Triumph Repair: TR7 5 spd gearbox, last trip home, forward gear

Question
Hello Howard,

I have an 80 TR7, runs great.  Drove it for a couple of weeks. On my last trip home, about 85 mph for 8 miles, I noticed when I got in to town that it was shifting hard.  The next day, backing out of my driveway, I felt the gears crossing, or trying to engage a forward gear with the reverse gear.  I nursed it to my shop a couple of blocks away.  It is now stuck in gear, which one, I do not know.  The clutch is doing its job, but it is stuck in 2nd, maybe 3rd gear.  When I popped the lever cover off, I noticed the shift gear retainer was broken, but I'm not sure if that would cause the shifting problems I am having.  If you are familiar with this box, do you think the problem is in the linkage/lever or deep in the gearbox itself.  Is this a problem you've seen before??

Thanks,
Darren

Answer
Hi Darren,
The TR-7 5 spd shift is with just one shaft out of the box so you can't get into two gears by anything out side the box like on MG boxes. It is possible to get where you can't shift but you can't get into two gears at once from a problem outside. You will have to open it up to see what is wrong.
It may or may not be anything serious but you will have to look inside to see. I was trained on that box but it was 40 years ago but I do have a manual and should be able to help you when you get it out. let me know.
Howard