Help! My 41 won't shift into 2nd

edhamlin

Help!

My 1941 Traveler has a balky shifter. I am going thru the adjustment process in the procedures manual (with an assist from Walt's Hudson Garage articles) but I can't get all four gears. I can either shift into 2nd or 3rd, but not both. I've played with the cable bracket and also the upper tube bracket (right under the shifter lever). Can't seem to find the "sweet spot".

A bit of background: the car has gradually been getting more difficult to shift from 2nd to 3rd over the past year. It is a stock six, with the larger engine option (202?), has about 85K miles, if I believe the odo. It shifted normally until a year ago.

I'm concerned there may be an internal problem with the tranny.

Can anyone tell me what to try next?

Thanks, Ed

[Deleted User]

I would try oiling the shift cable, sounds to me like it may be draging.

Clutchguy

Ed, I would first take the shift handle out and verify the ball is NOT broken off of the end. The shifter handle has a ball on the end which sticks in the barrel at the top. If it isn't,start lubing the back side of shifter where the handle goes in. These get really gummed up and don't allow the rod inside the shift tube to move and subsequently cause very little movement and cause no or very little gate movement. For it to have been getting worst over a period of time sounds like the issue. Hope this helps,CG

[Deleted User]

Walt here. You can have a problem with the shift fork that slides the second and third gear forward and backwards inside the gear box. Make sure the cross shaft cable end is not loose on the top of the trans. Make sure you have no play on the rod, top to bottom.

edhamlin

SUCCESS!

Each of you had a suggestion that contributed to the solution.

Both the inner shaft and the cable were badly gummed up, and it was also sticking at the tranny. A liberal dose of PB Blaster cleaned out the gunk, followed by a careful application of lithium grease did the trick. Squirting the penetrant while having my partner work the shifter up and down did the trick. At some point in the past, someone had moved the upper bracket toward the steering wheel, which permitted the whole shifter assembly to move and provided a marginal shifting capability for a time. It also ensured that I would have a fundamental misunderstanding of how the shifter is supposed to work. Without all of your advice, I never would have figured it out.

THANKS to you all.

Rgds
Ed