Yeah, if you can see it moving that rules out anything from in the car causing the problem for the most part.

Does the car try to move at all when you engage the clutch? If not, I would pull the dust cover and see what it looks like in there. You may have serious clutch troubles if it isn't trying to move at all.

[Spr-T-23]

is the parking brake stuck on??

[tommyturbo]

no parking brake works fine. When we pushed it, and it was in gear you could hear the engine turning over.

---------- Post added at 08:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:17 PM ----------

I'll try moving it under it's own power tonight

[cordes]

no parking brake works fine. When we pushed it, and it was in gear you could hear the engine turning over.

---------- Post added at 08:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:17 PM ----------

I'll try moving it under it's own power tonight

Do that and report back. If everything feels right in the shifter, you can see the selector lever being actuated on the trans, and the clutch cable and lever look good it should at least try to move. If not I bet the clutch is done. Perhaps the friction material being broken off the disk. I've seen that one a time or two.

[tommyturbo]

Could it be the shifter fork or the gear slector inside the trans (not sure of tech name) broke and it is stuck in a gear? Odd thing is it doesn't sound like that, when you shift through the gears it sounds like they are engaging inside the trans.

[shackwrrr]

Sounds like a roll pin walked out on one of the shift rails. So now in neutral you have whatever gear is stuck and when you select another gear it locks everything up. I had this happen while driving down the road in my shadow. I went from 2nd to 3rd and when I let out on the clutch the car about flipped over.

[tommyturbo]

Ok, went out and mesed with the car. It moves forward in nuetral, and no matter what gear I put it in it goes forward. I can't get it into reverse. So is fixing a roll pin easy, or would it be easier to swap in a spare trans?

[cordes]

You should be able to drift a new one in through the inspection window at the selector housing with some patience. I would pull that off and see what is going on in there anyway. Even if you just pull the cables of the selector lever you should be able to get a feel for what is going on. It's a pretty distinct feeling when it is engaging different gears.

[tommyturbo]

Ok, where can i get a roll pin, or will i have to try and find it inside the trans? I will probably end up putting a spare trans in the car until i can get this one fixed. Is there a way to keepthese from comig out?

[cordes]

Ok, where can i get a roll pin, or will i have to try and find it inside the trans? I will probably end up putting a spare trans in the car until i can get this one fixed. Is there a way to keepthese from comig out?

I doubt they fall out too often. You should be able to find one at the hardware sore if that is indeed the cause. It could be a broken shift fork too.

[onerippinturbo2]

i am willing to bet that it has a broken shift fork, it has all the classic symptoms as a broken fork.

[tommyturbo]

Ok, guess I will be swapping the trans then.

[OmniLuvr]

Are we taking a poll on this one? I'll put money on shifter fork if it has the 555/520 in it. Very common, but even worse in the 525, its part of the reason they designed the 523/568, besides all the other bad stuff.