Can't shift into gear, gears grind!

[johnr]

I just want to know if I should hear a clicking noise when I move the shift lever.  I seem to remember when the ignition was on and I jiggled it, I could hear the servo mechanism coming to life and the contacts clicking.  This is with ignition and engine not running.

I don't hear or feel anything now.  Thanks! 

[68autobug]

Hi John

You will need the ignition ON.... to send + power to the control valve....  then when you move the gear shifter lever forwards or backwards the points in the gear shifter should send a ground - to the control valve..  and normally You can change gear while You are pushing the gear lever forwards or back wards.
Check the wire going to the gear shifter hasn't broken... that wire is usually ready to break.... and that You have power to the control valve with the ignition on..
Some cars had a fuse in the engine compartment [can't remember whether it went to the control valve or not?]  so check that fuse if you have one..  You can get power for the control valve off any ignition wire in the engine compartment... like off the carburetor cut off solenoid....
it doesn't matter which terminal on the control valve is connected to + power or negative ground- ..

Lee in Australia

[68autobug]

Hi John,
I couldn't get the reply to Your message to send.... Good to see You popped up here...
I hope My reply helped..


For some unknown reason , when I write a long reply to a message or post... it self deletes when I try to send it...


even if I go back in and add some more info etc...to a post already accepted.....  the extra info disappears......


so, many of My answers You see are really only 1/2 of My that I have  answers  that I have typed.... lol...


Lee in Australia

[sb001]

Hi John, have you checked the power wire to the control valve in the engine bay (depending on what year model you have, this would either be a wire from the ignition coil over to the control valve with an 8 amp inline fuse on it, or a wire coming from the fuse box at the front of the car.) Just wondering if you might simply have a blown fuse.
if not, then as previously mentioned I would be willing to bet your shifter wire is broken or your contacts have come misaligned or some such thing.

[68autobug]

one of the push on connector tabs on the control valve broke off Mine, and I resoldered another longer one back on there. I don't have  a fuse to the control valve in the engine bay, Mine is wired from a relay connected to the ignition located just above the starter motor, which I installed myself... The wire coming from the gear lever isn't the correct type of wire to be moved about etc, also the insulation is ready to fall off, because of the age of the wire..   Problem I had many years ago, was I hadn't tightened the clutch servo adjuster and it self unadjusted itself... slowly making gear shifts harder and harder...

Lee in Auistralia