So I'm driving to work today and feeling good about life,love and my 928I turn on to the I-84 ramp to go to work when along side, a little honda rice burner with a falling down coffee can exhaust,tries to pass me!So as to not make a dangerous situation worse,I back off and let the moron go ahead,he probably has a more important place to be than me,anyway,I speed up to merge onto the highway and quickly go through the gears to get up to speed.As I make the 3rd-4th gear change I hear and feel a distinct click in the shifter and I can"t get 4th gear or any other gear.The car at this point is in neutral and I'm freakin' out because traffic is a comin'.After what seemed to be a lifetime,I somehow was able to get it back into 3rd and then was able to go through the gears.I babied the shifting to work and in the empty parking lot I tried to simulate the problem again.I DID.If I don't make an "H" pattern when I shift,the same thing happens,and not just when shifting 3rd-4th.When the click occurs,the trans end up in neutral and the shifter feels like you can only move it in a limited distance and it feels like there is no "gate" for it to travel into as when you acually engage gears.By frantically stirring the shifter around and pulling back and forth at the same time is how I got it to work again.After the car shifts again I have no problems like it never happened.Any thoughts?Suggestions?Thanks.Ed
Oh,sorry,1984 928s 5spd. short shifter w/bushings,ball cup,shift coupling,clutch arm ball cup,clutch hydraulics complete,twin disc adjustment all 3 weeks old.

 

I think it might be a ball cup or the short shaft that attaches to the ball cup and shifter mechanism. Pull the boot and see what is or isnt moving.

Best case, its the rear shifter coupler on top of the rear of the transmission that might have got real loose. or something broken in the shifter linkage area in the boot area. worst case, it might be in the transmission

mk

 

my first thought was clutch. how does it shift with the engine off?

 

All shifter of those parts are new.The car shifts nice and tight and doesn't have any sloppiness.
All i ok if I make definite up,over,up moves like making square corners from 3rd -4th,but if I slide the shifter over like pushing up and to the right at the same time like a / motion it locks.Same thing happens in down shifts also.1st -2nd shift not as bad but it does happen.??????????

 

I don't know,I wasn't smart enough to think of that. I'll try it and get back to ya!! Thanks

 

my next thought is shifter couple at the tranny

 

Shift coupler is new.I assume your talking outside the trans?Any chance it is internal? Although I don't really know what.
Any 5spd.Gurus out there?

 

the coupling at the rear has a bolt which goes through the steel sleeve, that bolt has backed off. Tighten it up.

 

Don't the rear coupler (one by transmission) have a set screw.
Loctite the set screw or it self unwinds.

 

Ed, give Kevin a call. He's got all the parts for an 84, from linkage to trans to torque tube. It worked. It wasn't perfect, but I beat the crap out of it for a long time and it still kicked butt. The trans needs synchros...something here has gotta be able to help you.

But it sounds like you might have a linkage problem. You know our number. Talk to you later.

 

I still think it sounds like the front ball cup.... still on but the plastic cup is broken/gone and its all sloppy... (or maybe the rear)

Alan

 

if you look at the gear shift mechanism from under the boot, you can see what is movng and what is not. I suspect you will have the same issues with engine off or on if this is the issue. if you see things move as they should and you still have the problem, it could be that rear coupler that we mentioned or something internal to the box.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone,but I think it's gonna be someting internal I fear because the ball cup and shift coupling are new.Set screw Loctite done,and rear pinch bolt tight.After the lock up and later release occurs,everything feels just as good as new. Shifter location,and feel are nice and tight.As long as I don't slide the shift all is well.I don't know,maybe these transmissions are not ment to be shifted that way??
Leslie Thanks for the offer,yous guys rockEd

 

Sooo! Ee-ed! Ed Ed Ed.

Practicing your shifting so ya can beat me, huh??? Yeah...I heard aaaall about it. <*snicker snicker snicker*>

Did ya really think that was gonna work???




No man, I'm kidding...

In all seriousness, looking forward to seeing you and Michelle again this weekend, and since you're coming such a long way, why don't you two plan to hang for a bit, and we'll have some pizza and beer while you and Kevin try to figure out another way to break your cars.....ok?

 

We'll see,depending on what time I finish up at work on Saturday will directly effect time and date to your place.I'l be in touch.Ed.