86.5 5 speed shifter problem
 

I have a new to me 86.5 with a manual. Downshifting 5 to 4 stick moves and nothing happens. Then happened in lower gears. Scary in traffic. Wiggle it around with clutch in and then seems to work. Clutch feels reel nice and i don't experience any weird noises just suddenly feels like shifter is not connected. Any help would be really a huge help. thanks in advance Justin

Either front shifter ball cup or rear shift linkage are the usual culprits. Search shifter, shift linkage, shift ball cup...you will find lots of info. Has or will happen to all 5 speeds eventually.

Ron , thanks for your quick reply. Ill do some research on those locations and see what i find.
Justin

Shifter cup
 

I concur with the front cup being bad. You can wire it onto the ball for a quick but temporary fix. It's a critical repair that's not that expensive, and the results will be most gratifying.

thanks for your input. can this be done without dropping the exhaust?

I don't think I dropped my exhaust, but I'm over 40, and my memory is fading.....seems like I unbolted my heat shield and pulled it out to one side.....but I also have a single exhaust out of the no longer there catalytic.....