Five Speed Shifting Issues

[Jim Bird]

Have a 1990 16V  with only 31000 miles. A joy to drive but the gear box is "sticky" Shifts up or down into 2nd, 3rd or 4th are smooth and easy. First and reverse do not engage as easily and 5th often will not engage. It does help if I move the stick ( in neutral ) to the opposite side before shifting into 1st, 5th or reverse. Is this an adjustment issue with the gear shift itself or is there more involved? If adjustment,-- how is this done?

[Hemi Dude]

Have a 1990 16V  with only 31000 miles. A joy to drive but the gear box is "sticky" Shifts up or down into 2nd, 3rd or 4th are smooth and easy. First and reverse do not engage as easily and 5th often will not engage. It does help if I move the stick ( in neutral ) to the opposite side before shifting into 1st, 5th or reverse. Is this an adjustment issue with the gear shift itself or is there more involved? If adjustment,-- how is this done?

It is very possible that the bushings in your shifter cables have worn out. Those are the ones down on your console.

If you remove the carpeted covers on the sides of the console, you can have access to them.

I just replaced them on my wife's Dodge Shadow, a couple of days ago.

The part number of the package that contains the bushing kit is DORMAN 14014

I purchased mine on-line from www.DirectAuto.com under the part number MDT1000.

Adjustment, if necessary, is done at the cable ends there in the console.

[Jim Bird]

Thanks Hemi

 

I was hoping I would get a reply from you. I will let you know how I make out but it may be 2 or 3 weeks before I can get to this

[Hemi Dude]

Thanks Hemi

 

I was hoping I would get a reply from you. I will let you know how I make out but it may be 2 or 3 weeks before I can get to this

Happy to help. Hopefully all you other readers will learn something, after all, ALL the manual shifters use these bushings and they do deteriorate with age.

[Guest alfieri]

Draining the old fluid out completely ( every drop ) is also a very good place to start with.   Petrolium products get old and then will not do their job properly and if it is in you're case, the original gear oil in you're manual  Getrag tranny, it should be changed. You will also have the advantage of checking out the metalic debis on the magnetic drain plug,.... and that tells a story too. ( very helpfull )  It may have been contaminated by ' who knows what ' along the way in the hands of an un-caring / unknowing auto dealership or backyard mechanic.  It is best to replace the fluid and not take chances.   My Chrysler Mas service manual on page 0-3 calls a fluid change every 15K miles for the manual transaxle and recommends SAE 5W-30 ( SF or SF/CC or = )     Hemi mentioned replacing bushings and i don't even know if they are nylon or other on the TC but after 25 years, they are old and brittle and best to ( if they are going bad) as he says;  replace them too. I agree.    I myself have used lithium or grafite lubricate on linkage bushings on other manual trans  (if they are nylon)  to extend the life of the old ones if I can't replace them right away.    Petrolium products take on different characteristics as decades go by but  it would be the same even if it were a Borg Warner T-10 or a Muncie ( Hurst linkage )  tranny or other.      Things sticking and / or sticking up are  all part of  the aging process,  it ( age) will make things gummy til it becomes like glue,...( sticks, sticking, stuck or hanging-up )  dehydrating / oxidizing and all other science that interviens and eventually becomes part of the,... well , crusty old rubber and cork gaskets that will absolutly cause and create tranny leaks; and other,... that is a strong indication of a situation of drying and dehydration when the bushings, seals or gaskets fail.  However for the internal parts of the tranny   'Synchronization'  is the key word for any tranny and new fluid will help,, whether it is forward motion or going into reverse. .   Thank goodness that all  of those encased metal gears etc. do not wear that quickly as do the outer bushings and gaskets        In you're perticular situation with a Getrag tranny problem and for the best brand of relacement fluid for best performance and least friction, Jim Bird;  consult with member;  Rick Diogo out of Florida for a better explaination / solution to what i have just said here.  ( Rick diogo has an 11 second 1/4 mile 16V Chrysler / Mas. engine race car and you're own logic will tell you that, those results didn't happen with a bad tranny )      

Edited September 4, 2015 by alfieri (see edit history)

[Jim Bird]

Hemi---Can you clarify the source for the bushing kit for my 16V ?The website for www. DirectAuto.com Shows "no product match"when I enter the info you gave me.

[Nile]

I had the same situation with my 90 16v car and assumed it was the bushings in the console, but everything there was fine.  Turns out one of the cables was loose at the transmission.  All I had to do was tighten it and it's been fine for over a year.

[Hemi Dude]

Hemi---Can you clarify the source for the bushing kit for my 16V ?The website for www. DirectAuto.com Shows "no product match"when I enter the info you gave me.

Go to the DORMAN website and look for;

Dorman® 14044 - Manual Transmission Shift Cable Bushing

Dorman Replacement Transmission Parts

Dorman® - Manual Transmission Shift Cable BushingDorman® - Manual Transmission Shift Cable BushingDorman® - Manual Transmission Shift Cable BushingDorman Authorized Dealer

[Jim Bird]

Thanks Hemi

 

Found them online and am able to source them right here in Canada

[Guest Bob Barrow]

Hi, Jim,noticed your post and wondering where you are located in Canada? I have a TC here in Canada (Windsor Ont.).I seen another TC here and am trying to find him.   Bob Barrow

[Jim Bird]

Hi Bob

 

I am in Hamilton Ont. I too have wondered how many TCs there are in Canada. I was at Mopar Fest in New Hamburg a few weeks ago Literally thousands of Chrysler products but only one TC .I did not meet the owner but the car was from the Niagara region.

[Jim Bird]

Well I now have five functioning gears on my 5 speed. The problem was bushings, but at the tranny end rather than the gear shift end of the cables.Neither cable had a bushing at the transmission with obviously a lot  of slack in the connections. In fact the crossover cable was missing it's clip to hold the cable onto the shift dog. Made new bushings. A 3/4 inch hole saw used on a hard piece of rubber( hockey puck) makes the correct size bushing. Much contortion required to reach these and to disassemble and reassemble but the results are wonderful. Joining the local Italian car club for a winery cruise through the Niagara region this weekend. The Fiat Spider and the Alfa Spider are staying home.

 

Thanks to all for the help !