Where did my fifth gear go?

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Here's the deal: '83 SC, 915 gearbox, everything rebuilt or replaced (gearbox innards, shifter coupling, factory short-shift kit) 9,000 miles ago. Drove a DE at Lime Rock yesterday, and ever since haven't been able to get the gearbox into fifth. It to go left against the spring, to the stop, and up into fifth but it actually is fourth. Just went out and adjusted the shifter coupling per factory parameters, still doesn't work. Should I be looking at the shifter itself? Something inside the gearbox?

Nothing unusual about the DE. Lime Rock is driven entirely in third with fourth for the straight, one upshift and one downshift per lap, they were all routine during a total of about 1.5 hours of track time, all those shift worked fine.

Any advice?

Stephan

[jester911]

Still figures to be the shift coupler.
Mark the shift rod in relation to the coupler in its current position for reference.

Then make minor adjustments to find the right spot.

[al lkosmal]

This is most likely a coupling adjutment problem. I start with the recommended setup, but always have to trial and error re-adjust to get it right. The trick is to set it per recommendations, mark the position.
Try it out. If works on all gears except 5th, notice the direction the coupler rotates prior to stopping. I.E. it needs to be able to rotate more, in this direction, to engage 5th gear. Using the mark to keep track, re-adjust the coupler to allow slightly more rotation, in the direction of 5th gear. Do this in small increments until you can engage 5th gear, then verify that you can engage all other gears. Repeat until thoroughly pissed off. Stop, have a beer! Try again.
I hope that this is clear. Hopefully it's just an adjustment problem.
Good luck.

Al

[Overpaid Slacker]

Where did my 5th gear go?

I ask that all the time in my 79 930... weird.

JP

I believe it's the coupler as well ... like many other things, sometimes they do just get themselves out of alignment. If it was internal to the gearbox, the lever would probably go into where 5th should be and you'd hear the problem immediately.

[jester911]

If I had a persistant problem with the coupler I think I would try the wevo. It supposed to take care of the problem.

[BGCarrera32]

If reverse works I would think 5th would be o.k...

[al lkosmal]

No,
I have had mine adjusted with reverse working easily, but still no 5th.

Al

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Found the problem. I finally noticed that the set screw/locater pin that fastens the coupler to the transmission rod had come a tiny bit loose. It's amazing how little "lost motion" at that point can keep the shifter from selecting a gear despite the coarseness and amount of displacement at the shift lever. Good place for Loctite, since it came loose in only 9,000 miles of use... Thanks to all, you guys were exactly right, the problem was in the coupler, though I was looking at iuts front end rather than rear end.

Stephan

[Wavey]

You should write a book about that car, Stephan. I'll bet a lot of guys would find it interesting.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

I could call it Gold-Plated Pathetic.

Stephan

[Wavey]

Best laugh I've had in a month! I swear to God - I just wet my pants. This stuff is definitely funnier without the smiley faces.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

I've never understood the need for whatever they call them, iconographs or something. "Gosh, Mr. Hemingway, I really don't understand what you mean. You need to learn to type parentheses and semicolons."

(Uh-oh, I think I may have just started something...)

Stephan

[jester911]

Steven that is classic. Good for a April 1 laugh.
Glad your coupler worked out.