Shifter Help
04-23-2014, 03:57 PM
#1
Cruisin'
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Shifter Help
Hello Guys, I have been having some trouble with my 90 951 shifting.
Little about the car
1990 Turbo (canadian car)
152xxxKM
motor replaced at 105xxxkm
Short shifter
Symptoms
Shifter has tons of side to side play, even when in gear.
Can't get car into 5th, or reverse, even 1st and 2nd became hard to find.
Done so far
installed a shift lever from only944, this made the shifter feel better and 1st and 2nd I can get the car into, but i am still hitting the tunnel on both sides of the shifter. no 5th or reverse still.
I have looked at the bolts on the short shifter and the shift linkage but they all look tight will try to tighten and adjust again tonight, Altho last time I tried tightning a bolt the one that connects the shift rod to the short shifter broke. so I can't try to adjust that tell I can get that bolt out and replace it.
Looking for some suggestions or ideas.
I talked to only944 and here is what he told me
Please make sure that the shifter is tightened up properly and the play isn't coming from the shifter first. With both shifter boots off the car, move the shifter from side to side and look closely at the black rod that attached to the shifter. Make sure that the shifter and rod are both moving at the same time. If they are and everything is tight on the shifter, then something else is wrong.(obviously)
There are 4 other causes of the shifter moving too much and hitting the sides. 3 of them are just loose bolts, and the third is the shift linkage(short shifter). The shift linkage arm will not fix any play in the shifter.
The first think to check, and the most likely cause, is a bolt on the shift linkage in the rear of the car.
Here is a link to the instructions for changing the short shifter. It can be helpful.
http://only944.com/instructions/shortshifterinstall/
Jack up the car and remove the left rear wheel. Put the car in neutral. Then you should be able to see the shift linkage on top of the transmission. It should look like the picture I attached. I would bet that the bolt labeled B is loose. I would check to see if it's loose. Then remove the bolt and put loctite on it and reinstall it. Next, I would check the bolt labeled A, to see if it's loose and then tighten it with loctite on it. If that doesn't fix the play in the shifter, then try tightening the bolt labeled C. If the bolt "C" is loose then you have to have someone sit inside the car and hold the shifter directly in the middle, straight up and down. Then you can tighten that bolt. If those bolts don't fix the problem then it's either the shift linkage(short shifter), or the transmission is worn out.
The shift forks and synchros inside the transmission can also wear down, which will cause play in the shifter. Have someone sit inside the car and slowly move the shifter from side to side, with it in neutral. Have them just move the shifter until the play is gone, have them stop when the feeling of actually moving the gears starts(if that makes sense). Then, while they are doing that, look at the linkage. You might be able to see where the play is coming from. Check the shaft coming out of the transmission to see if it's moving in and out. If the shaft is moving in and out then most likely the transmission needs some new parts.
My 87 944 is like that. Some play is being caused by the transmission being worn out. It's not nearly as bad as your car, but it's something that I need to fix. My car also has a hard time shifting into 1st and 2nd gear because of the parts being worn out. But the shifter doesn't hit the sides like yours does. My shifter only has a very little play because of the transmission parts being worn. Yours seems more like a loose bolt to me.
Thanks for your help in advance
Little about the car
1990 Turbo (canadian car)
152xxxKM
motor replaced at 105xxxkm
Short shifter
Symptoms
Shifter has tons of side to side play, even when in gear.
Can't get car into 5th, or reverse, even 1st and 2nd became hard to find.
Done so far
installed a shift lever from only944, this made the shifter feel better and 1st and 2nd I can get the car into, but i am still hitting the tunnel on both sides of the shifter. no 5th or reverse still.
I have looked at the bolts on the short shifter and the shift linkage but they all look tight will try to tighten and adjust again tonight, Altho last time I tried tightning a bolt the one that connects the shift rod to the short shifter broke. so I can't try to adjust that tell I can get that bolt out and replace it.
Looking for some suggestions or ideas.
I talked to only944 and here is what he told me
Please make sure that the shifter is tightened up properly and the play isn't coming from the shifter first. With both shifter boots off the car, move the shifter from side to side and look closely at the black rod that attached to the shifter. Make sure that the shifter and rod are both moving at the same time. If they are and everything is tight on the shifter, then something else is wrong.(obviously)
There are 4 other causes of the shifter moving too much and hitting the sides. 3 of them are just loose bolts, and the third is the shift linkage(short shifter). The shift linkage arm will not fix any play in the shifter.
The first think to check, and the most likely cause, is a bolt on the shift linkage in the rear of the car.
Here is a link to the instructions for changing the short shifter. It can be helpful.
http://only944.com/instructions/shortshifterinstall/
Jack up the car and remove the left rear wheel. Put the car in neutral. Then you should be able to see the shift linkage on top of the transmission. It should look like the picture I attached. I would bet that the bolt labeled B is loose. I would check to see if it's loose. Then remove the bolt and put loctite on it and reinstall it. Next, I would check the bolt labeled A, to see if it's loose and then tighten it with loctite on it. If that doesn't fix the play in the shifter, then try tightening the bolt labeled C. If the bolt "C" is loose then you have to have someone sit inside the car and hold the shifter directly in the middle, straight up and down. Then you can tighten that bolt. If those bolts don't fix the problem then it's either the shift linkage(short shifter), or the transmission is worn out.
The shift forks and synchros inside the transmission can also wear down, which will cause play in the shifter. Have someone sit inside the car and slowly move the shifter from side to side, with it in neutral. Have them just move the shifter until the play is gone, have them stop when the feeling of actually moving the gears starts(if that makes sense). Then, while they are doing that, look at the linkage. You might be able to see where the play is coming from. Check the shaft coming out of the transmission to see if it's moving in and out. If the shaft is moving in and out then most likely the transmission needs some new parts.
My 87 944 is like that. Some play is being caused by the transmission being worn out. It's not nearly as bad as your car, but it's something that I need to fix. My car also has a hard time shifting into 1st and 2nd gear because of the parts being worn out. But the shifter doesn't hit the sides like yours does. My shifter only has a very little play because of the transmission parts being worn. Yours seems more like a loose bolt to me.
Thanks for your help in advance
04-23-2014, 07:52 PM
#3
effing board timing out my login! I typed up a great reply with pictures and diagrams and it lost it because the board logged me off. Again!
Follow the adjustment procedure detailed here for the the shifter and verify that the adjustment bolt and bolt #26 are tight. If the slop is still present, then you may have an issue with the shift arm or with the internal parts of the transaxle.
http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/trans-07.htm
Might help to have someone work the lever while you watch and maybe film the linkage working so we can see what's happening since its hard to troubleshoot remotely sometimes.
Good luck!
Follow the adjustment procedure detailed here for the the shifter and verify that the adjustment bolt and bolt #26 are tight. If the slop is still present, then you may have an issue with the shift arm or with the internal parts of the transaxle.
http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/trans-07.htm
Might help to have someone work the lever while you watch and maybe film the linkage working so we can see what's happening since its hard to troubleshoot remotely sometimes.
Good luck!
04-24-2014, 02:24 AM
#4
Rennlist Member
If you hit "Submit Reply" and it gives you the login screen just login in on that screen and it should post it. I have never had it delete anything I have typed after it times me out.