Re: Shifting Problems

[Shawn Meze <Trnsfrma@ix.netcom.com>]

At 05:14 PM 10/9/96 -0500, you wrote:
>I need some help here....
>
>For a while now my shifting is very sloppy. It's very hard gettign into first
>and second. I hafe to press the shifter had to the left and force it 
>left-up or it slips into 3rd. When engaging the 1st gears it feels like 
>the shifter is passing through a tight gate..i can feel it give pressure 
>back, then *pop*in seems like it went in..then to get to second i have to 
>go *strait* down and for some reason sometimes it grinds the gears with
>clutch fully depressed. 1st,3rd,4th,5th all have 1-2inches of horizontal 
>play...left right..only 2nd is firm.
>
>i had the clutch replaced..and i HATE this..its suppose to be one of 
>those self ajusting..self ajusting my ass....i like the catch at top..now 
>its near the middle..bleah but the clutch is good its only got 2k on it.
>
>I looked at al lthe shift linkage etc as in my jetta i lost 1 and 2nd 
>due to a broken ball joint plastic piece of crap 2" rod thingy...but
>everything looks good to me in the engine compartment. Could it just be 
>my shift bushings? I want to install a short shift kit..but I would 
>really like to be able to shift firmly and easily first.


I feel your pain, im there too. only mine isnt as bad as you describe as I
think mine is just an old 163,000 tranny is about wore out. When I forst got
my car, (@128,000 miles) I had the same problem as you and I replaced ALL
the bushings. (Get the kit, and go through the whole thing replacing all of
the bushings, dont be lazy, do the shift rod from under the car too with the
2 big bushings! you'll be glad you did.) I also added a ABD 3 position short
shift kit while I was at it. I added the weighted shift rod too. (It was
with the $45.00 kit! Beat that Neuspeed!) and it made all the difference in
the world! Like a new car! The shifting was precise, no guessing where the
gates were at and the weighted rod helps the car shift into gear. (I found
out later thats what it was for) 
Also what could of happened is your tranny shifted. If you have done any
kind of remval or instalation of the tranny or motor mounts, try going back
under the car, loosten all the mount bolts and shake the tranny and get the
mounts to line up where the bolt (or nut, whatever) location WERE before the
removal. You should be able to see where they were if your like most folks
and dont clean under the car. (I do, I hate working on a dirty greasy car!)
I had this problem with my car. After a few adjustments, the car would work
like it was soposed to. The problem I had was the car would lock into first
and reverse! That sucked since it was like putting the car in park! 

Try the bushings first!

Shawn

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