C1. 3rd gear pops out of gear.

[Barbara S.]

I hope I can tap back into the braintrust here. My T-10 in my 4spd '61 will pop out of 3rd gear when I take my foot off the accelerator and coast a bit. It doesn't do it in any other gear. It doesn't pop out when my foot is on the accelerator and putting gas to it. I had the tranmission rebuilt, so I don't know why it would be something internal with the tranny. Could it be the shifter linkage?

Any helpful hints would be appreciated.

Best regards,
Tony

[Mike M.]

Re: C1. 3rd gear pops out of gear.

doubt its the shifter but put it in 3rd gear(on a lift, get underneath, remove 3-4th shifter rod from the 3-4 lever and watch to see if lever is fully engaging in 3rd gear. then , while lever fully in third, see if the shifter rod will pop into the lever hole. if it pops in without moving the lever, then the problem is internal(synchronizer, 3rd gear etc)) good luck and hope its the shifter. mike

[Justin N.]

Re: C1. 3rd gear pops out of gear.

Tony,

I had the same problem with third gear in my 1965 CR Toplaoder. Under load, everything is fine, but while slowing with the foot off the pedal, it comes out of gear. Something with the third gear synchro was broken.

I bought my rear dif rebuild and Muncie rebuild kits from Southern Gear, 1-800-289-7432, Mike ext. # 108 is the guy that helps me. Most likely where the big Corvette parts guys get there kits! I purchased these through a wholesale business, but they should sell to the public.

Justin #41362

[William V.]

Re: C1. 3rd gear pops out of gear.

Tony

If the shifter is OK, then it most likly warn 3-4 gear fork and/or clutch slider.

[William C.]

Re: C1. 3rd gear pops out of gear.

The root of this problem is a design problem in the T-10 that makes it very sensitive to wear on the teeth of the synchro slider or the teeth on the gear where the slider engages them. The sure fix is replace both slider and gear with new parts (also checking for shifter fork wear and replacing as necessary). There is a revised slider design available that does a better job of locking the slider onto the gear and it may fix the problem without replacing the gear, but you won't know without looking at how bad the third gear teeth are where they engage the slider, and then if you don't goo all the way and replace both parts and have to later, it's another trans R & R. Given the symptoms, I'd pop for the new pieces and sleep better at nite.

[Barbara S.]

Re: C1. 3rd gear pops out of gear.

Thanks as always! It's on my "winter things to do list"

Best to all!
Tony

[Barbara S.]

THANKS GUYS! *NM*

[Paul B.]

Re: THANKS GUYS!

One other possibility is on the inside of the shifter cover, there are "shift dogs". These work on a spring ball "detent" method. The sliding cylinder that has the spring in it with the balls on each end can become worn or mushroomed on the end to where it does'nt let a particular gear "detent" and stay locked in. If the ball does not "detent" and "lock" the tranny into gear, it will pop out. Happened on my '75 with a Super T-10 in second gear.