# Cant put shifter into any gears after replacing clutch **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** civic, honda\ **Created:** [February 1, 2022, 1:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229 "2022-02-01T01:01:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![smartkid724](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@smartkid724](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smartkid724)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/1 "2022-02-01T01:01:14Z")
Greetings, I had bought my first car with my father and it was a wrecked Civic Si, we fixed it up got it inspected and the clutch went bad within a day of driving. I never beat on it and drove carefully so it was a bummer and I was guessing it was the work of the old owner. My main priority was to get it fixed but no mechanic wanted or could do it, or they were charging an arm an leg for labor. Me and my Father took the job into our own hands and took out the transmission and replaced it our selves. But once we put the car together I cant put the car into any gears besides 1 and 2. I’m thinking it possible we accidentally moved the gear selector on the transmission when it was out, if so how can I find the right placement again, Or what could be the other issue ? Thank you for any Reponses ! ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/2 "2022-02-01T01:08:10Z")
With the engine off, can you select every gear? If you can, the clutch is the problem…which means you did something wrong. If, engine off, you can still only select 1 and 2, it is the linkage. Maybe you didn’t attach both shift cables? There are 2. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/3 "2022-02-01T01:10:52Z")
You may have a bad clutch master cylinder where when the clutch pedal is depressed the clutch doesn’t fully release. This can burn a clutch up in no time. Tester ---
**Author:** ![smartkid724](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@smartkid724](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smartkid724)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/4 "2022-02-01T01:17:49Z")
With Engine off I can only select gear 1 and 2, when previously I could select all when the engine was off. Also I did attach both shift cables, so is it supposed to be like this then? ---
**Author:** ![smartkid724](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@smartkid724](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smartkid724)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/5 "2022-02-01T01:19:24Z")
Yah that is my main guess, once the car can actually move again I want to change that asap. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/6 "2022-02-01T01:30:08Z")
> [@smartkid724](#): > > so is it supposed to be like this then? No. You should be able to select all the gears when off, like you used to. Considering there is no way for us to know what you did wrong, this is about as far as we can go helping you. ---
**Author:** ![smartkid724](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@smartkid724](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smartkid724)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/7 "2022-02-01T01:35:32Z")
could it be that the gear selectors aren’t in there right positions ? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/8 "2022-02-01T01:46:41Z")
It could be, but why would you change the adjustment on shift cables you reattached to the same trans that came out? Maybe the cables are not attached to the right trans levers? No way to know what affect that might have since I have never done that. See how this goes? We don’t know what you did or didn’t do, you didn’t really describe what you did, nor can you. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/9 "2022-02-01T01:47:55Z")
As far as the pros charging an arm and a leg for labor, skilled labor isn’t cheap, and cheap labor isn’t skilled. ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/10 "2022-02-01T01:52:47Z")
just a thought… maybe you accidentally kinked one of the cables and now it won’t move inside the cable case. ---
**Author:** ![smartkid724](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@smartkid724](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smartkid724)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/11 "2022-02-01T01:55:25Z")
sucks when you dont got the money for it 😕 ---
**Author:** ![smartkid724](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@smartkid724](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smartkid724)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/12 "2022-02-01T01:56:17Z")
could be a cause but then why would 1st and 2nd work 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![smartkid724](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@smartkid724](https://community.cartalk.com/u/smartkid724)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 1:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/13 "2022-02-01T01:57:13Z")
I will try that actually, thanks for the idea ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 3:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/14 "2022-02-01T03:02:24Z")
> [@smartkid724](#): > > could be a cause but then why would 1st and 2nd work Have you driven the car in first and second gear to verify these are engaging properly? I think you switched the cable positions. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2022, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cant-put-shifter-into-any-gears-after-replacing-clutch/182229/15 "2022-02-01T18:02:31Z")
Have you tried to put it in first gear and drive off? If so, did the clutch feel normal? Can you shift between first and second gear with the engine running and clutch depressed? If you can do all those, then I suspect the clutch is good and you either kinked one of the shift cables or swapped them. EDIT: If you can shift into first and drive off, but you have to slip the clutch a lot to keep the engine from dying, then you are probably in third and the cables are swapped.