View Full Version : Drivetrain Shifter hard to move left and right (sourced problem to shfter arms on top of tranny)
deathsled
08-23-2011, 03:15 PM
So the shifter in my VR4 was getting difficult to move left and right before I parked it last year. I'm getting ready to get it back on the road again and wanted to sort out the shifter. The front to back motion of the shifter works just fine, but side to side is really stiff, so stiff that the spring on the shifter can't help place the shifter in the right spot.
I took the cable loose at both ends and if moves freely, as does the shifter, so the issue is not the shift lever that is in charge of actually engaging the gears I guess. Does this part ever need maintenance or lube? Or could this be a sign of an internal tranny issue? Can needing new transmission gear oil cause something like this?
Hans@GZP
08-23-2011, 03:35 PM
Check by the shifter on the trans and see if there is something hitting it keeping the assembly from moving up and down (which is what the side to side motion of the shifter arm makes it do).
deathsled
08-23-2011, 04:02 PM
well it's not something external rubbing against it and making it bind. It's got no obstructions right now. I just grabbed the counter weight and pulled the shaft up and down, it's pretty tight. Does this need to be lubed? I mean what the heck....
DocWalt
08-24-2011, 11:37 AM
It doesn't need to be lubed. You can buy a new one for ~$80 shipped...
Mine tore out the seal on the shaft and was leaking all over the place. An hour later I had no more tranny leaks and a much tighter feeling shifter.
Hans@GZP
08-24-2011, 12:37 PM
If it's tough to move, then yes, you probably need a new shifter selector for inside the trans. They aren't bad to swap... just need to watch out for the spring at the bottom of the shaft. Put grease on the spring when reassembling. That will keep it from falling off the shaft and into the abyss of the trans.
deathsled
08-25-2011, 05:13 PM
I actually have another one here from my other 6 speed that is current out of the tranny so I can see how it operates. Wonder why the existing one is so stiff now...
So since it's on the top of the tranny what are the odds I can get the old one out without losing the spring off of it?
DocWalt
08-25-2011, 05:51 PM
The spring on mine slipped off easily but stayed sitting in the bottom of the trans where it belongs. Just pull vertically straight up when you take it out and it should stay still.
deathsled
08-25-2011, 07:16 PM
do I need to remove these those two spring loaded things on the side of the transmission that interact with the shifter mechanism? I know the insides of the top one aren't going anywhere, but I know the bottom one could come apart?
DocWalt
08-26-2011, 12:37 AM
I removed both. The lower one the ball stayed in the transmission, IIRC. It was an easy swap. Just make sure to remove the one bolt on the side of the transmission (it's a normal bolt, I forget and I don't have any pictures handy) that locks the mechanism from being removed and remove it in neutral.
deathsled
09-05-2011, 06:41 PM
so it wasn't actually that assembly after all! It was just the small lever that the cable attaches to that then moves that assembly around, it's practically seized up. This is a MUCH cheaper and easier fix haha.
DocWalt
09-06-2011, 11:53 AM
That thing is such a POS, I had to replace mine too!
deathsled
09-06-2011, 06:43 PM
Mine was seized bad. It was hurting my hand to try and move it around. I finally got it apart. I don't know if the bearing/bushing thing inside it corroded or what, but after a thorough sanding, cleaning, and lubing it's back to normal.
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