Shifter questions, 86 Carrera
 

Hi guys, have a question, I tried searching but did not have luck.

I was driving my 86 carrera on the weekend, when my shifter sort of came loose, as in I can now rotate the shifter + knob about a quarter turn side to side. Everything else feels fine, gears still engage nicely, however it rotates a bit.

Any idea what's happened? And how to go about repairing it?

Thanks in advance!

Epoxy that holds the shift lever to the lower pivot point probably let go. Common problem.
Re-glue or have it welded.
Red arrow in picture
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1347295230.jpg

Is this something I can get at with everything in the car? From the top? I have a Mig welder I can hit it with, thanks!

I'd suggest pulling the shifter out and disassembling it to clean the old epoxy out of the joint. It's not that hard to remove one.

JR

I wouldn't want to weld in in the car. The shift tower and lever itself aren't all that hard to remove it's just getting the console and other fiddly bits removed so you have access to the shifter. If you are feeling flush go ahead and add a Seine Gate-Shift kit. Well worth the money.

J

The factory epoxy is good for about 25 years.

I would suggest not taking it apart - might reinstall with the incorrect orientation (tabs should align).

One method:

Align, then mark both parts with a Sharpie or equiv. Remove the lever from the housing, then wire brush the planned weld joints at 12 and 6 0'clock (a complete weld around the lever isn't necessary). MIG or TIG tack-weld. Grind excess, wire brush again and paint before reinstalling.

Another:
To be absolutely certain the lever is aligned before welding, reapply fresh epoxy, install, align and allow to dry. Once dry, remove from housing and perform the tack-weld procedure as described above.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1347328153.jpg

A detached shift lever while driving is a bummer.

Sherwood