Mike Frye

Please be kind in your responses, I understand this was a rookie mistake, I'm posting this so other newbies can learn as I have.

The first two or three times I drove my 'new' 85 5spd I was taking it easy and feeling it out, but I was really having a problem with accelleration in 2nd gear. The engine runs strong and although I haven't done all of the required initial maintenance yet (wires, belts etc) I had changed the plugs and oil/filter and I wanted to run it a little.

It turns out the problem with 2nd gear is that I wasn't using it. I was going straight from 1st to 4th. My shifter was so sloppy that I couldn't even tell which gear I was in and since I was driving locally I wasn't using them all anyway.

I realized this two days ago when I ventured out onto the highway and was able to find 2nd in there. WOW . After only about 20 minutes of this I managed to break something in there and it went 'dead stick' on me (stuck in 5th gear with no way to shift).

I've found some posts on what to do about this including one in the tech area. Hope I can get it fixed soon.

Jim bailey - 928 International

Simply pull up the shifter boot and look at the two shift rods if the forward one moves it is the front Angular joint 928 424 005 01 which has failed if the rear rod moves it is the shift coupler 928 424 029 at the transmission which has failed.

Mike Frye

Thanks Jim,

They both seem to have quite a bit of play in them, but I'll look into it further and see what I can come up with. I've still got to order the tech manuals from Jim Morehouse, but I can't seem to get my paypal working. Guess I'll have to do it via 'snail mail'.

My previous post about 'beginner's luck' may have been a jinx.

SharkSkin

Some of the initial looseness you describe could be from bad bushings on the lever itself, though you would still be able to shift even if these bushings disintegrated. It's possible, though much less likely than Jim's scenarios, that one of the shift rods popped out of the lever. Unlikely unless some knucklehead didn't put it together correctly.

Andre Hedrick

Ask 928gal if 928guy can swing by and help

Mike Frye

Thanks Dave,
When I got it home the other day I pulled the shift boot and took a look in there, in addition to some spare change and a pen cap, I found I was able to get the shifter to work again, but still very sloppy. Then it went loose on me again while I was trying to determine which was the culprit (fore or aft). I need to figure out what let loose and then figure out how to tighten it all up (unless the same problem caused both).