1988 V30 Stuck in granny Gear

[Rust Buster]

Well this is a new one to me. Pulled my 1988 V30 dump truck (350 with SM465) into the garage to replace the plow lights. Left it in granny gear. When I started it to pull it out an hour later, it will not shift out of granny gear. Clutch is working fine. I've rocked it back and forth (hard), checked fluid (plenty), and even rocked it back and forth with me skid steer. Lastly, I was in there with a small sledge hammer, tapping the shifter with no luck. This thing is stuck hard.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
-Tim

 

[87scotty]

Chunk of gear lodged in there

 

[87scotty]

Broken shift fork

 

[Georgeb]

Probably need to pull the top cover and have a look. I don't think you have a removable hump either which sucks but you will when your done.

 

[Rust Buster]

Awesome....
So would the next best step be to cut out a section of the hump to pull the top cover? This is a beater plow truck to plow our neighborhood's private mountain dirt roads, so I'm not worried about aesthetics. Will I be able to access what I need to access from the top?

 

[Georgeb]

I was thinking about this a bit. I an torn as to wether or not you should try to get it out of the shop and see if it will move under its own power or not. You may be able to get it out of gear while its rolling. You do stand a chance of doing more damage tho.
Yes you can cut a hole in the top of the hump to access the top plate of the trans which contins the shifting mechanism and forks. Chances are one of the detents got out of sync. Do a bit of research online about the trans before you jump into it.

 

[Rust Buster]

I think it would drive fine, but the problem is that it's about a 30 point turn to get it out of my shop, and without reverse, it isn't going to be easy. I can tow it out a bit with my skid steer, but there's not enough room in my driveway for the skid steer to pull the truck completely out.
This one really boggles my mind. I just hope if I cut a section of the floor out to get access to the top cover, that when I pop it, something will be obvious...

 

[Rust Buster]

Ok, well I cut an access panel in the floor, took out the stick shift, and unbolted the top cover. I can lift the cover up about 1/2" but then it binds on something and I can't take it off. With the truck stuck in granny gear, what is preventing the cover from coming off?

 

[Georgeb]

Ok, well I cut an access panel in the floor, took out the stick shift, and unbolted the top cover. I can lift the cover up about 1/2" but then it binds on something and I can't take it off. With the truck stuck in granny gear, what is preventing the cover from coming off?

The reverse shift fork. It needs to be about half way into reverse to get it off. You will need to try to slide the detent a bit or put the shifter back in.
search youtube for more info on this as a pic is worth 1000 words.

 

[Rust Buster]

Update: BIGGEST PAIN IN THE ASS PROJECT EVER... I spent two hours trying to get the damn cover off and not even sure how I got it off. Took it to the bench and inspected it. Everything looked fine and the shift rails were smooth with positive stops at the detents. I cleaned it and lubricated it, added a new gasket and went to follow the instructions to put it back on. The internals to the tranny looked brand new.

This is where things got fun. It took me 5 hours to get the damn cover on. That reverse gear and shaft does not want to stay in the spot needed to get it back on, it was next to impossible for the shift rail to stay in the same configuration needed to get back on. Finally I got it, but not sure how. Anyway, now it shifts! I do have a new problem though... 1st, 3rd, and reverse work great with positive gear selection. 80% of the time you can't get it in low or 2nd...when you can get it to engage, it's barely there. I know the forks are seated in the right place. Any idea what's causing this?
I'm not taking it apart again anytime soon as I'm not pushing me luck.
Thanks for all the help.

 

[HotRodPC]

Since it all looks new in there and in good shape, I'm wondering if you're just not having the common problem of the end of the shifter stick wearing out of off or ball wear. IF, that is your problem, there is a permanent aftermarket DIY fix for it. This is a known common issue, and usually what causes most of it, is those who drive resting their hand on top of the shifter. The added weight of resting your arm and hand on the shifter stick causes added wear. I didn't believe it myself, but I've been told this by 2 different highly reputable manual trans rebuilders.

Problem can be, if the ball that holds the shifter up, has excessive wear, it can cause the tip of the shift stick to drop down to low into the shift rails causing hang ups.


Here is a thread in our manual trans section that gives a link to the repair thread on Pirate4x4.
http://www.gmsquarebody.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1632

 

[Rust Buster]

Update: BIGGEST PAIN IN THE ASS PROJECT EVER... I spent two hours trying to get the damn cover off and not even sure how I got it off. Took it to the bench and inspected it. Everything looked fine and the shift rails were smooth with positive stops at the detents. I cleaned it and lubricated it, added a new gasket and went to follow the instructions to put it back on. The internals to the tranny looked brand new.

This is where things got fun. It took me 5 hours to get the damn cover on. That reverse gear and shaft does not want to stay in the spot needed to get it back on, it was next to impossible for the shift rail to stay in the same configuration needed to get back on. Finally I got it, but not sure how. Anyway, now it shifts! I do have a new problem though... 1st, 3rd, and reverse work great with positive gear selection. 80% of the time you can't get it in low or 2nd...when you can get it to engage, it's barely there. I know the forks are seated in the right place. Any idea what's causing this?
I'm not taking it apart again anytime soon as I'm not pushing me luck.
Thanks for all the help.

Yes, I actually followed that repair procedure as the existing tack welds were cracked. Welded it all up. The bottom of the shifter that engages with the shift rail looked brand new with no wear. There's definitely a lot of slop in the shifter though...

 

[Georgeb]

I need to do part or all of this to mine as well. I haven't checked on what parts are worn or broken yet. As far as the small roll pin for the small end I plan to drill it out like GEB wanted to but will do it at work with a carbide drill and use a solid roll pin rather than a hollow one. I also plan to do the 3/8" bolts with the ends turnrd down but will use long set screws with jam nuts. I may add a grease zirk to the shifter snout so I can pump some lithium grease in there once in a while.