1st gear not fully engaging??

[Potter]

Went for a ride without first gear last night and the trans got stuck in neutral. I had to tow strap it home.

Possibly the shift rod bushing? I ran out of time and didn't really have a chance to investigate. Will be digging into it tonight and report back.

[Marc]

Does it seem to be truly in Neutral or might it be stuck in the (non-functional) First? That could happen if the hockey stick managed to cross over to the 3/4 rail and the 1/2 rail drifted aft...internal interlock detents are designed to prevent that, but it can still occur if the rails are sloppy in their bores and/or the end of the hockey stick is worn down.

[Potter]

The stuck in neutral issue wound up being a sloppy old shift rod coupler. back to square one issue of no 1st gear engagement. slotted to pull for a trans rebuild next month.