Has anyone seen my first or second gears?

lateapex911 · 10-16-2004, 07:10 PM

On the way home from the CT/NY/NJ fun run today, I down shifted from 5th to 4th, and got.........reverse! Ugggh!

At the next stop, I couldn't engage 1st. Finally got second.

But in general they are gone. Occasionally I can get 2nd, and THEN 1st.

So, I bet this is is one of those "It's the left haded fly shifter bushing" deals, right? Sounds like something isn't rotating enough.

So...is it a bushing/adjustment? Which one?

Thanks!

The car s a '73 ROW, 911E, with a 2.7, but the trans is stock. I do remember doing some shift coupler work in the early 90s but thats it for modifications or repairs to the concerned areas.

djmcmath · 10-16-2004, 08:34 PM

Hmmm ... I'm no expert, but my first guess would be the shift coupler linkage in the tunnel, right behind the seats. Sounds like it's shifted (no pun intended) slightly to one side -- it only takes a tiny bit to make it out of alignment.

Dan

Icemaster · Icemaster's Garage

Jake,

When you say they are gone, what exactly do you mean? The shifter wont go into 1'st/2'nd and is in third/fourth instead? Do you have the shifter all the way over to the left against the housing and can't find the gate or will it not go all the way left? If so, it may just need adjusting like Dan said.

If it's all the way left and you can't push it into 1 or 2, you may have more serious problems.

Try this article first before you try anything drastic:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_shifting_improvements/911_shifting_improvements.htm

I had a similar problem when I replaced the bushings in my coupler.

lateapex911 · 10-16-2004, 09:36 PM

THanks guys. Icemaster, yes the shifter goes all the way left, and I can't get the two left gears. Except occasionally, and then they work fine.

For example, when I CAN get it into 2nd, I can then get it into 1st. Once it's in foirst, it shifts well into 2nd, and then of course, 3rd, but 3rd to 2nd won't happen.

It's FEELS like an alignment issue of the shifter rod...but thats the "hopeful" part of me!

djmcmath · 10-16-2004, 09:42 PM

It "sounds" like an alignment issue, to me. It really does. When you pull the shift rod to the left (1-2 plane), the coupler moves to the right. It sounds like it isn't moving nearly far enough to the right. Read the article, tweak around with it for a while, see if it helps. Let us know what you find, eh?

Dan

lateapex911 · 10-16-2004, 09:52 PM

Will do...but the link...she no worka....???

(just like my LINKage?!

)

Icemaster · Icemaster's Garage

I'm with Dan on this one, sounds too familiar. I'd lay money on out of adjustment. Sounds like something worked loose. First place I'd go is the coupler in the tunnel behind the seats.

Dunno about the link to the tech article, worls for me. Try just browsing out to the "Tech Articles" and look "911 Shifting Improvements" under the "transmission, shifting & pedals" section.

Let us know what happens.

masraum · 10-17-2004, 05:36 AM

I have to say, I love your subject. That's awesome. I'm glad that reading the problem it doesn't sound as bad as I was thinking it might be from the subject. Doesn't sound like anything too terribly expensive.

lateapex911 · 10-19-2004, 12:59 AM

I have found the missing gears! They were lurking to the left, just where they should be!

The coupler bushings (found in the back tunnel area) have flown south for the winter, and the resultant slop effectively limited the shift rods rotational effect.

So, new parts are on order from our host. Until then, I just reach back to shift!

Thanks, and I will wrap this easy one up in a week or so.

djmcmath · 10-19-2004, 05:49 AM

Boy, that wasn't so bad, was it?

lateapex911 · 10-19-2004, 06:23 PM

Not yet! But I did start looking and thinking "While I'm here, amybe a short shift kit is a good idea"...!

SO far I have resisted the pull...

lateapex911 · 11-15-2004, 07:00 PM

All gears present and accounted for..

A quick jaunt with the racecar in the trailer down the east coast to Atlanta for race interupted my 911 repairs, but i am now happy to report that indeed, the coupler bushing was the bad guy...

When I was in there I also replaced the ball socket and the rod bushing up front, and the car now shifts like it did 30 years ago!

Now, gotta work on thos &%% Webers!

Thanks guys!