Top Loader Help

[Loner]

So a few months back a friend gave me a 4 speed Top Loader out of a 68 mustang. It had been sitting in a shed for over 20 years. Yesterday I put it on the bench to take a look at it. Everything looks fine on the inside and it shifts though all the gears after I lubed it up a bit. So when I put it in neutral I can't get the mainshaft to spin.
Im sure I have the linkage right and I don't see any broken teeth. Any suggestions?


Matt

[comethead]

Does the main shaft turn when a gear is engaged?
Try cycling in and out of reverse a few times then neutral.
Also if your in first gear can you engage another gear? You can disconnect a rod to try it. There's a small interlock pin that prevents engaging more than one gear at a time.

Joe

[popscomet]

YEARS ago I bought a 4spd for nearly nuttin,it wouldn't turn,,looked inside and it looked brand new,,took a screw driver and unjamed it,,come to find out the seller had bumped the input shaft hard enuff to jam it up,,,,,,,it is the very TL that is in my comet today,and has always been in it...it's perfect !! pop

[Loner]

Joe

In any gear the main shaft only spins about 3/16 of a turn same as in neutral.
I think I can get it to go into two gears at once but I'll have to check again tomarrow.
I took the top cover and the rods off so i knew when the trans was in or out of gear.
It acts like there is something stuck in between a gear. I have looked with a mirror and a light for the problem but I just don't see it. Still has me stumped.

Matt

[comethead]

Yeah that's strange.
Pop makes a good point- maybe the input is jammed up inside. If you pull off the front bearing retainer and the tail housing the main bearings can move around a bit. As well as the main and input shafts. Maybe that will give it room to free up whatever's stuck. (Be careful to not let the input shaft come out! The needle bearings will scatter everywhere.)
Try filling it with oil completely to get oil inside the synchro cones- they slide on oil not bearings. It's worth a shot.
If not I think you may have to start taking things apart.

[Loner]

I'll give that a try Joe.
I'm going to rebuild it before I put it in the car so maybe I'll hold off until I get the rebuild kit.
Sure would like to put some C-ratio gears and a 1-3/8 shaft in it....

Matt

[vicegrip]

Like Joe says,it won't go in two gears unless the interlock pins are worn. Interlock and detent pins are available and should be part of the refresh process.If you're sure everything is in neutral,stick a small screwdriver between the brass synchro rings and the gears and gently try to pry them off the cone they are riding on.If the tranny has been sitting awhile,it's a good chance one or more are stuck on the cone.

[Loner]

So it dosent go into two gears at once, and the 1st gear synchro was stuck. It all seems to be working good now.

Thanks for the help guys, Matt

[comethead]

I'll give that a try Joe.
I'm going to rebuild it before I put it in the car so maybe I'll hold off until I get the rebuild kit.
Sure would like to put some C-ratio gears and a 1-3/8 shaft in it....

Matt

Hey Matt when I rebuilt my 25 spline toploader I bought a new 28 spline main shaft and an input shaft from these guys http://www.allstategear.com/mobile/cate ... /1974.htm=
I've got a few thousand miles on the trans without issues.
Also, I just converted a wide ratio toploader to close ratio for my track Falcon using their gears as well.

Joe

[Loner]

Thanks for the link Joe. Those prices are better than any I have found.

Matt