MGB: Can't shift into 1st Gear !

I just bought "another" MGB. This one shifts gears easily, but it takes several tries to get her into 1st. It's like I move the lever into place, but its hitting something halfway. Could worn engine/trans mounts cause this??

Stuart

Can you put it into first gear if you go through neutral first... ie put it in neutral let out the clutch then put it in first...

Also with the car running.. if you try to ease it into first from neutral without the clutch can you feel the gears...ie grinding?

probaly something funy in the shifter rails!! If that is it, piece of cake!!

i posted something similar a while back. not sure what transmission you are dealing with but i think the guys say it's normal. try that double clutching that david was talking about, and i do believe there is a certain RPM band that would also make for a nice smooth transition. (after you go through neutral, tap the gas a bit and get your rpms up then try 1st) i haven't mastered it yet but the guys gave me some tips and i believe said it's somewhat 'normal' depending on your tranny! maybe others can help out a bit here... good luck

what year is it

I second Chucks question, what year and type transmission is it?

If non-syncro first, double clutching does help.

My "B" is a '78 model with about 125k miles on it. If I press the clutch, "shift" into first, release the clutch, it will do nothing. If I just nudge it into first, without using the clutch, it grinds.

I hope this doesn't mean pulling the tranny!

Stuart

If I put the gear into neutral first, it doesn't seem to make a difference :(

Am I missing something? You say it grinds if you don't use the clutch? But works fine if you do? Or are you saying it will move physically but not catch?

Check to make sure the plastic bushing is in place and is in good shape. You may not be getting enough "throw" on the remote linkage to get it into gear. You can try removing the boot and center console, and use a BF screwdriver to act as a shifter.

It's a little hard to explain. If I press down the clutch, then I can move the gearshift halfway into 1st, until it stops. Sometimes this is far enough to engage the gear, othertimes, its still in neutral.

Hope this clarifies things !!!

Thanks for all your help.

StuartSteve F wrote:
>
> Am I missing something? You say it grinds if you don't use
> the clutch? But works fine if you do? Or are you saying it
> will move physically but not catch?
>
> Check to make sure the plastic bushing is in place and is in
> good shape. You may not be getting enough "throw" on the
> remote linkage to get it into gear. You can try removing the
> boot and center console, and use a BF screwdriver to act as a
> shifter.

So maybe it is the shifter bushing, or a loose gearshift plate instead of something more expensive. Remove the console boot, look for three bolts holding down a ring around the shif lever. Try tightening them and see if that helps.