Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Ok, Bad news again with the trans I put in the roadster. I put my roadster frame in the garage like 1 week ago. I left the trans in 1st gear so it wouldnt roll. Today, as I was going to take the frame out, since I am going to get a whole new exhuast set up, I shifted the trans to all gears, luckily out of 2nd and into 3rd it got stuck! . It will not shift out no matter what, we tried rolling it a little and no luck. I've had enough of this POS, but besides my issues, anyone know what the syptoms might be?

Thanks, Joaquin

Joaquin,
did the car move at all when you were shifting through the gears? If so you might have just gotten it bound, my 5th gear did that about a year ago, only I was out in the middle of noplace. I rocked it back and forth for a little bit and it eventually let go, and I continued on my way. It was a little wierd, and I don't know why it did it. Also didn't you bend something while you were dropping the body on the frame?

Will

Will,

What I did notice that moved was the drive shaft, it moved a bit. Since the body is still off the frame, ever since we broke the 1st tranny on our attempt to get the body on, the body has never been back on the frame since. I know that for a fact, that the trans was not bent by the body in anyway. It was working perfectly fine, I was just fiddling with it making shifts "imagining when I drive him, and it turned into a nightmare with the car stuck in 3rd gear! Now im screwed. I cant move the thing (no jack with wheels) to be able to get it to the exhuast shop, 2nd of all now I have mechanical problems with the transmission, even before the car has touched the road, Im guessing now your black cloud has struck me!
Hopefully tommorow I can get it to my uncles shop someway, and get that trans checked.

Joaquin

Joaquin-

I know that right now it seems like this whole Roadster thing is not worth anything, but don't despair yet. It could be something as simple as a split pin inside the trans that was already broken and just chose this particular time to give up. I had that happen to me with my first Roadster (during an autocross), and it cost me exactly 12 cents to fix. Granted that was in the 70s, but the pins can't cost that much more nowadays. I went to several Datsun dealers and told them what the problem was. Estimates ranged from $150 (to fix) to over $400 (for a replacement trans). I bought the pin over the parts counter and when I got home and took the trans apart, I just laid out everything on newspaper on the floor as it came out of the trans. Replaced the pin and everything was good again. It might be something more serious, but serious isn't always the case.

Hang in there!

Besides, look at all the valuable experience that you're getting by having that little car. Those who never physically work on a car might think they know everything about them, but they don't. Practical experience is WAY better! You'll be better off in the long run.

Bucky,

Hopefully it is just a pin, since it was shifting correctly, I will be taking the trans out again when my dad has time, and bring it to my uncles shop. Where is this "pin" located? Thanks Buck.

Joaquin

Yeah, I gotta agree w/ Bucky. I see from your posts and from our chat the other night that you're a bit frustrated right now, but it really WILL get done, and it really WILL be worth it.

Anybody can throw a 5-inch Joe Riceburner exhaust on a CRX, mount some wide profiles, add a too-loud sound system --- and just be a clone of everything else out there. Booorrrrrriiiiinnnnggggg!!!!

You, dude, are gonna have one of the coolest cars. Just be sure to wash before the girls start asking for rides.

My roadster is the first car where anyone ever said "Nice!" Luckily, they were 20 feet away, but you get the point. Right now it only gets what's needed for daily driver status until my wife's 914 is done, so I figure it'll be a couple of years before I get to really pretty it up. In the meantime, this forum, the list, and looking at pics of other peoples roadsters (AlvinG's and Sid's are my favs) keep me motivated.

Hang in there!

I try, hopefully I can hold on for a bit longer. Personally I find Will's car my fav. It looks clean, and it is/was a daily driver. I know that I will have this trans problem solved, and another problem will come pounding at me . But what can I do? Eh? But I know that I will be done with the roadster sooner or later, and I will thank you all for all of the support.

Hey Joaquin,

You're young and will do a lot of driving in your time. My first ride was a 65 VW bus and I put 5 ENGINES in that thing by myself!

Be patient and your Roadster will give you years of enjoyment.

And learning to work on a car like you are now will mean that when you're older (like most of us here) you will get the BABES!!

Hell, my wife tells everyone she married me because I popped the clutch on a 30ft. Uhaul that wouldn't start!!! True story.

If you need a running Roadster fix, email me and I'll drive down one weekend.

Ron

Well, I was avoiding it, but since Ron brought it up, this should help keep you motivated...

Roadster = Babe Magnet

Thanks for all the support roadster amigos! Luckily, out of the blue today, at around 11:38 p.m. when we were on out way home from my uncles shop with a flatbed trailer to pick up the frame. We arrived home, and no luck getting it out of gear. I grabbed my jack, and lifted the rear suspension and started rolling the frame out (jack has wheels), and once we got it to the street I tried to see if it shifted out, and luckily it DID!!!! Wow, was I happy to see that it finally gave out! I did not touch it again, but im guessing it was probably a dent on the driveshaft that must have caused it to not shift out , I straightened it out, and kaboom! The trans was/ is good again! My roadster Faith has gone from 50% to 85%!!!! This instant my roadster is gettin a whole new exhaust set up (wohoo!) Luckily I can get picks of it soon!

Thanks for all the support roadster friends!!!

Joaquin,
What did you decide to do for the exhaust? Just wondering.

Will

Will,
I had to go with stock, since that was all that I could afford. Later when I have more $$ I am probably going to go with a better set up, Also, I was wondering if it is possible to put a Later style resonator on mine, and anyone got one, besides the new one on ebay?

Joaquin

The stock set up is pricy, mine was about $150 complete (about $400 including the headers). Yes you can run the megaphone tip resinator on an early car. The megaphone version was designed for the 2 liter, but will work fine with a 1600

Will

150 is exactly what I paid, Hopefully I can raise enough to get me a resonator. It gives the car a cool personality!

Joaquin

Save big $ on exhaust, don't use mufflers!!! I'll try that first, no muffler, just a megaphone resonator or a Monza tip.

Definatly keep the car, it seems almost nobody under 30 knows how to fix or install anything except stereos and chrome "coffee can" mufflers anymore! Just knowing what points are puts you way ahead of the curve.
And girls like cool cars.

Is it just me, or is a four door sedan like a Civic or Jetta just not hod rod material?
Back in the stone age when I was in high school and for years after,if anyone showed up in a four door anything they were mildly made fun of, and if you tried to hotrod the car it you were ridiculed. Then again, my first 5 cars were late models then and antiques now.