Transmission / Overdrive: T 86 type E

[Guest]

jumps out of first gear real hard when letting out clutch 2nd,3rd and revers ok. bell housing alignment ?

[StudeRich]

Welcome to SDC and to the SDC Forum, lately a lot of Washingtonians are coming out of the woodwork so to speak, glad to have more local people here. There are many Local Chapters here with friendly, helpful people to help you out, more info is available in the Monthly Club Publication "Turning Wheels", if you are not yet a International Member, you can join and get the first year discount at the top of these pages.

If your Engine and Clutch Housing is not a Factory matched set, or been dialed-in that you know of, that could very well well be your problem.
There are other possibilities like worn Low Gear, Cluster Gear, bad input shaft & or roller Bearings, linkage adjustment etc. which I am sure are listed under the Transmission Trouble Shooting Section of the Shop Manual.

[Chucks Stude]

Rich, you missed one item. Motor mounts.

[SN-60]

Yes, I'd take a good look at the shift linkage adjustment---ASAP!

[radiotech]

Another item you all missed is the thrust/spacer washers at each end of the cluster gear!

[gordr]

All the above are possibilities, but if it jumps out hard, worn teeth on the cluster and/or sliding gear are probably involved. Worn motor mounts, or misadjusted shift linkage will cause it to pop out, which in turn wears the gear teeth. It's a vicious circle.

Suffice it to say, whenever i have had a T86 do this, the sliding gear and cluster have been trashed. Being as it's not synchromesh, the gear teeth on the first gear side tend to get a lot of beating from people downshifting while the car is in motion.