Tranny woes

[r.c.brown@ieee.org (Roger Brown)]

Scirokn InVirginia wrote:
> 
> I've only had the clutch cable situation fixed a week and yet another......
> 
> My son asked if he could "practice" driving in the parking lot at work for
> about 15 minutes til I finished up Friday evening. I see him buggin around
> out my window and figure he was doin ok....he hadn't driven a clutch in
> about a year. Well, when I get in to drive home, something just don't feel
> right.....1st felt like 3rd with no torque at all, I smoked it leaving a red
> light on a hill and barely made it home. I let it cool til about midnite and
> tried it again. Reverse was fine so I figure the plate isn't completely
> gone....here's the weird part. At the shifter, I can't get the whole
> pattern, it's as if 1st and 2nd are gone and all I've got are 3, 4,
> 5th????????...HELP!!!!!

Sounds like either worn or mis-adjusted shift linkage.  I have some information on adjusting/rebuilding the linkage on my page:
	http://4crawler.cruiserpages.com/Diesel/ForSale/ShiftLinkage.shtml

To reach 1st/2nd gear, the selector lever has to push the rear selector rod over to driver's side, which in turn pushes the
selector shaft into the transaxle housing against the internal spring.  See if you can pop the hood and find out what is
preventing this from happening.  Try operating the linkage by hand and with the shifter and see what's different.