huge transmission problem!!! need halp!!!
 

I have an early 74' 260Z and the F4W71B 4 speed that was only on the 260Z. I was driving my Z today and I was turning out onto a road from a subdivision and I shifted from 1st to 2nd and it would not shift so I put it into third and wass too chicken to shift b/c the shifter was not moving out of gear even with a bit of force and I did not want to force it. once it was in third it would not shift at all and the shifter was very loose so I just drove in 3rd and used some tricky chutch work. when I got the z home I shifted it out of third and now the only gear it will shift into is reverse. the shifter will move where 3rd and 4th are supposed to be but there is no resistance when it moves into the gear positions. the shifter will not move into 1st or second like they were not there at all to begin with. now the car is in the cul-de-sac with only reverse and neutral.
can I salvage the situation or is the tranny toast?

well, is there any grinding noises or anything out of the ordinary? I have toasted both the type b tranny and FULLY toasted my clutch so that there was no clutch face left whatsoever.

If the tranny went out, usually the tranny will make some horrible grinding noise. I killed a synchro or something like that by speed shifting, and when I drove off, it would screech and squeal something scary. I went and got a rebuilt type a tranny, and it works wonders.

As for your clutch, when the vehicle was in gear, did you get any clutch slippage, where when you stepped on the throttle the car wouldn't go anywhere, but your rpms would jump? That could cause it not to go anywhere.

Where do you live exactly? I have 2 type b trannies sitting in my shed, and would be willing to give one away.

well see I live on the other side of the country so that would not work...there was no grinding noise or anything like that. I am fairly sure that it is not the clutch even though that is starting to slip a little bit. I am thinking that the linkage broke somewhere down in the nose cone of the transmission. the reason I bileve that is what it is b/c I drove my car home in 3rd and the shifter would not move out of gear but when I got home I wiggled it and it came out of gear and the only gear I can get it into is reverse. the shifter moves into the position of 3rd and 4th but the gears do not engage and you can't feel the gears at all.

have you tried putting it in gear while the car is running? what happens then? It could be a million in one things, and it even could be the linkage that broke, but from what I've heard, it's kind of hard to do. I'm not an expert, remember that, I'm just offering ideas. Have you tried adjusting your clutch from under the car? You can climb under the car, and adjust the slave cylinder to move the clutch closer to the flywheel so that it won't slip. For all you know, your clutch could not be engaging properly, and could be the problem.

well I drove it home with 3rd gear and the clutch...no neutral or anything...it is tricky starting from a stop and accelerating in 3rd. I drove the car about 6 miles to home and there were about 10 redlights. the clutch is fine b/c it works for reverse.

It could be the ball end on the shift stick is broken off or the cross pin has come out. Easy to check with the consol removal being the hard part. otherwise the trans is probably trash on the shift rods inside. Cheaper to replace the trans. It's time for a 5 speed anyway!

I already took the shift boots off without removing the center console (there is a way) and took the shifter out and that all seems like that is not the problem (the shifter is real loose on the pin though). I moved my car today and I got it into 3rd to move it out of the street into my driveway and the clutch worked fine. the rotating tube will not rotate to the left of 3rd gear. Will not go into reverse though...arrr...no time to work on it either...I just bought like 1 grand of brakes and bushings from MSA and the stuff should be here in a few days...but that was ordered a few days before my tranny blew up a linkage somewhere...

theramz is probably right about the shift rods inside the trans. I had a similar problem with my 73' where I lost 1st and 2nd gear. It turned out to be the roll pin that secures the shift fork to the rod had sheared and replacing it solved the problem. But tearing down the tranny to find out requires some time and some skill so your best bet is replacement. Besides a five speed will bolt right into place. good luck

well it looks like I will be going down to the local z junkyard for a 5 speed...there are like 2 240's and no 260s...there are a lot of 280s though so I have heard that the later 5 speeds are better than the earlier ones...is it still a bolt on for the later trannies? at the junkyard they have a whole lot of early ZXs but every 90-96 gets stripped down to bare frame and sold off then the frames get tossed and stacked out in the yard...I guess I would like to know if a 5 speed from a later z could be transplanted into my Z

Early five speeds (77-78)are weak but the '82 2+2 has a close ratio and the 3.9 R200.79-83 will bolt in. 82-83 Turbo cars had the bullet proof T-5 Borg Warner.

so I guess I will be making a trip down to the junkyard to look for any 280zx turbos w/ a 5 speed...
I got the parts today that I ordered right before my tranny went on saturday...the slotted/drilled rotors, all the bushings I will ever need, and my master vac and master cylinder...well the master vac that I just got in the mail is about 2/3 the size of the one in my z...which means that the one installed on my z is from a zx right? the master cylinder is the same though :confused: ...my z does have fatter tires than factory and I guess whoever "set up" the car for "racing" in the late 80's switched out the master cylinders and painted over the label on it...
And a stupid Question here, which way do the rotors go on? with the slots facing out and foreward or in and foreward on top? I also ordered the 4 piston caliper kit but it is on backorder and should be shipping by now...

The T-5 uses a different rear spline so if your lucky enough to find one make sure you get the drive shaft too.

ok...good info to have...will it bolt up to my R180 or should I get the diff off of the zx too?... there are a lot of ZXs out there at the Z junkyard and I remember one that has no hood on it and the motor says turbo and it is pretty much complete except for the glass and the roof that someone cut off for their ZX. it has been sitting there for a while though... should be fine to use...what about the hydraulic clutch? will my slave cylinder mount on the T-5?

oh wait...that zx is an early 300zx turbo...not inline...V6...I was looking at that 280zx turbo motor in the marketplace section...arr...maybe there is a 280zx turbo therer as well or he has the tranny for that as well