1971 FJ40 tranny or clutch woes...need some advice form the experts!!

[toomanytoyzz]

I have a delimna with a new purchase I made (71 FJ40 w/327 and stock 3speed/tcase). The owner claimed it ran fine, but when I got it off the trailer yesterday (had it shipped form CO to PA) I had no gears at all. I put it in 4 low to limp it home, and it seems like the clutch is shot. I've owned plenty of 76-82 FJ's, but this was my first pre 76 vehicle. I'm a total noob to the vaccum shift tcase, but I'm thinking it's a tranny or clutch situation. When it was engaged in 4low(I guess it was in 4low, I pulled the lever as far as it would go towards me and a green light lit up on the dash) it would move, but only creep and the clutch felt like it was barely engaging. I'm thinking of a 4speed conversion, but don't know if the bellhousing is different on the 3speed adapter than the 4speed. I bought it with the intention of driving it for the next couple months, and then repainting it and swapping out the 3spped and tcase from a later year vehicle. Any info?????

 

[shelfboy1]

try adjusting the clutch their should be some play in the clutch fork.if not shorten the rod until their is play .if it still doesnt move sounds like a clutch job in your future.4 speed is a different bellhousing ,if you dont like the vacum shift you can convert the one you have to a floor shift.good luck

 

[Downey]

Boy are you going to get a ton of opinions on this one. I didn't quite understand where the problem is:
(a) clutch shot?
(b) transfer-case shifting linkage a problem?
(c) anything else?
I like the 327 engines, probably the best all around (highway and off road) that I've ever had. I would want a 4 spd. tranny, a 4 speed adapter bellhousing, a new Chevota-dedicated clutch assembly, the adapter for 4 spd. tranny to 3 spd. T.C., then I really wouldn't mind the stock T.C. shifting mechanisms provided a rebuild kit is still available for the 4WD vacuum valve. If you chose this route, then you would have to modify both drive shafts ($150-200) since the 4 spd. tranny is longer.

 

[toomanytoyzz]

Boy are you going to get a ton of opinions on this one. I didn't quite understand where the problem is:
(a) clutch shot?
(b) transfer-case shifting linkage a problem?
(c) anything else?
I like the 327 engines, probably the best all around (highway and off road) that I've ever had. I would want a 4 spd. tranny, a 4 speed adapter bellhousing, a new Chevota-dedicated clutch assembly, the adapter for 4 spd. tranny to 3 spd. T.C., then I really wouldn't mind the stock T.C. shifting mechanisms provided a rebuild kit is still available for the 4WD vacuum valve. If you chose this route, then you would have to modify both drive shafts ($150-200) since the 4 spd. tranny is longer.

I don't quite understand where the problem is either. It didn't move when the trucking company took it off the trailer and I got into it to bring it the 1/4 mile to my dad's bodyshop. I tried all the gears and nothing. I then shifted the t/case lever under the dash as far as it would go towards me, and it would move, but only if I eased the clutch out giving it more gas then seemed necessary. I know what a vehicle in 4low should feel like, but this was definitely not the same.
As far as the 4speed conversion goes, I am definitely going to do this, but I wanted to enjoy driving the thing for a couple of months before doing it. Coolerman pm'd me about the t/case shifter linkage being out of whack, so I'm going to look into that. Is it 2hi when you have the lever as far towards the firewall as it will go?

 

[spdwaver]

Have you checked the position of the lever on the t-case itself? It could be that the lever is not moving fully into position, possibly caused by an obstruction; in that case, disconnect the linkage from the lever (located on the t-case) and move the lever by hand into all three positions to test the theory. You should be able to move this lever by hand.

More than likely the linkage is your issue; I would check the operation of that first, then move on from there.

 

[Downey]

If you don't have a linkage problem, you may simply have a clutch that is shot or radically slipping. I can't imagine the PO had the slave cylinder adjusted to where you are not getting full engagement (i.e. if the PO was not getting full disengagement so that he could shift, he may have adjusted the slave cylinder push rod to give more-than-full-disengagement, but now it will not give full engagement---massive slipping).

 

[RicardoJM]

Have you checked the position of the lever on the t-case itself? It could be that the lever is not moving fully into position, possibly caused by an obstruction

Related, the defrost hose will get in the way of my hi-low lever and keep the t-case in neutral - which would result in the no gear engaging behaviour you describe. The position of the hi-low lever looks like it is in hi, but sure enough it needs to go just that little bit further to engage. Hopefully your issue is similar.

 

[toomanytoyzz]

Yeah, I'm heading up to the shop to mess around with it tomorrow night after work. I'm really hoping that's the problem. Thanks for the advice guys. I'll keep you updated.