Looking for some help here guys. Have a friend with a 4spd OD transmission that locked up in neutral the other day and after fighting the stick was able to get it into 4th and limp it home. He is able to go from 4th to neutral but that is it! I have offered to take a look at it and he will be towing the car out to me in the next day or so what should I be looking for? I figured the first thing to do is verify the linkage is working correctly by disconnecting the linkage from the trans and if it looks good check the levers and the studs coming out of the side cover. I had a similar problem years ago with my gtx and it turned out to be a broken shift fork. This is a 1966 dart wagon with a 360 that was converted a few years back and at the time the trans was gone thru by an experianced mopar guy. Let me hear your thoughts on what is going on.

Start be checking the linkage and that the nuts on the side cover levers are tight, but some of the later overdrive transmissions had a different kind of reverse detent than the early four speed. I suspect that you're going ot want to pull the side cover for a look.

What are the possible problems that would cause this short of something simple?

The lever detent system in the later transmissions can cause problems like this. I would find it unlikely that the cause is any deeper than the shift forks, but could be a broken stop ring (synchro).

Jim, I appreciate the help and hope I am not opening up a can of worms. He did tell me that it was grinding going into 3rd the last few months???

Well, there's another possibility that the cluster gear pin hole in the front of the case is completely wallowed out causing misalignment of the gears.

Yea, thats possible but I would expect it to be leaking like crazy if that is the case. Once I get the car and take a peek you can bet I will post for some help on the board. I have read somewhere that getting the side case back on will be a lot of fun with the od trans.

The ODs have a plug in that end on the cluster pin hole so it won't necessarily leak when that wallows out.

Well got the car over to me today and put it up on my rack and found the problem. The nut holding the lever on 3-4 was a bit loose and it worked its way off the flatened end and had turned a bit. About 5 minutes worth of work and it is good as new. Thanks again for the help!

I'd have removed the nut and put lock-tite on it. I have seen the threads on the shafts show some wear and the nuts just back off.

I did use some blue locktite but would like to see what a mechanical nut looks like as I am not familiar with them? I actually degreased the side cover and linkage most of the trans really and tightened up everything I could get a wrench on. I basicly went around the bottom of his car and gave it some love and a good once over.