My 620 is stuck in 5th!!! Nooo...Swap options??

[light rail coyote]

Hey guys, so driving my 77 620 home last night, I shifted into 5th, and it never came out. Lever is quite stuck, I limped it home, and dropped the trans, about to pull it apart...and try to figure it out, never rebuilt a transmission, but have pulled a few apart for fun before, but a T5 from a Camaro.

 

Anyway, if I decide to get one from a salvage yard,  Not one had a 620 5speed in Portland. I have read that a 720 trans will work if the bell housing is swapped, is that true of all 720 transmissions, what about newer nissan hardbodies? I would love a higher overdrive if thats something thats possible in a swap. 

 

anyway....calling all trans gurus! Ive now spent about as much money fixing this truck as I paid for it...so I'm in for the long haul, ha....uff.

 

 

[HOGIE]

Were you banging them gears hard?

 

 

 

Read this

 

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/69042-inputoutput-wont-turn-in-1st2nd5th-and-rev/

 

I was hoping  it was as simple as a missaligned shift fork, the topic was about a 720 trans. H5WAGON posted a bunch of pics of him fixing a misaligned Lseries trans. 

[datzenmike]

The L 5 speed front case will swap to the 720 5 speed, but the '85 and up 720 you will need to swap your 56mm counter bearing onto the counter shaft. The '85-'86 5 speed uses a 62mm bearing and it won't fit the earlier case. Easy enough to do.

[light rail coyote]

fantastic info, will read over the whole thread posted.

 

Pulled the tail section off, and everything looks ok, and I can move it through the gears by pulling or pushing the three gear selector shafts, seems weird, but I can't get it together again and shifting. I just need to do more digging, now that I have it part of the way apart reading the posted thread may be huge help

[flatcat19]

Swap a 4 speed in. You will never have this issue again!

[flatcat19]

I said never!!!

[datzenmike]

Stand the front half upright on two pieces of 2x4. Apply sealer sparingly to cleaned mating surface on the adapter plate. Set the shift rods to the neutral position. Set the striking rod (the part the shifter sits into) to the neutral position and turn the striking guide (the part the shifter pin slides through) clockwise (or to the right as seen from above). Lower into place making sure the striking lever fits into the slot formed by the shift rods.

 

This downward pointing finger on the end of the striking rod fits into....

 

 

the slot formed by the shift rods, center right.

 

[light rail coyote]

Well, I found my problem, there was a bunch of metal chunks floating around when I drained the oil, Finally found what it was. The countershaft bearing in the center housing lost its cage for the ball bearings, thats what the metal was. Figured it out as I was cleaning it out and the balls started falling out, ha....UFF. 

 

Well I found a 4speed from a 77 620 for $200. Sure I'd be into parts at least that doing a rebuild, so pulled the trigger on the salvage yard trans, and maybe I try to rebuild the 5 speed just to see if I can. Will miss that overdrive though :( Couldn't find a swappable 5 speed anywhere.

 

Flatcat was saying 5 speeds are kinda junky...this true? Are they just inherently weak? please make me feel better about giving up overdrive, haha

[Rick-rat]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

No, he said with a 4 speed, it will never get stuck in 5th gear again   :rofl:

[flatcat19]

I never said anything was wrong with the 5 speed.

 

 

And paying $200 for a 4 speed is savage. Raped.

You live in Portland...4 speeds are normally free in the PNW.

[light rail coyote]

Where are they free...??I want an extra ha.

 

I'm dense, I now see the joke, it was clever, I grudgingly laughed.

 

Was the cheapest and quickest option I could find to get the car on the road sooner than later. It's my everyday driver