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  #1  
Old 03-27-2012, 03:13 AM
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Manual transmission linkage jammed?

Today I decided to replace the gear shift linkage bushings in my 1971 Mercedes 220D, with a manual transmission. After I finished the job I hopped in the car, started it and tried to put it in first gear, excited to see how the new bushings would enhance my driving experience. I was surprised to find however, that first gear was no longer available to me, and neither were 2nd and reverse... It shifts into 3rd and 4th just fine but the gear shift will not "slide" to the left to allow me to shift into the rest of the gears. Prior to me exchanging the bushings this was never an issue. Now I'm at a loss for what to do, I went back under the car and didn't see anything obviously wrong.

Any words of advise would be greatly appreciated, I need my baby back on the road!
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Old 03-27-2012, 03:21 AM
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If it is anything like the W123 manual transmissions - which I'm guessing it is - did you adjust the lengths as you are meant to in the FSM and lock the gear shift in neutral by putting the pin in the hole?

(EDIT - I'm just reading this straight out of my Haynes manual that I use as a cooling prop for my lap top!)
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  #3  
Old 03-27-2012, 08:28 AM
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Hmm, I did not do either of those things... Could the problem be that while changing the bushings I changed it out of neutral?
I also did not change the lengths of anything. I did see how I could adjust the length of the rods, but didn't think I needed to mess with that since I just replaced the bushings.
The only other thing that does comes to mind is that I took the linkage off their "post" on the transmission to ease the process of putting the bushings on, but I was careful to mark their position (angle) on the posts and return them to those angles when I put them back on. Also I only did one bushing at a time, as not to somehow change up parts or positions of the linkage.
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Old 03-27-2012, 09:31 AM
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I'm guessing something minor if it worked fine before the bushing change. I would reverse your work until it's free'd up
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Old 03-27-2012, 10:04 AM
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Humm, You didn't take the rods off the shifter, you just took them off the tranny and let them hang down while you did the bushings? The only thing I can think of is, you put two rods back on the wrong shifter arms when you reinstalled them. I would take them all off, make sure both shifter and tranny are in neutral and reinstall them.
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Last edited by Stevo; 03-27-2012 at 06:13 PM.
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  #6  
Old 03-27-2012, 10:29 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CvdH View Post
After I finished the job I hopped in the car, started it and tried to put it in first gear, excited to see how the new bushings would enhance my driving experience. I was surprised to find however, that first gear was no longer available to me, and neither were 2nd and reverse... It shifts into 3rd and 4th just fine but the gear shift will not "slide" to the left to allow me to shift into the rest of the gears.
Don't worrysimple problem - Deja Vu.

You have a gear engaged with the stick in neutral.

1) Put the shift lever into neutral inside the car.

2) Get under the car. The 3 short levers at the back, under the shift lever must be in line and vertical. You will find one of them is not in line - I guess the center one, 1st & 2nd. Move the appropriate front lever (on the gear box) to line it up.

(The 3 rear levers have a 6mm hole for lining up and setting rod lengths.)

EDIT: If the 3 levers are lined up then Stevo is correct and rods are crossed.
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Last edited by Beagle; 03-27-2012 at 11:03 AM.
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  #7  
Old 03-27-2012, 12:23 PM
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Okay so I just checked my rods, and they were not lined up. So I lined them up and climbed back into my car to see if it would shift... It now slides from left to right, but only goes slides into first gear position, but first gear is not actually there, when the car is on and I try to slide it into first there is a grinding noise and the car does not actually move. I am also certain that the rods are not crossed because I was careful to only do one bushing at a time, and only take on rod of (and then replace it) at a time. So no I am once again at a loss for what to do...
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Old 03-27-2012, 01:07 PM
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I think you need to make sure you've got the gear box in neutral and the shifter in neutral before attaching the rods...


...third time lucky?
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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!
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  #9  
Old 03-27-2012, 01:33 PM
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Oh okay I understand what you're saying now. How would I know if the gear box was in neutral though?
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  #10  
Old 03-27-2012, 01:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CvdH View Post
How would I know if the gear box was in neutral though?
With shift lever in neutral - Jack up the rear wheel and move the box levers until you can turn the rear wheel. Two of the levers 1/2 and 3/4 must be in center position - reverse has only 2 positions and could be either way.

Did you dismantle anything on the shift lever mechanism?? I take it that model has a floor shift and not a column shift??
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Last edited by Beagle; 03-27-2012 at 02:02 PM.
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  #11  
Old 03-27-2012, 02:04 PM
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Okay, so now I'm thinking I will take the rods off the tranny and find neutral the way you described. But then that leaves me wondering, when I find the transmission's neutral, when I hook the rods back up then wouldn't the gear stick be out of neutral?
Do you mean by the gear stick? If so then no, I left that part completely alone, the only thing I did was take the rods and their connectors off on the transmission side, one at a time.
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  #12  
Old 03-27-2012, 02:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CvdH View Post
Okay, so now I'm thinking I will take the rods off the tranny and find neutral the way you described. But then that leaves me wondering, when I find the transmission's neutral, when I hook the rods back up then wouldn't the gear stick be out of neutral?
Do you mean by the gear stick? If so then no, I left that part completely alone, the only thing I did was take the rods and their connectors off on the transmission side, one at a time.
OK, lets get this straight.

You did not disconnect the rods at the at the gear shift end at any time. Correct? IE - You did not replace the 3 bushes at that end??

Did you remove the lever arms on the transmission or just the rods and their spring clips?

Quote:
that leaves me wondering, when I find the transmission's neutral, when I hook the rods back up then wouldn't the gear stick be out of neutral?
No. When you have disconnected the rods at trans. end and set the box in neutral, take a 6mm rod about 50mm long and push it thro' the 3 levers and 2 outer brackets (through 5 holes in all) to hold it in Neutral. A 6mm drill or bolt will do. Rods should then line up with bushes in trans lever arms.

Inner lever at rear connects to the front arm on Trans. box.(3rd & 4th)
Center lever at rear connects to the rear arm on trans box. (1st & 2nd)
Outer lever at rear connects to center arm on trans box. (Rev.)

Good Luck!
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Last edited by Beagle; 03-28-2012 at 12:32 AM.
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  #13  
Old 03-27-2012, 06:24 PM
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If you can get your hands a Haynes manual they have a drawing of the tranny and rods, may help you. It still sounds to me like you put two rods back on the tranny wrong, I have been there and done that.
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1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
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  #14  
Old 03-30-2012, 01:56 PM
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Okay! I just got my car jacked up again and disconnected the rods from the lever arms, put the rod through the gear shift levers, moved the levers (on the tranny, now disconnected from the rods) into neutral (I could rotate the rear left tire forward and back freely) and then tried lining them up, but no cigar. The most upper lever is closest to fitting and the further down it goes the further the gap gets. I did remove the levers (one at a time) on the tranny when replacing the bushings, but marked their positions on the tranny, and was careful to put them back in the position the best I could when reassembling it. But now it seems like I didn't do it good enough? Should I once again remove the levers (while the transmission is in neutral) and rotate them so they have a good fit with their proper rods? Or is there something else I should do/try?

Also, I never removed the the rods at the gear shift end, I have not tinkered with them in any way, besides today putting a rod through their holes to keep the gear lever and the rods in the neutral position.

Last edited by CvdH; 03-30-2012 at 01:59 PM. Reason: Left out information.
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  #15  
Old 03-30-2012, 02:41 PM
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OK, I have had this drfugilaty, maybe not the exact scenario but smiler Heres what I did. got a picture of the rods (Haynes) so you could know for sure where they go, that helped allot. Then with both tranny and shifter in neutral you will be able to sort it out. If you don't have the Haynes manual get one as you will find it handy later if you plan to keep the car. Cheltons is not as good.
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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"
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