Bret928

Transmission issues.

Ok I’ve done a couple of searches in the forum but haven’t found something that sounds exactly like the problem I have. Now I’ll keep looking over the hits I’ve gotten but in the intrem I think I’ll go ahead and throw out the problem I’m having.

Past few weeks my transmission has been a little sticky & rough while changing gears. I was going through the gears under heavy load – it refused to up shift into 4th gear. After some giggling of the shifter I was finally able to shift again. Today however I’d just shifting from first to second and when I tried to shift to third I couldn’t take it out of gear.

Luckily I was just a quarter mile from home and managed to milk it back but I wasn’t able to take it out of second. Once I got home I removed the boot & dust cover and discovered that the front guide rod is floating. I haven’t tried to look underneath the car but I suspect that the front ball socket came loose or worst something is broken.

So the question is when I jack it up tomorrow has anyone ever been able to reconnect the ball socket & adjust the linkage without dropping the toque tube?

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Bret

ZEUS+

Mine popped off in my '84 about 7 yrs. ago. I replaced mine, if it can pop off once it could happen again is my theory. Althougth I have lifts, you can replace it jacked up without TT removal. Removing the front exh. gains easier access.

Bret928

Depending on my work schedule I should be able to put her up in the air tomorrow. Luckily the Y-Pipe exhaust should drop away pretty easily as I had it off a few months ago when I reinstalled the cat y-pipe for an emissions test.

I just hope nothing is damaged or broken.

1slo928

My 79 linkage rod was worn out the previous owner had lost the little clip that keeps the rear rod in the shifter handle anyways when I bought my parts car I pulled the rod out of it there is no key in the rod so I had to reposition it so the shifter would be centered. when I replaced my clutch I also found that low hydraulic fluid can cause hard to shift condition also there is an adjustment on the pedal assembly.

Hope this helps Chris

jon928se

try this

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ifter+rod+ball

or do search for front shifter rod
or
http://www.nichols.nu/tip413.htm
http://www.nichols.nu/tip553.htm

It can be difficult to undo the lock nut on the threaded rod that goes into the shifter rod. - I resorted to drilling through the side of the nut on both the replacements I have done.

Use a ratchet strap to pop the new cup back onto the ball. And don't put it back on until you are sure the adjustment of the threaded part is correct. The new cup is a bitch to remove - BTDT

1slo928

The Clutch master cylinder is fed of the brake resovoir. the clutch linkage rod int the rear slides over a smooth input shaft on the trans.

Bret928

Well I dropped the y-pipe exhaust and partially removed the heat shield to expose the ball socket. I discovered that the ball socket was totally shot and have ordered a replacement from 928 Int. Should have it tomorrow & all back together by the weekend.

Thanks for the input fellas.

Mike Frye

Bret,

Good luck replacing it without pulling the TT. I went for it a few weekends ago, but couldn't get it done. I plan to take another crack at it this weekend while the car is on stands for MM and pan gaskets. In the meantime, a hose clamp to keep it from popping off will let you drive it. I think I went with a 6".

Simon Jester

I was able to replace the ball on my '79 without removing the TT. The Nichols site tips are great.

I made a clamp to get the shift lever back on. It was a couple of pieces of steel held around the lever with a cutout for the pin and clip. If I had to do over, I would just spring for a short shifter and do away with the springs.

Getting the nut off the ball joint wasn't the easiest thing, but it went alright. Move it over to the right side of the TT. It's hard to pop on the new one, I used a nylon web strap around the ball and TT, then pulled it down with a lever. I also changed out the rear joint and realigned the shift lever.

Shifts very nice now.

Bret928

Hey Simon, Yes I've read the Nicholas notes too and think their great too. I am also going the extra mile and using Carl's suggestion of the hose clamp with safety wire "to make sure it doesn’t happen again".

Lizard928

This is something I came up with and if any of you wish to attempt it I would love to hear the results as I have not had a chance to try it yet myself.

The ball that the cup goes onto is steel and threads into the bellhousing. I think removing the ball and cup entirely and replace the cup with a heim joint and then thread a bolt through the heim joint into the hole for the ball itself, now the only thing I see that MAY be needed would be a washer to raise the heim joint up alittle bit. And I do know that you can get heim joints with the same thread that the ball cup has on it which screws into the shifter linkage.

this would be a perminant solution though.

jon928se

Ball that the cup goes onto is welded to the TT not the bellhousing - you're thinking of the clutch release lever pivot - that is threaded into the bellhousing.

Rest of your post is a good idea sort of - had thought of replacing the cup with one of these
http://www.rsaustralia.com/cgi-bin/b...0&cacheID=auie
but I am not sure of the ball size to fit.

It's probably not worth the effort though - just replace the nylon socket in your existing steel socket with the late model clutch release arm nylion insert
http://www.mailordercentral.com/928i...116%20145%2003
or
928.116.145.03