Has anyone had this happen and the likely cause and a remedy"

ke70 5 speed locked/jammed (immovable) in first gear

new box or fixable?

I have no idea lol

Well there is not too much too gearboxes, but unless you somehow manage to wrestle it free via the gear stick its going to be a gearbox removable and disassemble to fix it. 

 

Bound to be fixable, most likely the 1st gear selector is either broken inside the box or wore the tips out so much it has jumped off the gear.

How does the gear lever feel? More sloppy than usual? Jammed solid?  In the usual place for 1st gear or further forward/backward?

seems to be jammed solid

 

It went from reverse to first and then stuck there 

Can move the gearstick as if it is in a mixing bowl.

Could of the ball on the bottom of the gear stick broken off - is that even possible.??

Havent looked at anything yet as car is about 100 k's from home when it broke down.

Edited November 2, 20223 yr by frosty
spelling

"Could of the ball on the bottom of the gear stick broken off"

Yes- About 50years ago I put my Lotus Europa in for service and they broke the bit off the bottom. I found it had happened before & been welded, but the mid-mounted North-South engine had a torturous path to the gearbox and a lot of stress on the lever.

There's a couple of other spots where a pin could break or selector jump out, but you'll only find out when you strip it. Start with the getting the gear lever out & have a play with the selector rods before you pull the whole box.

 

On 11/3/2022 at 7:45 AM, altezzaclub said:

"Could of the ball on the bottom of the gear stick broken off"

Yes- About 50years ago I put my Lotus Europa in for service and they broke the bit off the bottom. I found it had happened before & been welded, but the mid-mounted North-South engine had a torturous path to the gearbox and a lot of stress on the lever.

There's a couple of other spots where a pin could break or selector jump out, but you'll only find out when you strip it. Start with the getting the gear lever out & have a play with the selector rods before you pull the whole box.

 

OK, thanks for the idea, will see how that goes.

have had the pin in the selector shaft break during an event locking me in 2nd. 

pulled the shifter and tried to fit a splitpin but dropped it into the box 😞

ended up scrapping that gearbox.