Shifter Repair, me too...

[trent]

Well, MY plan hasn't come together yet... But I've learned a ton from the related threads- and a special thanks to the forum members in general for the other great information and referrals. I've already purchased enough parts to anger the gods (my wife)...

I recently acquired a 1981 Spider 2000 and have about 300 miles into it. Last week I threw it over into reverse and the shift lever spun from the normal 6 o'clock around to 3 o'clock. I straightened it out and got it into gear, but from that moment the shifter is able to spin 90+ degrees while shifting between gears. Quasi-normal shifting is still possible if the shift-lever is held in line at 6 o'clock (like with a clenched fist). A peek under the center-console revealed why...



Neither the shift-lever nor the shaft looks particularly worn (though quite dirty), and the edges of the groove of the shaft are still quite sharp. My first inkling is to replace the whole shift-lever assembly and boot, but not the shaft. it's a used car and I have no idea what's happened up to this point- I haven't dug in from below, so I don't know what may (or may not) be there...

Here's a look at the offending behavior (.mov video 12M):
http://trentland.com/misc/fiatshifter.mov


Does this look instantly familiar to anyone? Am I barking up the right tree with the shift-lever replacement?




Edit: Is is possible that the entire "donut" around the shift-lever could be missing?!?!



regards,
trent

[pope]

You have got everything wrong.
the metal nub that you have listed as "belongs here" does not belong there. It belongs 180° from there. I can see your donut and it has a small metal nub in the middle of it and that is the part that belongs in the "belongs here area" . There is a nut at the bottom of the shaft and I think that it is about to come off allowing for the play in your shifter. You can only gain access to it from under the car, by removing the three screws that hold the plate on. Get yourself a NYLOCK nut to use inplace of the old nut so it does not come loose again. NYLOCK has a layer of nylon on the nut to tighten the nut for good.

Good Luck

[So Cal Mark]

there should also be a spring steel tension spring in that slot to keep the shifter from rattling. When you disassemble the shifter from the bottom, pay attention to the lower cup. If the hole is a loose fit on the shifter, replace the cup because the nut won't stay tight

[alexGS]

Hello trent, great first post!

I loved the reference to the dirty area.

My shifter behaves the same as yours - having never driven a 60's RWD car, I wondered whether it was intentional that the (bent) lever rotates, as I seem to remember it does in an original Mini of the era.

As you're probably aware, this lever (on the 5 speed) is actually a remote type, so more similar to FWD than I realised, except that with FWD the link rods are larger and longer, and the bushings have less grease (and less dirt). However, any remote lever (whether attached to the gearbox like the Spider or truly remote) will amplify the wear in each part of the linkage - so the total can be a sum of many slacknesses.

I believe it is the worn plastic ball that creates most of the trouble, at least in mine, though my lever extension was also hopelessly loose (I've replaced those bushings inside the chrome lever; I have no idea why it needs to be so complicated in there!)

I'm going to order the ball, the cup, and the washers from Bayless some time, when I take my gearbox apart to check/replace the bearings. If anyone knows this to not be a good idea/not possible, please say so I know that the shift rod itself is not cost-effective to replace!

[mbouse]

in my experience, the wear on the nylon ball is generally not the #1 issue with this assembly. Loose nut or nut falling off at the bottom of the assembly is the biggest problem. Pope has the right idea.

Ger ahead and replace all that stuff Alex, but before you do, give the nut tightening a try first. Most likely save yourself enough for a tankful or two of fuel.

the rubber bushings and plastic do-dads inside the shifter are actually vibration dampers in addition to holding that chrome shifter on the shift lever. Complicated on purpose to make up for a deficiency elsewhere.

and, trent! honestly... you do not want your wife that dirty.

[trent]

Regards to all on the follow-ups...

I ordered a replacement shift-lever et. al. from Vicks (they are awfully damn polite down in Texas!) since the more I look at my pictures, the more I am convinced the PO messed around pretty good "down there." It looks like something is missing from the lever, and maybe even below that...

Will post the follow-up, in case anyone cares...


trent

[alexGS]

Thanks Mike, I'll take mine apart before I order the bits. And you're probably right about the tankful or two of fuel

trent - definitely worth posting the follow-up!

[trent]

What's the recommended lube for the shifter sub-assembly? It's a mix of metal and plastic down there and I'm not sure what's best... White lithium?

All the bits are here, so I'll take a whack at it when I can.

[trent]

Okey doke- finished it last nite in a couple of hours and it shifts like a dream. A complete success, here's the redux:


First I got all of the guts out by removing the plate from underneath (2 of 3 bolts present). It was awfully oily down there, which makes me wonder which gasket is leaking. Nothing looked wet or drippy, but I'll keep an eye on it.

That left me here:


As I had surmised the problem was the little "donut" was missing- it had torn and drifted down on the lever:



Here are the two assemblies, new and old. The PO threw an extra spring in there (and the washer was missing) but everything was pretty-much 'there':



It didn't matter, though, I replaced the whole tower:



I was able to install the whole assembly from below, with a little finagling... I worked it around the shaft/guibo and it slid into place. I won't go into a lot of detail, but there was a lot of swearing and irritation as I got the plate/bolts in place. The sub-assembly only bolts in one way, so check it (then check again) since even though you're certain it's correctly oriented- it is not. My favorite moment was brushing the work light with my arm (which was really, amazingly hot) and punching myself in the cheek. Extra fun in a tight space.

Here is the result, seated nicely:


And finished:



Regards.

[rlux4]

Way to go Trent!
When I put in my rebuilt tranny I didn't snug the nut on the bottom of the shifter well enough. It came loose and dropped out of the bottom when the cover plate also came off. It was a trick driving it home with no way to shift. Luckily it was Ace driving it at the time, so I didn't have to contend with it!
Ron

[So Cal Mark]

it's still missing the spring steel tension spring that fits into the channel, so the shifter will rattle

[trent]

You are correct! Didn't even notice it- what's it called... "Spring" from the blueprint is a little nondescript...

[maytag]

it's still missing the spring steel tension spring that fits into the channel, so the shifter will rattle

Mark, (or others) can you help a little more on this?
I'm in the process of reassembly right now, and I want to make sure I've got it correct. I've got the coiled spring in place above the cup assembly.... so what is the "tension spring" that goes in the "channel"? (what channel?)

[pjnats]

I'm in the middle of the same project, and have the same question. I ordered a few parts form Vicks and asked the rep about this spring, but he couldn't find anything. The part is in the shop manual as a spring clip and also identified as a hairclip spring on Caribou. Thanks for your help in advance.

[azygoustoyou]

I'm glad I came across this post. I now see the spring clip in the book. It seems it goes on top of the spring you have shown. I don't think I have this one either. I just did my shifter. Just to make sure we all have it right. Does anyone have pic's of this spring installed. I really can't tell how it's suppose to be by looking at the book.
I have two tranny's sitting here and neither have the clip.
You can find the clips at Auto Ricambi
http://stores.auto-ricambi.net/-strse-1 ... Detail.bok