shift linkage: nicking reverse in 5-4

Kurt B · 10-24-2001, 01:57 PM

My short shifter nicks reverse goin 5-4. The lockout does work, it won't slam into reverse.
How do I want to adjust it so that this nicking doesn't happen? (assuming it's the one in the back footwell)?
Do I bias up or back or what? This trial and error stuff I've been doing where you adjust and drive just doesn't seem like it's the best way to do it (I followed the bentley method of turning the shaft, tightening, then shifting to make sure all gears go, but how you can test it nicking reverse that way since you won't know until it's actually running?)

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1984 Rockin' Cab
www.geocities.com/carrera_cabriolet

Jim Sims · 10-24-2001, 02:06 PM

Check out 911 Shifting Improvements in the Pelican tech articles plus do a search on this BBS on shifter bushings. You'll find plenty of information.

Early_S_Man · 10-24-2001, 02:11 PM

Kurt,

More than likely, it is the shifter location in relation to the shift rod ball cup that needs adjusting. Slide up the boot and tie it up to get a view of the shifter mount location ... a slight shift away from reverse (shifter body to the rear of the car) might do the job. Three 13 mm bolt heads need to be loosened.

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa
1992 Dodge Dakota 5.2 4X4 parts hauler

jsmarcus · 10-25-2001, 01:01 PM

Kurt, must be an '84 thing. It's too bad you're on the wrong coast we could get this $hit done together.

I replaced the ball cup bushing last weekend, then wanted to adjust as I am VERY jealous of the posts talking about how great everyone else's shifting is. Now, I nick reverse from 5th, and have trouble finding 3rd. AAAAAAAAAAAArrrrrrgggg.

I too followed the Bently and Pelican instructions, but still can not get it right. I'm afraid that I will ruin my trans. I just drew a diagram, but I think that I am more confused by looking at it. It shows the relation of stick movement to what the trans is doing. Etc. Perhaps it will help:

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Josh
'84 Carrera Coupe

johnd · 10-25-2001, 06:12 PM

I had the 5 to 4 nicks reverse problem on my 84, adjusted the shift lever, NOW, sometimes, the lever WILL NOT move back from 5th. unless I move it forward just a hair. this is about 50 % of the time. ARghhh...any hints?

jsmarcus · 10-26-2001, 09:26 AM

Just adjusted a bit again. This time, parked in Reverse and adjust the lever back a bit. Seems better now. Tried these positions:

Parked in 5th, the best 1-4 but still nicked R

Parked in 1-2 gate, hard to find 3rd and still nicked 5th

Parked in R, bets of them all.

I'll still play with it, though. There has got to be a better way. Has anyone installed the Porsche Short Shift Kit? I'm thinking about getting that and getting rid of the Weltmeister.

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Josh
'84 Carrera Coupe

Kurt B · 10-26-2001, 03:13 PM

I have the Porsche short shifter. I wouldn't bother with ANY short shifter. Too bad I don't have the old one to put back on.

mm86911 · mm86911's Garage

OK, here's my deal:

I've tried sliding the shifter housing back and several linkage adjustments but still have problem with 5 to 4 downshift. Shifter hits the reverse lockout (preventing it from going into reverse) but unless I make absolutely sure it's centered in the neutral gate I sometimes still hit reverse.

Is this common or do I just need to adjust again?

I would think that I could set so the shifter would hit the stop - slight move to left - then pull down into 4th. Though I had it right but was going into 3rd when shifter was in 5th gate - so back to previous setting as described above.

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Mike - Atlanta
'86 911 3.2 Targa

mm86911 · mm86911's Garage

Kurt - any luck with your's???

Kurt B · 10-28-2001, 07:25 PM

Nope...I've haven't screwed around with it yet with the tensioner fiasco. Isn't owning and older 911 just great fun? These things are like children, they need constant attention!

tbitz · 03-30-2002, 10:09 AM

I though I'd bring this thread back as I had the "nicking reverse" during 5->4 shift. The problem has been fixed. Once fixed I can now be in 5th and pull back hard to attempt to go into reverse (while driving) and nothing happens. The lockout does it's job by stoping the shifter before it gets near reverse gears meshing.

I'll try and explain what the problem was. Simply, the shift knob was to far forward. In this situation, once you pull out of 5th, you hit reverse before you hit the lockout mechanism. All I had to do was put it in reverse, open the access hatch in the front of the rear seats and loosen the coupling that connects to the transmission. Then while in reverse, I pulled the shift leaver further back towards reverse (you hear it clicking a few times). You can pull it back all the way and then push it back front just a bit.

To figure this out I did remove the shift boot and looked at how this mechanism works. Here is a pic of the car in reverse, before the fix. Note how much distance the shifter is from the end (red arrow).

Here is a pic with the nicking problem fixed. You can see how reverse is much further back (red arrow), compared to the above picture. The blue arrow shows the lockout mechanism.

The whole job takes about 15minutes to do. I can't believe I suffered all of last summer with this problem.

Here are a couple more pictures:

It is best to remove the boot, that way you can see the position of the shifter in the square opening.

Cheers,

911pcars · 03-30-2002, 11:39 AM

Yes, you discovered the only reference point for adjustment is to begin in reverse. Due to the shift housing setup, the gate/lockout for 5th and reverse is not adjustable; therefore the shift mechanism must coincide with what the transaxle shift rods want to do. Once the shift lever mechanism for 5th and Rev is adjusted, 1st through 4th should fall into place.

As an aside, due to the Rev./transaxle shift geometry, there is no way one can adjust the fore-aft position of the shift lever to make it more convenient to shift unless you shorten the length of the shift tube (in the tunnel) and move the entire shift housing rearward a like amount or simply heat/bend the shift lever.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars
www.seinesystems.com

tbitz · 03-30-2002, 01:51 PM

Sherwood,

Your exactly right. With the shifter now adjusted properly, I find 2nd gear is too far back for me. I prefered the feel before I fixed the "nicking reverse" problem. I'm sure I'll get used to it quickly though. I could not see how to get the best of both setups.

I am now looking at making a simple mechanism to keep the shifter in the middle of the 3/4 position using springs (something like a robotek).

Tony