Shifting manual trans into neutral without a shifter connected

[Ark :D]

So I looked around for an answer to this, but I couldn't find anything. This is probably dead simple and I'm going to feel like an idiot, but what can I say ... I'm learning.

My donor engine is sitting in my garage on a dolly, and I believe I may have yanked it out of the car with the transmission in gear. Is there an easy way to shift into neutral without the shifter connected?

Be gentle! Haha!

 

[lksohm]

There are two shafts going into the transmission. One is for the horizontal line on the shift pattern, the other is for the vertical likes on the shift pattern. You should be able to turn each shaft to the middle selection and that will be like the stick being in the center of the "H" pattern.
It will make sense once you play with it a bit.
I didn't know how these worked exactly until I tore my donor apart either.

 

[Ark :D]

Good info, I'll play with it tomorrow. Thank you.

 

[Tony]

The arm on top with the large counterweight at the back end corresponds to the "front-back" shift motion, and it will need to be in the center before the other arm will move.

 

[ctuinstra]

I’m not 100% sure if it effects this car or not, but be careful about playing with the transmission too much without the shafts in. I’ve heard that it may cause the spider gears to fall out of position and you will have to open the transmission to put everything back.

 

[Ark :D]

Yeah I certainly won't do much besides put it in neutral if it's not already. It just hit me last night before bed that "hey, maybe I should see if I can even turn the crank..." and I won't be able to do that if it's not in neutral. I just have this burning sensation in my mind that I've got a seized engine. That would not be cool. Not at all.

 

[ctuinstra]

Why do you believe you have a seized engine?

You should be able to turn the crank. It's easier with the plugs out but even with the transmission in gear, it should move if there are no wheels/tires on it.

 

[Ark :D]

I've got no evidence of it right this moment. Just a hunch. My donor was abandoned and some of it is in a sorry, sorry state. I'm probably just predicting Doomsday though, I'll try to turn the crank when I get home tonight.

 

[Ark :D]

So I played with the shifter arms tonight and through the useful posts in this thread, determined that it's already in neutral (hurrah). So I got the elbow grease out and hand-turned the crank. It took a lot more effort than I thought it would, but I was able to turn it.

I immediately heard jingling like freaking Jingle Bells though. I've never hand-cranked a motor before so maybe that's normal, but it sure as hell sounds like it has a timing chain problem. Not a big deal I guess, I was planning to replace the timing chains, guides, and water pump anyway.

 

[ctuinstra]

You most certainly should not be hearing jingle bells unless it’s Christmas and even then, not from the engine.

 

[Ark :D]

Lovely! Another adventure! /snirk

 

[Ark :D]

I couldn't leave it well enough alone, because well ... you know how it is. So I went back down to the garage, and cranked the motor by hand again to make sure I wasn't hearing things.

This time, it cranked silently, so I was like "wtf did I hear the first time??". Cranked it again, same silent result. So I moved the engine out a little bit (it's sitting on wood blocks on top of a dolly at the moment) and discovered my engine leveler had slid down from where I had it resting against a cabinet next to the motor, and apparently it was one of the chains on that leveler that was jingling. I must have been moving the motor a little the first time when I cranked it....

/sigh-of-relief

 

[Desert Sasqwatch]

You are planning to open the engine up just to take a look? There are several other build threads that can provide some guidance to do this. Ken Liker (KLMotorsports) just did his LSJ engine and would be a good resource to bounce question off.

 

[Ark :D]

Yes, I have the old style tensioner so I was planning to change that anyway, so I figure I might as well has a look at the timing chain and guides, too. I came across this thread which looks like a pretty good guide as well.

I will keep Ken in mind should any questions come up.

 

[Karter2026]

Yes, I have the old style tensioner so I was planning to change that anyway, so I figure I might as well has a look at the timing chain and guides, too. c

Great video here.