Shifter alignment
 

I did a search but did not come up with a definitive answer. While I drove my car 300 miles home after purchase, it seemed to always gravitate toward the right side of the gate on my shifts. 1-2 would end up being 1-4. Going down through the gears I really had to maneuver it toward the left. As i am finishing up some maintenance, I played around with the shifter again and noticed at rest it lies between 4-5 as opposed to the middle. It has been many years since I had an '87 5 spd and an '89 GT, but I don't recall it being like this. I came across a post that said this is how pre '85 cars are set up. Is this true and you just have to get used to it or is it adjustable?

My 87 5-speed has slopy shiftingas well. I am replacing the shifter with a short throw version with new bushings and will replace the shifter ball cup This should fix the shifting.

My 84 Euro shifter rests in the 4-5 plane as well. Not sure if it should....

you need to jack up the back of the car,
Put the trans in neutral,
Then get a helper to sit in the car,
get under the car and loosen the 13mm bolt that holds the shifter coupler connection to the rod,
then have your helper hold the shifter in the center of the gate .
with the pinch bolt loose the shifter rod with take up a new position on the coupler,
tighten the bolts and test your work

Doug,

Your slop is probably from the front ball cup and/or the rear coupler. Several different options out there:
Lizard Shifter
Quick Carl Steel front ball Cup
Rear brass bushings from Roger
Short Shifter from Roger/DR/Intl

Replacing the front ball cup (if bad) and rear coupler (if worn) will take care of most of your "slop".
Adjusting the rear coupler after replacement-you will be able to adjust fore/aft angle, as well as side to side of were it sits. The first time we replaced the rear coupler on the GTS, it was more at Reverse/first location. Drove it for a while and adjusted it back to straight up at 2nd/3rd location.

Nice and tight and in the proper location now.

Thanks
Maybe I will try that tomorrow. I just didn't want to chase after something that doesn't exist. If anyone can confirm or not that the pre '85 boxes centered to the right between 4 and 5, that would be great. If not, I will try some adjustment and see if it helps. My car also has the 928 Specialists short shift installed if that matters.

'78-85 MY are centered between 4-5 by design, '86-95 between 2-3. First MY Borg Warner syncro boxes used different style centering spring and thus they behave differently than later MY selectors, unless flat spring has been changed to '86 MY part. On '78-84 there were two different setups used over the years. Both should center between 4-5 unless spring(s) are dead.

Chuck
It is not so much sloppy. I remember having to replace the front cup on both my prior 5 spds. I will take another look at that tomorrow. I have been working on other things. It is more that the shifter wants to go to the right. On a 1-2 shift or 2-3 shift, I have to be direct with it or it will push me over a gear to 4th or 5th. Also, as mentioned before, if I am in neutral, I am resting between 4th and 5th. My concern is that if I have to use finesse when downshifting back to the left, I may go to far and hit first or reverse. Maybe it's because I have recently come out of a string of 911 series cars and it is more mental.....

So are you saying that by design, when shifting from 1-2 or 2-3, the neutral seeking action of the shifter is going to want you to go to 4th or 5th? Just seems odd. I guess I will have to get used to it. Even my old Ferrari with the same dogleg first shift pattern is more direct.

Chapter 34 in the WSM tells you how to adjust it.

Yes. They designed it like that originally and only gave up on that silly idea in '86 MY.

Doug,
My 79 and my 94 are adjusted just the same. (at the 2-3 gate in neutral)
I know what you are saying, when I first had the GTS done, it was "over" adjusted to the left at Reverse/first gate. It felt way "off" and I had to look down and see where the F##K I was in the pattern.

I don't have an 85(ish) to compare it to, but I'll ask the group, can't you adjust to the 2-3 gate if you wanted to???

My 85 trans with good springs has much harder spring for the reverse and first (the reverse lock out spring) many that I have been in have this spring broken and the gear shift just kind of has a vague feeling to them, but with both springs in good shape there is no doubt about the R/1st plane and with it set up like the factory wants it, there is little doubt about 2/3 and 4/5.
The centering spring should push almost all the way over to the 4/5 gate.
With good bushings, springs and a good coupler it feels great to me, if a bit notchy.

Pardon the ignorance....the whaaa?

And pertaining to the thread, my '82 "rests" all the way to the right in between the 4-5 gates. I've tried to adjust it to the "conventional" setting between 2-3 and it just doesn't work.

Also who is the vendor that sells the brass inserts for the rear shifter linkage to help take some slop out?

Roger with 928's R us.