While travelling to Le Mans: 1st, reverse and 2nd gear very hard to engage:advise pls

[911T1971]

We spent some beautiful times at the current Le Mans Classic.

Since yesterday, my beloved 1971 911t 5speed developed some gear problems:
1st and reverse gear are very hard to engage and while doing, develop a grinding sound. Now, 2nd gear shows similar response and is best to be engaged while the car is not rolling. I also noticed the 2nd gear position (My 2.2l has the dog-leg gear modus, 1st is left down and 2nd left straight up) is now slightly offset, almost middle straight up).

Of course, i always double clutch and give some throttle when changing gears. This time it makes no difference.

Q: what is the problem? Are synchromesh worn out or need gear cables grease?

We are in the middle of a 2500mile trip in beautiful France and while I am not worried, i would prefer to repair or improve, until we are back home.
This is yesterday, at Le Mans Classic.

[Milou]

Hi Karim,

If on your way to Brittany you can contact Nicolas Rouleau:

RN AUTOMOBILE - 47, rue Henri Dunant - 56880 PLOËREN
Par téléphone : 00 33 (0)9 77 09 69 36
00 33 (0)6 95 76 18 10
email: rouleau.nicolas@wanadoo.fr

If he's near you he could probably help you. He's been very helpful at providing parts and seems quite capable.

Best,

Thomas

[dporsche74]

rear linkage bushing or front cup bushings crumbling away will have play in the shift lever as well GL ...

[Flieger]

Does it grind when you select any of the gears when the car is stopped? If so, then the clutch cable is starting to break and is stretching, not letting it fully disengage.

When you said that you couldn't get first or reverse though it sounded like the shifter or coupler bushings are starting to fall apart, a common problem. But I would think this problem would result in you not "finding" the gear, rather than the grinding noise.

[LiveFromNY]

I wish I could help. Unfortunately, any thread with a title that starts "While travelling to Le Mans..." makes me so immediately jealous that my brains shuts down rendering me pretty much useless for the rest of the day.

[911T1971]

Many thx for all replys.

Thomas, thank you and I will look into that and checking distances. We arrived safely on the west coast, near Nantes where we stay 10days. I do could drop off the car, travel by train and recover it a few days later again.

From above comments it already looks like it could have multiple problems and the risk of breaking parts, cables or bushing are bigger than thought.

Flieger: many thx. Its both times: its not finding the right gear, either at rolling (then not finding the gear and a huge grinding sound when searching for it but missing) or at stop (then not finding the gear, an increased resitance to push the lever, an absent or much reduced grinding sound too but it lets me engage much better than while rolling).

dporsche74: many thanks. Yes, both front and rear bushing could fall apart/being stretched, as its cable too.

Q: will spray WD40 into bushing and rear seat opening flap help and prevent any further damage until a mechanic does it right ?

As I told Thomas (great to see you again !) my never restored 911 does show its age even its in superb state. I guess slowly things develop, it might be its last big trip before an overhaul.
We did check the car, its brakes, fluids etc but maybe this detail escaped to us. In 10 year of ownership its the first serious problem while being on the road and travel.
I was grateful the car not only made the trip here withouth any problem, but when it did develop one today, it still let us driving in 3rd, 4th and 5th gear all the way to Brittany/Bretagne.

Pls continue to advise what to do or check but I guess a mechanic is the only way to go.
As always, Le Mans Classic was magic.

[Bob Harriman]

Pardon my possible ignorance but why would you always double clutch. I have never done that in 42 years of driving. What does that accomplish or avoid?

[72targa]

If it were mine, I would stop driving it until it is fixed...

[Xavier PJB]

Pity I did not know you were there KArim, I knew a bunch of mechanics who would have been happy to help/diaghnose and maybe fix.
Wish you to get it fix/not damaged.

BTW, there are several good mecanics in FR that could help.

Cheers

[911T1971]

Sorry Bob, double clutch is maybe wrongly described. My english and some technical terms is/are still not perfect.
I do give throttle in between, while retrograding in gears, just out of caution.

Brakekiller: do you know a mechanic near Nantes or is Thomas adress the one.
In fact we are very close to La Baule. Thomas adress is an hour drive so possible too.

LivefromNY: you re funny. Many americans heard here at Le Mans Classic. I loved the Corvettes, btw.