Triumph Repair: Transmission, forward gears, shift linkage

Question
I came accross a 1972 TR6 that has set for 25 years.  Before they quit driving it they had a new clutch professionally installed.  Soom after the car will only go in reverse.  It has been sitting in a barn since then.  Can you comment on what mey be the problem? THanks for your time and help.  If you have any question about MGA's write may as I have restored mine over 6 years.
Thanks      Greg

Answer
Greg,

That's an interesting problem.  If you'd said it would NOT go into reverse then I'd suspect the new clutch.  If it would go into reverse then it means the clutch was disengaging properly.

If it goes into reverse but not any forward gears then it sounds like someone messed with the shift housing extension or selector forks.  It may be possible that the shift lever was not properly reinstalled and the selector lever is not going through it's full range of motion in the trans top cover.

The first step would be to pull the dash support and carpet to get to the trans cover.  Pull that out and see what condition the shift linkage is in.  

I'm curious to find out what the real problem is... if you figure something out please let me know how close I really was to the problem.


Cheers,

Jim