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Fri Feb 17, 2012 2:16 pm

Hi everyone, I've searched this site a million times for answers and almost always find what I'm looking for. I am posting because I need help troubleshooting a problem with several symptoms. So...

74 Thing, all original, the recent small problems may be leading to a bigger problem.

It started with my stick shift acting funky, I would go to shift into second and its like it wanted to go into reverse instead and would get kinda stuck.

Then I started to get this sensation when holding the steering wheel and with my feet on the floor, as if there was a slight rubbing going on somewhere in the body, possibly the front end. I was thinking something in the front wheels.

Now both problems only a couple days later have gotten worse. The stick isn't going as deep into first and third gear positions as it used to, and the slight rubbing feeling has turned into a real rubbing or grinding with a slight whining, and yesterday I smelled a slight burnt smell! The rubbing gets worse while turning.

I'm thinking it's gotta be something with my transmission and maybe a second problem in the front wheels, maybe brakes.

Help me please! Are the problems connected? Anyone with the same problems? Any information would be appreciated. If anyone needs pictures or more info let me know.

-max

Fri Feb 17, 2012 2:26 pm

It doesnt sound to me like those are connected issues. Usually those are indepedent systems. I'm not sure what the fix is though.

PS: Check your wheel wells for rubbing marks? Does the rubbing happen at a certain speed?

Fri Feb 17, 2012 2:30 pm

DougD wrote: It doesnt sound to me like those are connected issues. Usually those are indepedent systems. I'm not sure what the fix is though.
Agree, most likely two different problems

The shift problem could be something as simple as your shift coupler. Remove the cover on the back side of the tunnel and give it an inspection.

As for the front end noise, could be a brake shoe hanging up. Easy enough to check that. Remove the drums and clean everything up.

Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:06 pm

don't forget bad transmission mounts can cause shift problems also

Fri Feb 17, 2012 9:45 pm

do you have a stock shifter or a aftermarket shifter?

Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:44 am

I'd go with Semper Dad's advice to start with.

Tue Feb 21, 2012 4:56 pm

First of all, thanks a lot for answering my post. Yesterday was the first day since I posted that I had the time to address these problems.

So, I removed the housing around the base of my shifter ( it's stock by the way ) and did a little looking around. One thing I found was half of a broken rubber washer/gasket type circular thing that I'm assuming goes on the outside of the long shifting pipe that fits inside the long housing tube that goes to the tranny. My sincerest apologies for the lack of proper jargon. I think it just keeps the inner pipe in place? It creates a bit of a knocking without the washer/gasket but I don't see it being a concerning problem. I adjusted the housing at the base of the shifter and tightened it back up, that seemed to fix the shifting problem! It's much smoother, and doesn't act up pushing itself towards reverse while shifting to second gear.

As for the rubbing; The first thing I did was went ahead and changed my transmission fluid. Don't know when the last time it was changed so I figured it a good place to start. Fluid didn't look to bad and I didn't find any major metal shavings (just the tiny stuff that gets stuck to the magnetic drain plug).
I removed the front break drums to check for anything loose, or if there were grinding/rubbing marks anywhere. I didn't find anything suspect so I put them back together. Before checking the rear breaks, just in case the problem is from there, I took it for a test run to see if the rubbing had ceased or at least lightened. The rubbing did not go away! And it is definitely coming from the font end.
On my test drive I went once down the road increasing speed while keeping the wheels straight. Seems to become greater at faster speeds, around 40 mph was the fastest I went and it was most significant at that speed. Next I drove in an s pattern swerving left and right at around 20 mph. That's when the rubbing really kicked in. When I have the wheels straight it's there but not so bad. Turning left is worse but still not terrible. However when I turned to the right the rubbing got bad. Not so bad that the car shook or anything, but your normal very concerning kind of bad. I could feel it in the steering wheel very well.

Well that's where I'm at. So here are my questions.

What is that plastic/rubber washer/gasket thing I found underneath the shifter base housing inside the tunnel?

What are some other things that could be causing this rubbing? Doesn't seem to be the front breaks. Could it be my steering, where the joint is? The Joints at the wheels? Something in the drive shaft?

Thank you so much for thinking about my problems.

-Max

Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:14 pm

Your rubbing sound could be wheel bearing going out. Jack up the front end and see if one side makes a rough sound when you spin the wheel. Not the drag sound of the shoes against the drums, some of that is normal.

Buy yourself one complete set of bearings, two front wheel seals, and sufficient quality grease to do both side. Pull the hub on one side and remove the seal to access the inner bearings. Clean everything up so that you can see both the outer races in the hub and the inner race by looking between the rollers in the cone. All the surfaces of the races and rollers need to look perfect, no pitting allowed. If you don't see any problems on the first side repack the bearings, reinstall and go to the other side.

Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:54 pm

MadMaxtheAxe wrote: What is that plastic/rubber washer/gasket thing I found underneath the shifter base housing inside the tunnel?-Max

Shift rod bushing?

Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:38 pm

the bushing is there for a reason it needs to be replaced i have seen the shift rod fall out of the housing after the bushing was left out and the rod rubbed the mount into it is a cheap fix and not that much trouble to replace it is a big problem to replace the mount that holds the bushing since it is welded onto the tunnel

Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:12 pm

I will definitely check the wheel bearings asap. Thanks for the explanation wildthings. When had the front end jacked up yesterday to check inside the break drums, I gave the wheels a good spin to listen for some noises, they both had a little more sound going on than I'd like to hear, more so in the left wheel. So that very well could be the problem.

I don't think that shift rod bushing was what I saw. What I found was a thin washer like ring. Maybe just a piece of the shift rod bushing. It seemed to come from a place I've marked in the attached picture you sent. Also where would that bushing go? Inside that hole or around. Mine looked a bit different, maybe it is aftermarket and I didnt know, it looks like stock. Mine has an elbow coming out of that spot that the bottom of the stick shift fits into. Is that picture taken without the elbow?

-Max

Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:53 am

Changed the front wheel bearings and seals and of course new grease. Sailing the highways as smooth as ever. Thanks for the help.

Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:17 am

MadMaxtheAxe wrote: Mine has an elbow coming out of that spot that the bottom of the stick shift fits into. Is that picture taken without the elbow?
-Max
Edit: Wow, just realized this is long winded....lol
Yes, the above pic has the shift rod removed, it(shift rod) Does have an elbow with cup for the shifter ball to sit in.
Terminology used herein:
Shifter=the handle thingy with shifter knob on top that you use to select gears
Shift Rod= long steel rod mounted inside tunnel with elbow/cup at the shifter end
Coupler=rubber/metal connector installed on shift rod end at rearward most point and connects to transaxle nose cone area
Access plate= steel plate under rear seat near VIN stamp to expose shift rod coupler/ ALSO plate at frame head(located between front suspension beams at center line of vehicle).
I don't have a pic, but I'll take a shot here. I have done this on an old Bug, and Our Thing. ALthough it's been a while.
That bushing is Very important on the alignment of the shifter rod. Without the bushing(if it's broken, rotten, missing, etc..) the shifter rod rattles about in the metal carrier bracket. It makes an obvious noise, as well as shifting alignment is off and thus shifts are sloppy.

IIRC, the shifter must be removed(exposing the hole as seen in pic above), the access plate at the front of the frame head must be removed and the shift rod must be disconnected at the coupler under the rear seat/tunnel access panel.
Pull the shift rod directly forward far enough(it will be poking out of the frame head now) to get it out of that bracket(where the nylon bushing is in the tunnel).
Install New bushing(Inside the carrier bracket), apply light grease to it and then reverse operation for install. The shift rod goes through the center of the bushing, slide it rearward and then reconnect it all. Great opportunity to replace the coupler under the rear tunnel panel as well. They are rubber and rot/wear out with time..

Good luck!! Oh, Great news on the wheel bearings too!! Often overlooked component, but sure let you know when they aren't good anymore!!!