Hi All,

My manual 4-speed '83 300TD wagon is experiencingshifting issues. It started out just being difficult to get into 1st gear while the engine was running, not so bad with the other gears. I basically had to force it into first, though there's usually no grinding sounds unless I'm trying to get into reverse, in which case there's continuous grinding (of the gears and my teeth).

It has now progressed pretty quickly to difficult to get into most gears and impossible to get into reverse when the engine is cold, improving noticeably after driving for about 30 miles (but still not perfect). There is now obvious "creep" on startup, meaning the clutch is obviously not disengaging completely when the clutch pedal is depressed. I won't be able to drive it all soon (although presently, if I need reverse, I just turn the engine off, put it in reverse, and then restart with the clutch in. Not exactly a long-term solution).

Any ideas on diagnosis would be greatly appreciated. I'd love for it to be a hydraulic problem and not a clutch guts problem, but I have no clue.

thanks,
Randy