Title says it all, guys... I'm in trouble if I can't figure this out haha. I'm a college student and don't have a lot of spare money, so I try to do all repairs myself even though I don't have a lot of real mechanical know-how.

I just replaced the clutch (pressure plate, clutch disk, throw-out bearing, pilot bearing) and that all went pretty well. Followed a guide online to the tee, put it all back together and took it for a test drive and it ran GREAT. The clutch pedal felt totally different, like night and day and it was way more responsive. I took it around the block, went through every gear, and it all seemed fine. I pulled into my grandma's driveway and parked it for 20 minutes, and then went to leave. Lo and behold, to my utter dismay, I couldn't get it to go into 1st or 2nd gear. The shifter will go to the left, but it's like there is something physically blocking it from going forwards or backwards. 3rd, 4th, 5th work great, R is a little hard to get in but it's still okay.

First thing I did was bleed the clutch fluid line to make sure there were no air bubbles, but that didn't help anything.

My second thought was that it had something to do with a problem I had changing the clutch. I had a bit of trouble freeing the clutch control rod (the rod that comes down from the shifter, and goes forward along the exhaust to where it goes into the tranny, I think that's what it's called). There's a little pin that I had to pound out using like a 5/16th punch and a hammer. Getting that pin in was a b****, and I'm worried that I bent something while pounding it?

I laid on my back (in the freezing cold rain) and watched as my buddy ran it through the gears, the rod would twist counterclockwise when he pushed the shifter left, but it wouldn't go in or out when he tried to shift. This happens weather the car is on or off or the clutch pedal is in or out.

I'm out of ideas and I don't know anything about how the shifter actually changes the gears in the tranny. I'm 99 percent sure I put everything back together correctly, but even if I didn't I can't think of how anything I actually moved around today could make it so that it wouldn't go in gear. I should be able to run it through the gears even if the clutch is completely broken if the vehicle is off, right?

What could make a car not shift into those two gears? And how could I get down there and rule things out?

Any ideas are really appreciated, this car is my only way to work and school. Thanks so much for the help!

Joe

 

Can you shift into first or second with the engine stopped? That will differentiate if it is a shifter problem or a clutch problem.

 

Thank you SO much for your reply, kind sir. To answer your question, no.. It won't shift if the car is off. I think I may have found some more information, though. I've made some progress, but I could still really use a couple answers.

When I was refilling the MTF after replacing the clutch, trying to locate the fill plug in the dark, rainy cold, I unscrewed a bolt that had a weird spring attached to the back end of it. And I may have forgotten to put it back on before my "test drive." I know, I know, really stupid mistake.

After hours of reading and searching today I realized that what I had unscrewed was the detent bolt and spring, and that in the process of what I did I most likely dislodged the ball bearing and knocked it into the transmission. From what I understand, that device is what holds the selector rod (for first and second gear?) in place, and that without it I wouldn't be able to shift. Seems to fit according to my limited understanding.

Now, my question for you fine gentlemen is if any of you know weather I will be able to get the ball out by draining the MTF. I'm hoping I'll just be able to pull the drain plug and it will gloop right out with all the fluid, but I realize there is a magnet in the bell housing that it may have stuck to. Is that a possiblility?

If I do get the ball out, should I be able to just stick it to the end of the spring and drop it in? I don't really understand how the whole detent ball/ selector rod business works. If I drop the ball in, what's to keep it from just rolling away from where I want it?

A second option, if I can't get the ball out would be to head to Autozone and try to get a new one, and just drop it in. That would leave the original ball in the tranny, and I don't know if that would cause problems. If anyone who is more familiar with how these things work could give me a heads up about that, I'd be really grateful.

If neither of those things would work, I guess my only other option is to drop the tranny again and pull it apart looking for that ball, right? If I do so, I figure I might as well clean the sucker out really well..

I'm just really hoping someone will know a little bit more about this and will be able the save me the hassle of taking it all apart and putting it all back together again. I feel like losing that stupid little ball has to be something that's happened before, so maybe someone can help me learn from their bad experience XD

Thanks!

 

I doubt this is much help, but lots of pics...
DIY how to install Final Drive 5.062 (Transmission Tear-down) - 8th Generation Honda Civic Forum

 

Are you talking about one of the three bolts #10 in this drawing:
Honda Automotive Parts
I don't see how the ball could get lost just from taking the bolt out. It can't fall further down inside because the shift rod is in the way of it moving down. If for whatever reason though you put the spring back in without a ball there, or have two ***** in the same hole, it's going to jam.
(I'm sure you know this now, but #17 is where you put the fluid in, and #12 is removed to drain it.)

There is also bolt #19 in this drawing. With the car fully assembled, it will be right underneath the starter and impossible to reach:
Honda Automotive Parts
Taking that out is likely to let rod #3 move out of position, and you may need to take the transmission apart to get it back right.

 

Did you get the problem sorted out? I am having the same problem and I don't know what it could be

 

Yeah, I did. It was the detent bolt. I put it back without the washer when it fell out while I was changing the clutch. Without the washer it went in too far and wasn't letting me shift.