tveltman

Periodically when I am driving, usually slowly in first or second gear, it seems like the car will randomly pop out of gear (it's a manual). I've heard that if you match engine RPM with trannie RPM you *can* shift without the clutch (I would NEVER EVER do this though). Is that what is happening? Am I reaching that special RPM where the speeds are matching and even a slight bump will cause the gears to disengage on their own, or am I facing some very serious problems? It seems like when I'm in second gear (that's usually where I notice it) the stick feels like it is oscillating back and forth ever so slightly. Furthermore, the car will buck from time to time, and I had chalked this up to not matching vehicle speed with engine speed and appropriate gear, but after thinking about it a little more, I started to get worried. I've not really had any problems with the car mechanically (except that once in a while at idle I get a low oil pressure warning light, usually when the A/C is on), and I am hoping that this is "normal" behavior, because I am not looking forward to major overhauls if it is not. Any advice would be great, and if I have neglected some important piece of information, don't hesitate to ask and I will answer to the best of my ability. Thanks!

WallyP

I would think that there are two possibilities here:
- Maladjusted shift linkage
- Serious and expensive internal transmission problems.

The shift linkage can be adjusted at the forward shifter cup, but it isn't especially easy. You would have to get under the car and loosen the lock nut on the forward cup, then remove the forward shift rod from the shift lever and turn it to adjust.

You can adjust at the rear shift coupler as well. It is slightly easier, but still requires that you get under the car and loosen the rear coupler.

The internal shift mechanism has spring-loaded ball detents on the shift rods. The goal would be to have the shift rods properly in the ball detents (they will "snap" into place), while the shift lever is in the proper location, with no force being applied. You do not want the shift lever to be against the front or rear of the housing, for example.

SharkSkin

It's possible the car is not all the way "in gear" in some gears. You can pull the shift boot and check to make sure that it is not hitting something at one extreme of travel. Also, a FUBAR'ed front ball cup can prevent you from fully engaging a gear, as can a FUBAR'ed rear shift coupler. With the boot off you can check for play in the ball cup, you can check the coupler from underneath.

Lizard928

If you shift linkage is good and it is fully engaging, then yes there are some internal bits which could be worn to cause this to happen.

tveltman

I do have the short shifter (not just the hacksawed old one) in the car, so perhaps this is the source of the problem. I'll look into it and see what I can find. Thanks!