This year's Sporto challenge: Goes into gear, will not move

[caproader]

So I got the sporto down on 4 wheels, started the engine and it ran fine. I put the sporto into gear (any gear) and it went into gear very easily. But when I released my hand from the gear shift and reved the engine, the car did not move (tried all gears including reverse). Here is the interesting clue: With the car in gear, I shut off the engine; just before the engine stopped turning, the car lurched like the clutch had come together.

Now I am figuring that the clutch diaphram is getting constant vacuum due to either a physically stuck open vacuum valve, or constant electrical power to the vacuum valve.

So I pulled the wire from the top of the vacuum valve, stated the engine and all I got was constant grind trying to get into any gear. Put the wire back on, started the engine and easily slipped into any gear but no motion (with my hand off of the gear lever). Same lurch in gear as the engine spun down. which tells me that vacuum is going away as the engine quits.

So I pulled the vacuum solenoid wire, plugged a test light into the connector and guess what? test light is full on (when the ignition on of course). So then I separated the hot wire at the shift lever and guess what: Test light is full on. So then I pulled the ground wire from the base of the gear lever plate and guess what: The test light is full on. Breaking the connection for either (or both) of the shift lever wires does not kill the power to the test light at the vacuum switch connector.

Why/where is the darn switch getting constant power? All I can think of now is that somewhere in the wiring harness two hot wires have crossed to feed a constant current to the switch connector.

Anybody got any other ideas that I can try?

Thanks

John

[edmayo]

John, have you tried taking the top off the micro switch and checking the point continuity and if they are actually breaking contact?

[caproader]

Ed,

I am not sure that I understand. With the connector pulled off of the solenoid vacuum switch, the two wires always light the test light. You are you talking about the connectors on the wiring harness side of the connector, right? If you are, do you mean that I should check to see if the two wires are touching inside the white plastic connector? Even at that, why is the test light lighting even when I dissconnect both wires (hot and ground) at the gear shift lever?

My theory was that the sporto would work as long as I had all of the parts in the garage needed to replace the sporto with a 5 speed. As soon as I used the 915 originally intended as a sporto replacement in the 2.7 One Lap car, the sporto went to wacko. Is there some bad karma here becasue I modified my back up plan?

John

[edmayo]

In order for the clutch to engage the microswitch must break the circuit to ground, so you need to use an ohmeter hooked to the input wire to the switch and be sure that when lever is released that there is no ground circuit. Also if you remove the vacuum hose to the servo you instantly lose all vacuum and the clutch should engage. Can you hear the armature moving in the control valve when the shift lever is toggled? Have you checked voltage on
both sides of the fuse at the relay board? Do you have the sporto workshop manual operation diagrams, easier to ask questions if we're both looking at the same pages. Has anything been done to the car since it last operated, you know,,,,,like spending the winter stored under Lake Erie??

[caproader]

So looking at the Workshop manual, Vol I, Tab R, page SR 41-47 and recapping my afternoon activity:

When I remove the ground wire at the shifter base (and hold the ground wire in my hand) and start the engine, I can get the car into any gear but the car goes nowhere. Toggle gear lever, move it around; no difference, no change

With the car still running, in gear, but going nowhere, I touch the shifter base ground wire to ground and immeadiately the clutch comes together and the car wants to move (I have the parking brake on, my foot on the brake, and the wheels chocked). If (engine running) I remove my temporary ground by taking the shifter base ground wire off of ground at the car body, the clutch actuates and the car stops wanting to move.

Does this tell me that maybe the wires inside the gear lever switch are in constant/permanant contact? I will test this theory tomorrow after the rapidly approaching mandatory dinner formation with my wife this evening. But it sounds to me as if the best way to summarize this to say "Good ground to go, no ground to shift". I sure can see the sparks when I move the wire on and off of ground.

To answer your questions:
I can hear the armature move in the vacuum valve/solenoid when I apply external 12 volts to terminals on top of switch (with car wiring harness disconnected)
I do have 12 volts on both sides of the fuse (Lowest fuse, engine compartment 3 fuse board)
Over winter I put car on jack stands, changed gaskets on torque converter oil pump at rear of left side cam shaft and changed engine oil, removed SSI heat exhangers for cleaning, nothing else that I remember.
Shifter lever switch changed June 2012 but car driven maybe 500 miles after switch replacement
Car did not go swimming Lake Erie- Could not find speedo of politically correct size for the car.

As always, much thanks for your kind thoughts and efforts. I keep buying you a beer in appreciation but when you don't show up, I have to drink it myself.
John

[caproader]

New question: If I look at the shift lever from the top and I consider the 12 o'clock position to be straight ahead with 3 o'clock pointing to the passenger seat, 6 o'clock pointing to the rear and 9 o'clock pointing to the driver's seat;

At what position on the shift lever should the two contacts on the shifter lever switch be? Or is this switch keyed so that it can only be installed one way? My contacts are currently in the 3 o'clock position (Pax side).

Still, and always, refusing to give up on Sportomatic,

Loyal member #322

John

[edmayo]

I don't remember the switch being keyed, but I am sure I remember that the points should be at the 12:00 and 6:00 position. In operation any forward or rearward movement would close one of the point sets creating the ground circuit to operate the control valve. When the lever is released both points are open.

[edmayo]

Amend that last post John, just checked the manual (should have done that first) The switch has a slit in the plastic base that should face forward, and there needs to be a point gap of .012" to .o16" when the lever is in the 'relaxed' position.

[Fishcop]

I had a terrible time with my switch years ago (when the car was still a sporto). I spent hours trying to get the switch right and failed. Ponied up the $100 for a new switch and had instant perfection...

[caproader]

Guys,

Thanks for the help. I am temporarily off the project to serve as an election judge today and also helping to organize the June 9 Ault Park concours. As Karl Marx might have said: "Work is the curse of the leisure class". I expect to be back in the garage on Friday.
John