97-99 have different transmissions than the 2000+. The 97-99 have one big gear but the gear does not have teeth that go all the way around. It's only like 70%. Think of like a pie with a piece missing. Or something like PacMan. Your gears have rotated into that dead zone and will not reengage unless you manually turn where the V attaches to. The 97-99 can be a PIA because of that. You need to set both transmissions at the right spot or they will fall into that dead zone again when you cycle the top. Set them too far and it will rotate the gear into the dead zone towards the end of the cycle. My advice is to remove one of those transmissions and take a look inside it. Then you'll see what's going on. The 97-99 don't use that plastic gear that strips out on the 2000+.
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Woody
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