New guy with a new old (94) max 4.

[jerseybigfoot]

If the diamond shifter is tight and wont move at all you have mud lodged between the diamond shift shaft and the aluminum body of the trans. there is an o-ring that seals the shaft but also allows mud to collect at the top of the shaft. Use a hook to break up the mud below the diamond and blow it out then use penetrating oil to free up the mud between the shaft and housing. Work the diamond shifter to help free it. once it is free its best to remove the shifter and clean everything and replace the o-ring. Depending on the year you may have a snap ring holding the diamond shifter in place. If the housing is worn out and there is allot of play in the shifter it may hang also,

[jstout9]

Got the new shifters in and it shifts like a dream!

New problem. After installing the shifters and checking linkage adjustments I started her up, backed out of the shop, did a few turns and took off. Went about 100 yards, over a small hill and down a rivine. Came to the edge of my property and decided to back out of the spot I was in, mostly to check the shifting again. After I backed out I put her in forward and..... nothing! Put her in reverse and she only pulled on the right side. I fooled with it for a few more min. and now there is no go either forward or backward..... Clutch is functioning and I can feel it "kick" into gear at times but no go. Had to pull it back to the shop. Any thoughts??

[amphibious drew]

Maybe the pins slipped out the center plate. happened to me once.

[jpswift1]

Maybe the pins slipped out the center plate. happened to me once.

It sure did.....I remember that!

[jstout9]

So it sounds like I might need to reinstall the shifters???

[racerone3]

They are talking about the pins that hold the fixed end of the bands inside the trans. When I got my racer, there was evidence that that had happened before, but only on one side. in your case, both sides would have to have broken, bent or ripped loose. seems unlikely to me.

not to second guess you, but did you get the shifter hold downs pushed down tight and their bolts tight. something to try would be removing the diamond shifters and manually moving the shift collars inside the transmission. with the diamonds removed, look down in the bore and you will see the groove that the shift pin rides in. stick a large flat blade screwdriver in there and move the shift collar either in or out and see if you have drive (If memory serves me, moving them in toward the center of the trans should get you forward). Do this with the engine off. you will probably need to rock the machine a bit to shift it this way. If you still don't have any drive, then it's time to yank the trans and split the case to see what broke... (my suspicion would be a broken input shaft based on what you've said so far)

[jstout9]

Don't worry about about second guessing me. I'm pretty handy with a wrench but not afraid to admit I might have made a mistake. I installed the shifters and the keeper as they were before. I will recheck the keepers in the morning to make sure they are doing their jobs. Thanks for the advice!

[jstout9]

Thanks for all the advise! She is back up and runnung. The shifter keepers were not riding tight on the shifters. Both sides had worked their way up and out of the groove.

Thanks again!