Put it in 2nd before shifting to 1st at a dead stop.
My shifter/trans is sloppy too.
Carter

I would highly recommend you check your shifter bushings in the tunnel. No need to crawl under anything, it is a very straight forward operation. They are inexpensive and wear with age. When they are loose/disintegrated you will experience some of the same symptoms. Inexpensive and you can do it at home in very little time.


I would suggest you double clutch before going into first. And as is mentioned above, go into second then drop into first.

I'm not sure why ANYONE would shift into 1st gear above 10 MPH...

Hi there,

I just installed the Seine shift gate and it really helps a lot! I had the same issue with getting out of 5th and then 4th is nowhere to be found... The Seine spring thingie spring loads the shifter in to the 3-4 plane and helps prevent a super bad 5 to 2 shift. I also replaced the coupler (the neat red one from Pelican has set screws to remove the pivot shaft) and all the bushings and adjusted the clutch AND the clutch stop in the floor board as per the service manual. Things are much better now. Oh, I also replaced all four engine/tranny mounts. Not expensive and easy to do. If all else is good and it shifts better straight than in turns, it could be your mounts.

I do still have the occasional difficulty getting from 1st into 2nd, mostly when the tranny is warm (weird), but other than that it is pretty smooth now. I also replaced the fluid with new dino oil.

Lot of moving parts in all that so just hit them all and it should improve greatly. Oh, and by all means, wind the thing up a bit more. Lugging the engine isn't as bad as it used to be, but it is still not good. At the very least, you are pulling the same power, but I think the oil system isn't putting out as much due to the lower RPMs. I would never dare shift when the little up arrow tells me to. Plus it sounds really awesome past 4000K!

Good luck with your journey,

Franny

Hey, I couldn't tell if you had welt ss kit or Rennshift already installed, by I bet if you replace the trans fluid with swepco, replace your bushings (2 under shifter and also coupler ones in rear, and get a WEVO shifter, you will be a much better place. That is what I did and it was night and day. There is a neat little adjustable reverse block off pin that helps keep you from hitting reverse on the way down from 5 to 4. That always really bothered me but does not happen anymore. I occasionally touch 3rd to let me into first gear, it is odd but it works. I don't think your symptoms are that strange, but they do seem to be saying you are out of adjustment and probably have worn bushings. I think everyone already answered these same things but thought I would add since this is what I did to clear up my shifting. Oh forgot, also did WEVO semi-solid engine mounts and OE sport trans mounts, old ones were worn so these keep it tight.

Scott, I just found this thread. Sorry to hear you are having issues with the shifting. First, I want to encourage you to try the suggestions on how/when to shift. I never had these issues with the car that you are having. First, the 915 doesn't like to be short shifted. Get the revs up over 3500+ before shifting. Second, you can not speed shift the tranny. Doesn't sound like you are, but a slight pause before engaging your next gear makes all the difference. The coupler and bushings were all swapped out when I installed the Rennshift shifter. They should not be the issue. Perhaps you can try adjusting the clutch cable. Also, I always depressed the clutch pedal fully before shifting. Overall, if you take these steps, the car should shift smoothly and engage all gears properly as it did for me. Call me if you want to discuss.

Jim

PS: make sure you use the reverse lock-out lever when you are driving on the freeway. It helps eliminate potential grind on downshifts to 4th for passing.

Never shifting below 3500 rpm is a conservative blanket statement which may apply in most active driving situations. However, there's nothing wrong with shifting below 3500 rpm as long as you avoid putting a load on the engine (excessive throttle opening at low rpm @ low vehicle speed). One can coast at engine speeds below 3500; level, downhill or uphill with no stress on the engine.

Sherwood