Honda Civic Refuses To Move!!

There seems to be a problem with the transmission in my 93 civic ex. I
recently put a new engine in the car and I got everything hooked back
up and running. I started the car and drove down the street as I was
coming up the transmission refused to respond as i shifted through the
gears. I pushed it back into the driveway and tried to shift through
the gears. All the gears will shift into and you can hear them being
shifted into each gear. When the car is in any gear all that you hear
is a whirling sound like something is just spinning.


I checked the shift linkage and that seems to be fine and i checked my
fluid level and that was ok as well.

It is a manual Tranny.

Any Ideas I would greatly appreciate it!


Thanks!!

 

One of your drive shafts has come out of engagement with its
other half. I had this happen 4 months after it was repaired by
a back street mechanic (for the previous owner) and the end
of the shaft was at the wheel end of left side. It had hung up
and not 'clicked' into its proper location but was fairly tight
(til it came out!).

A quick look in daylight will determine if both axles are OK.

 

How do i check if both axles are in the correct position? Is there a
special way to check both the axles at all?

 

How do i check if both axles are in the correct position? Is there a
special way to check both the axles at all?

 

Block the road wheels so that the car cannot move. Set the hand
brake firmly. Get someone to help. Start the engine and then put
into second gear. Have the assistant carefully release the clutch
while firmly pressing the footbrake.

If the engine continues to run then there is a break in the drive train.
Look at the drive axles and spot the one which continues to rotate.
This will be the one which has come out of engagement at the wheel.

If both the axles are stationary then you'll have to raise both front
wheels and see which wheel most the least resistance to turning.
This is probably the side which is not engaged at the gearbox end.

If the engine stalls you'll have to find which side has temporarily
engaged.

Don't use the throttle during this procedure.

 

Another method would require getting under the car check the
gaps between the CV joints and the differential. You might have
to remove the spindle nut to push the inboard CV joint back
into the differential gear.

I'm confused, if the car is on the ground how should the axel rotate?

 

It shouldn't! But if the CV has become disconnected at the wheel,
like happened to mine, the uncoupled shaft will turn while the
other one will remain connected to the wheel and therefore remain
stationary. Haven't you ever run a car in gear with one wheel lifted ?

 

Makes sense. If the CV has become disconnected at the wheel...
This is such a phenomena, thus overlooked it. Pranksters usually
pop the CV joint at the differential or stick avocados inside the tail pipe.

Yes...Pop quiz: How did it get uncoupled at the wheel after a motor swap? :~)

 

Hey guys thanks for all the help. Last night i jacked up both the
wheels like you all reccommended and tried to take a look at the CV
Joints. It seems that that the right CV joint had come out some at the
differential like you guys had said. When i started the car i noticed
that trans fluid would leak from there as well (which it shouldn't). I
took the whole axle out and reseated it correctly. Once i got it back
on the car was running like a champ.

Thanks for all the help on this one guys i very much appreciated it!!