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shaking shifter
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Bret Young
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PostPosted: Sat May 12, 2012 5:26 pm    Post subject: shaking shifter Reply with quote

Okay guys. Quick question. The other day I hopped into the bug to head to work and right when I left the driveway, the shifting felt different.

If I put it into first gear, it would make a little thunk and you could hear the gears lightly churning and if you nudged it forward it would go clunk as it caught the gear, but when you went to engage it would do the same thing.

If I held my hand on the shifter in 1st it would take off and wouldn't pop out of gear. Kinda odd.

In third gear, you could see the shifter shaking back and forth but nothing in 2nd and 4th.

Kinda odd. My shifting has always sucked due to what we think to have diagnosed as broken welds on the inside of the tunnel, but have not addressed those. But this is a new one. Anyone have any suggestions?

I was thinking maybe a tranny mount or maybe my shift coupler has started to come loose?

I don't know. Don't have time to check it this weekend and will probably have to drive it as is during the week until I get a free day this upcoming weekend (finals week).

Any input would be appreciated.
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Miklo
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PostPosted: Sat May 12, 2012 6:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have a good look at your front and rear trans mounts.

Bad or deteriorating mounts can lead to all the problems you posted above.
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Bret Young
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PostPosted: Sat May 12, 2012 9:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well the tranny mounts are about 8 months old. Had to do a tranny swap so all mounts were replaced. 8 months is pretty fast to go through a full set of mounts.
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Culito
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PostPosted: Sun May 13, 2012 12:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
My shifting has always sucked due to what we think to have diagnosed as broken welds on the inside of the tunnel, but have not addressed those.

Um...have you followed up on this?
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Bret Young
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PostPosted: Sun May 13, 2012 9:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No. I have not had someone cut the tunnel open to have them rewelded, but that just made all shifting slightly sloppy.

But I had been driving the car like that for about 6 years. This change happened on Monday and is noticeably different. Even though the broken welds mean that shifting is not crisp, it never made the shifter shake and never caused it to not fully engage 1st gear without holding it there.
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Culito
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PostPosted: Sun May 13, 2012 10:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also check the shift bushing in the tunnel...
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Hammarlund
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PostPosted: Sun May 13, 2012 10:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perhaps the shift rod bushing has fallen out. Remove the shifter and see.

Quote:
due to what we think to have diagnosed as broken welds on the inside of the tunnel...


Broken welds do not generally effect shifting. They usually cause it to be impossible to engage the clutch smoothly or adjust the freeplay properly. Is this what you are referring to?

If you in fact mean the shifting has always been sloppy, I think that lends credence to the idea that the bushing has been bad for six years, and finally fell out of the support. Don't put off fixing this for another six years; if the support becomes wallowed out by the shifter shaft, it will have to be replaced, which is a task of moderate difficulty.

I must say, I am fascinated by the phrase, "...think to have diagnosed." Not much certainty there; and, maximum possible certainty is a necessity when troubleshooting anything.

Here's how to actually diagnose if the welds holding the clutch cable tube are bad:

There are three of them. The easiest one to check is the back one. Remove the seat and find the place where the clutch cable exits the tunnel. There is a little fitting on the end; try to move that with your fingers. If you can't move it, it is probably ok.

To check the middle one, you must remove the shifter, but leave the clutch cable in place. Rest a ruler, a wooden spoon, or something similar on the cable tube and work the clutch pedal. If you feel the tube move with your utensil, the middle weld has broken. I have been told that this is the one that most commonly breaks. If this is your problem, research it carefully! Some shops gouge a huge hole in the tunnel, which compromises the structural integrity of your car - do not want. Search this board carefully and ask the more knowledgeable members (and no, I do not count myself among them); IIRC someone knows a way to do this that only involves small holes.

To check the front weld, you must remove the pedal cluster, which of course involves taking loose the clutch cable. You can reach the front end of the cable tube with your fingers; try and wiggle it like you did the back one. Again, if you can wiggle it, it's probably bad.

This is how one diagnoses the clutch tube welds. Depending on what your exact symptoms are, either check those welds as described, or check the shiter bushing. Then, you'll know with a reasonable degree of certainty whether one of those two things are the problem or not!

(One of those two things ARE? Stoopid freakin' subject/object agreement!)
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Bret Young
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 10:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tore everything apart (had to wait a month for my new tranny to get here, and with work and summer school, it took a while to get it all installed).

There was no broken welds in the tunnel. Hanger was in great shape. Front bushing had a small tear in it so I replaced it following the how-to thread again. Easy. Also replaced the rear pads in the coupler under the rear seat. So everything that can be done inside there is done.

Now I can't get the damn thing to shift into gear. I adjusted the clutch to where it supposed to be (can't recall the free play amount off the top of my head right now), but I could drop it into reverse, but thats all i could get.

The car wants to move slightly forward no matter the clutch adjustment, making it seem like its not adjusted enough, but it is. Is it something in the transmission/clutch thats holding me up?

So I tightened the clutch cable (4 times now), and now I am getting to the point that the clutch is slipping. And I have loosened the bolts that hold the shifter down and moved it back and forth and side to side trying to find that sweet spot......none to be found.

I don't know why this damn thing is giving me so much trouble. Tranny and motor are back together, everything's ready to go, and the shifter is whats giving me grief.

Someone help me before I have to take it to a shop and pay them tweak with it.
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Hammarlund
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 2:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why did you replace the transmission? Confused
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Bret Young
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The transmission had lost its first gear synchro and it was a unknown condition tranny that I had thrown in there when I put the bug back to stock, and I was just waiting for the day for it to go out. It was time.

Pulling motor out tonight to check clutch assembly. It seems that the clutch is never fully engaging, which might be why the shifting is having problems right now.

If I replaced all the pieces associated with the shifter and it won't go into any gears easily......time for the motor to come out. No biggie. Just troubleshooting.

Will check pressure plate, clips holding the throw out bearing, gonna go ahead and check the clutch cable tube welds (should have done that earlier, but oh well), and will probably just throw in a spare new clutch cable to cover all the bases. This bug is my daily and I really need to get it back on the road and not have to tinker with it. Motor/tranny/brakes are all good to go....its just not letting me shift.
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