Shifter or tranny?
 

Just took the truck out for a spin. Coming back home the shifter wouldn't come out of first. When I forced it a bit (VERY stiff) I could get it to neutral, but it sounded like the grinding of a non-syncromesh trying to shift. I couldn't get it into second. I was in my neighborhood and got it home in first but had a little trouble parking since it wouldn't go into reverse either.

So, how can I tell if it is the shifter gone bad (that's gotta be rare) or tranny gone bad? Its an all syncro three speed fron a '79. The shifter is an old school Fenton.

i had a problem with my 3 spd shifter as well it felt real sloppy but mine was 2 nd gear
so i went a bought a new shifter from pep boys for 40 bucks and now it shifts real smooth

I hope its just the shifter, but mine feels like its bound up. I is very difficult to get it out of first and you can't get it into any other gear.

Just prior to this I was teaching my son to drive a stick shift. A little rough, but nothing bad enough to cause any damage.

My 3spd on the column used to do that until I changed the linkage bushings.......

floor shifter
 

by the way mines was a floor shifter not colum

Mine used to bind up all the time between 1st and 2nd and I would have to get under the truck and reset the linkage. It pretty much does it every single time I tried to shift to fast. It wouldnt come all the way out of first before starting to engage 2nd and therefore hang up. I just quit shifting it fast, especially in the rain.

loosy shifter
 

try tighten up the shifter assy bolts

Just curious, did this start happening after driving for a bit, or the whole time while driving? I would check the fluid in the manual trans to see if it's low on gear oil. Mine was real low on mine when I first drove my truck home, and the syncro's, gears, etc got hot, and could not get it out of first gear, until the trans was cold, the next morning I went out to the truck, and it shifted fine.
Then again, it could also be shift linkage, clutch, or clutch needs adjustment.

I've also had problems with the Hurst indy floor 3 speed shifter, it would hang up, but would lock the trans with the rear end. :( I fixed this with new bushings, and tightened the base of the shift kit assembly.
David

Chevyboy1962

It happened after driving it for 20 minutes or so . . . With my son trying to gain proficiency on a manual tranny so it was rough at times.

I will check the manual trans fluid. Clutch has been slipping some lately. Not too bad, no smell or burnt clutch or anything, just slow to fully engage when getting on it (ie: I can't smoke the tires at will like I used to be able to).