Confirming neutral

Yes, that makes perfect sense Gary; thanks!

fireguyfire wrote:

Finally got a spare minute today and got some help to press the clutch, so I now have the shift rod on top of the transmission all the way forward. The cross shaft that the top rod pivots on is in the dead centre of its throw, left to right.
Gary, in your post if I am understanding you, the shift rod should be all the way forward towards the front of the car, and then all the way over to the passenger side as well on the cross rod? Again mine is dead centre side to side, and all the way forward.

Not exactly. Your picture showed the shift lever all the way back so it was in gear. To be in neutral it must be pushed forwards to the middle where it can be moved sid to side.The side to side is to the passenger or drivers side. If the shift lever is pushed all the way forwards you will be in another gear. In your picture is the main shift lever attached to the vacuum chamber and in the same picture is the clutch interlock lever towards the back of the transmission case. Just remove the pins in those arms or levers and you can shift the trans without pushing the clutch in to the floor. Have someone repress the clutch and you watch the small linkage near the back or the axle move to unlock the internal shift levers. Its the small linkage thats about 3/16 diameter material. Hope this helps you understand more of what I'm talking about.


Gary Parsons
 

Finally got a spare minute today and got some help to press the clutch, so I now have the shift rod on top of the transmission all the way forward. The cross shaft that the top rod pivots on is in the dead centre of its throw, left to right.
Gary, in your post if I am understanding you, the shift rod should be all the way forward towards the front of the car, and then all the way over to the passenger side as well on the cross rod? Again mine is dead centre side to side, and all the way forward.

One of the most useful “tools” you can make for working on a Cord when you are alone is cutting a length of wood you can use to depress the clutch with one end on the clutch pedal and the other end catching behind the lip of the lower edge of dash.

Thanks Gary; I’ve already purchased the ACD club transmission book.
I’ve had 5 or 6 people come by to look at, and sit in the car; I’m assuming someone was playing with the clutch, or my wife depressed it while steering it after coming off of the trailer.

As your car sits, Its in gear. Terry is correct. The clutch must be depressed to the floor to  cause the lever to unlock the shifting arms. Or you can remove the cotter pins from the lever interlock and the main vacuum chamber, Then move the levers to neutral. When the trans in actually in neutral the cross shaft will move from the drivers side to the passenger side. How did this get into gear just coming off the trailer? On you tube is plenty of transmission viedos on the Cord trans shifting issues. Also purchasing the Cord trans repair book thats been updated really helps you understand how it works. The trans is controlled by electrical, mechanical and vacuum systems. Just the electrical has 100 electrical connections. By reading the book can make it simple.Jim Obrien has really helped many owners by posting several complete step by step directions as to whats happening when the trans won't work correctly. The news letter has lots of information he shared.


Gary Parsons

The main vacuum cylinder on top of the gearbox connects with the gear selector lever. Yes it is in gear as the lever has been pulled back.
Get somebody to push the clutch in then simply pull the gear lever forward into the neutral position. The clutch must be pushed in first to release the gear interlock. This is a pin that is in the RHS of the box and activated by the small rod going back under the radiator mounting plate.

Attached is the exploded parts view of the gearbox.


 

 

Here’s a photo as she sits

I am now ready to move my Cord project car into my shop. When I unloaded the car off of my car hauler, and moved it around a bit it rolled easily.
I tried to move it a bit the other day and it seems now to be in gear. Obviously I don’t want to be pushing the car around with another vehicle with it in gear, so I want be be 1000% sure it is in neutral.
Can anyone enlighten me by looking at the transmission (the front clip is off) as to what position the shift rods should be in when it is in neutral?