Thank you Mechainiac and 54 4 me!
It seems the clutch is NOT disengaging. Very patiently, I walked the clutch release fork up and down the linkage rod and through trial and error I have not at all been able to disengage the clutch. Also, With the engine off, and the clutch depressed throughout these trails, whenever I tried to start the engine, the car would lurch forward - still engaged in gear.
So with a lot of research of my mechanic library and original documents and finding no local tranny shops exuding enough confidence :p to tackle a 54 transmission without "strings attached," I am readying myself to remove the tranny from the bell housing and drop the clutch assembly for inspection and rebuild/replace.
Comments? Suggestions?
