i killed it.

[rob342]

im confused. some lady stopped at the yellow flashing light by the fire department. she was just sitting there like a dummy, like the light was going to turn green or something. so i sat there for a minute or two, and then slowly squeezed around her. that went fine, i went around her..

first gear, ok, second gear, started out ok, but when i hit a little tiny bump in the roadway, like a 1/2" crack in the street ... vroom! -like i bumped it into neutral, but i didn't.. so yea, i coasted into my lot at work and now it's just sitting there. every gear is like neutral. i can put the car in gear and push it, like neutral. i can row through the gears and none make it move at all, nor have any effect on the motor. there are no ill sounds at all, and the axles appear to be intact. i was driving gently and only got up to like 20mph tops.

i think it must be the clutch, or the input shaft on the trans maybe? the clutch pedal feels fine. anyone ever break their car like this? i'm confused.

[soyomb]

under the battery tray, check to see if the bushings are gone on the end of the shifter linkage.

[rob342]

the bushings are still there, the shifter feels completely normal. with the car off i can hear it going from gear to gear as i row the shifter.

[PTJunkie]

Could it be the safety neutral switch?

[rob342]

Originally Posted by PTJunkie

Could it be the safety neutral switch?

no. it runs great. i could sit there and rev it up and shift from gear to gear fine, it's just...the car doesn't move while i do it. i have "perma-neutral".

i should be able to get it on a lift sometime in the next few days and see what the problem is. my guess is something expensive, like the input shaft snapped in the trans.

[UptownSport]

Sounds like a broken axle.
they will break right at inner spline.

Transmission is working from what you describe, so there's only differential and axle.

Differentials fail left and right, usually it's a spectacular failure tho

[pt06]

Interesting, veeery interesting. Find a helper. Have a beer. Jack up front tire, with clutch up, in neutral, car off. While turning the tire push shifter into reverse. You may feel the gear teeth engaging? The tire should turn harder in reverse. Also, can you see the shifter fork move? Is it loose? [Hanging throw-up bearing]. Good luck

[quicksilverdon]

I'm with uptown sport.
I had it happen to me years ago on a rear-drive car, it was the spider gear in the rear differential.

[rob342]

just had the car on the lift. the axles are fine. when you spin the wheels by hand with the car in gear, you hear a quiet clicking sound coming from the clutch area.

i had an issue with the clutch about 5 months ago where it would not disengage. ever since then, i've been really gentle with it. i really only use it when i start moving and i drive without touching the clutch pedal the rest of the time.

it never slipped, it's been fine, and it's really weird that it finally just went out while moping along in second

i can get a LUK replacement for $245, but i can't use the shop to change it. last week he was arguing with his partner about letting people do stuff there during the week. weekends used to be fine, but he just bought a condo and tore the floors and kitchen up, so his weekends are full for a long time.

seems like my only option is to have the car towed to my house so i can do it in my muddy gravel driveway. he said i would not physically be able to do it in the driveway with this car because the trans is twice the size of what i'm used to(mustangs/civics)

i don't really know what to do. i guess i'll try it in the driveway, if i can't do it, i'll toss the car on craigslist and move on.

[UptownSport]

You can lift the trans by yourself- it's about 80 lbs.

gather lots of shoring and go to it!