Shift Linkage Adjustment - HELP?

vesnyder · vesnyder's Garage

Been trying to adjust my shift linkage for the past several weeks and cannot seem to get it right. Want to get it right before I install the Seine Gate shifter. When I adjust it as suggested, by putting the shifter into neutral in the 1-2 plane, it is out of sync in the 3-4 plane - meaning when I push the shifter to the right I need to back off a little (left) to get it into gear - 3rd and 4th. It seems like I have too much play left - right. I replaced the cup and ring bushing and it did not help. Any ideas? I am afraid when I put the Seine shifter in and it spring loads the shifter in the 3-4 plane it will not shift correctly? Any chance the inside perimeter of the shifter housing is worn and allows too much play in the gear shift? HELP

yelcab1 · 03-15-2005, 05:31 PM

Manually put the gear box in 1st gear,
Put your shifter in the first gear position (upper left)
Connect the two at the coupler, trying not to move either one.
Tighten the nut-bolt combo

Shift into other gears to check fit, and you are done.

vesnyder · vesnyder's Garage

I've tried that approach along with turning the coupler clockwise with the shifetr in nuetral and none seem to get it right? Any other good ideas?

JackT · 03-16-2005, 04:23 AM

It is trial and error. When I adjusted mine I turned the coupler counter clockwise then backed off just a little, then tightened. Make sure the bottom of the shifter is straight up and down when you have it in neutral.
Let us know how the Gate shifter works out.

drl911 · drl911's Garage

Here is one more thing to experiment with,

In theory, the 1-2 plane and the 3-4 plane should be parallel to each other, but also parallel to the centerline of the shaft coming out of the transmission. So what I am getting at is you can loosen the bolts holding down the shift tower assembly and rotate it in the bolt hole clearance. This will slightly change the angle of the 1-2 and 3-4 plane relative the rest of the system. Unfortunetaly this requires more trial and error.

Good Luck!!!

Dan

vesnyder · vesnyder's Garage

Drew - it is that backing off amount that I cannot get right?
Dan - Did not consider the shift tower alignment? I already put the console back in place (PIA) but I may have to give that a try!

JackT · 03-16-2005, 07:00 AM

Vance, I tried it every which way. I think that you just keep playing with it until you get it, a little at a time. I am not a patient person so in the beginning I would change the forward back position and rotate the coupler. You just have to make a little change at a time, one at a time, and see how it does.

911SCfanatic · 911SCfanatic's Garage

It's one of those Zen procedures--you have to be at one with the coupler during the adjustment to get it just right. The step-by-step procedure just gets it close IMO. Then you have to patiently dork around with it to get it dialed in perfectly.

bigchillcar · bigchillcar's Garage

agreed, no one method works automatically for this procedure. what i do when it's adjustment time is take the coupler cover off in the rear and leave it off until i'm satisfied along with the pair of adjustment wrenches. i'll usually make several fine-tuning adjustments until i'm completely satisfied..then and only then do i put the cover back on!
ryan

Zeke · 03-16-2005, 08:02 AM

Are you sure that there are no issues with the shifting forks themselves inside the tranny? Has the car always been like this?

That is probably not what is going on, but if you can grab the coupler and feel the gears as you come out of 3rd and go to 4th, it should rotate over to the other plane w/o any forward or backward motion. That kind of movement would be transfered to the shift lever in a big way if the forks were out of alignment.

Just a thought. Hope you don't have to dig in that far.