Originally Posted by
LarrBeard
Some three on the tree transmissions develop a quirk as they get old and wear a bit. The shift pattern, as you are learning, is an H-pattern. Down and left is first gear, up and across the bar of the H goes to second and then straight down is high. Reverse is on the left bar of the H and straight up. On a new, tight transmission all is good, but after a bit of wear (maybe a hundred thousand miles or so) the shift pattern gets a bit cranky.
To make that shift from first to second, you have to go straight up the left side of the H a bit, just past the bar of the H - almost like you want to go to reverse - but just before you grind a gear, you come back down, cross the bar of the H and go into second. It looks a lot like a Y-pattern with a short leg on the left side of the Y.
If you try to cram second without the little side trip, the shift levers lock up and you are stuck in no gear and the only thing to do is get under the hood (or the vehicle) and jiggle the shift levers on the side of the transmission. They usually don’t stick very hard, but you’ve got to go jiggle them, one up (or back) and one down(or forward).
At one time I kept a stick with a wire hook behind the seat so I could reach the stinkin’ levers without having to get dirty and greasy.