Transmission Trauma!

[jp]

was just driving home on the highway and downshifted from 5 to 4 and something definitely broke, the car is stuck in 4, the stick just moves around. Can anyone diagnose? Thanks very much

JP

[A1.6HPE]

On top front of the transmission there is a small vertical rod that acts as a pivot for the linkage. My bet goes on the likelihood that the nut on top of that has gone awol.
Problem unlikely to be inside the unit.

Leo

[Fingers]

Yes either that or one of the nylon bushes in the shift rod has finally given up the ghost and fallen out, probably the forward of the two. I had the same thing happen to me in the VX, luckily I was in second gear and in town so managed to make it to where I needed to go and fix it.

[jp]

thanks guys, I guess I should go ahead and get the new linkage set up from John Montgomery while I am at it. Of course my buddy with the garage is on vacation for 2 weeks
:(

does anyone have John's contact info?

JP

[Fingers]

Depending on the condition of the existing rod that goes from the gear stick forward it may be easier to replace the short rod as in the first post and just the bushes, there's a lot of dismantling required to actually get the long rod out. No giggling kids.

[jp]

are we in agreement I should still order the kit from John, though? She has 70k on her and I'll bet the plastic stuff is gone. Another question- I was stuck in traffic on Rt 95 trying to get home, so I had the clutch in a lot, I am thinking I should replace the clutch cable to be on the safe side when the stick is fixed- thoughts?

[SubGothius]

are we in agreement I should still order the kit from John, though? She has 70k on her and I'll bet the plastic stuff is gone...
Unless they've been replaced already, in which case, they'll prolly last the remaining life of the car. Take a look first -- you can see the top/front stuff easily enough from above, once you remove the battery and tray, and the middle joints are fairly accessible from underneath, once you jack up one side or put the car on ramps.

Another question- I was stuck in traffic on Rt 95 trying to get home, so I had the clutch in a lot, I am thinking I should replace the clutch cable to be on the safe side when the stick is fixed- thoughts?
Hm, the clutch cable isn't directly related to the shift linkage, and having recently replaced my cable, I can say it wasn't as easy as I'd expected. While you've got the battery and tray out to inspect the top/forward linkage, examine the clutch cable for fraying or corrosion at that end. If that looks fine, check the other end at the pedal by feel (you'll never be able to see much of it under the dash) -- maybe slacken the adjustment wingnut underhood first, so you can check the cable pivot at the pedal for binding or excessive play. I don't think cables tend to unravel in the middle, inside the jacket; they fail at the ends or nearby where the cable is still exposed.

The pedal end of the cable has a crimped-on eyetip, which fits in between two rubber-jacketed sleeve bushings at the top of the pedal, all held together by a pin running thru, with a washer and circlip at each end. On my car, the rubber around those sleeve bushings had disintegrated, so that whole pin assembly tended to bind up instead pivoting smoothly around the pin when depressing the pedal. This binding-up effect would bend the eyetip out of line with the cable, eventually stress-hardening and breaking one cable strand after another, right where the eyetip was crimped on. I had been hearing some kind of catching/binding (sort of a muted creak-clack) sound when operating the clutch until one day, sitting at a traffic light in Neutral, I pressed the pedal to put'er in gear, and the pedal snapped right to the floor and stayed there! :o

When I installed a new cable, I managed to find some wide fuel hose (3/8" ID, I think?) that fit around the metal centers of the sleeve bushings on the pedal, but the OD of the hose still isn't big enough to completely fill the holes at the top of the pedal. Eventually, I'll have to redo this better, as we want the sleeve bushings to fit snug in the pedal, so the pin pivots inside the bushings, which in turn allow the cable's eyetip to pivot around the pin. Has anyone refurbished this particular joint before who can offer some pointers?

[Will]

does anyone have John's contact info?
prez@flu.org

[jp]

many thanks for the advice everyone

I replaced the clutch cable about2 years ago, I will have to really inspect it to make sure it did not get trashed

Of course this all happens while the car has never run better and was ready for the beach runs, LOL

[jp]

ok, so it turns out the plastic coupling bushing on the end of the long rod gave out- does anyone have a source for these???

thanks very much

JP

[Jim Keller]

Yup! just got mine last week, I have installed about 6 or more sets of these in various Betas I have had cross my path over the last several years and they are a major improvement over the stock bushings, they make the shifter SO much more precise with much more feel. Email John, he'll fix you up, replace ALL the large bushings at least in the rod out in the bay, the one from the shift lever inside I have skipped more than once. He sells them in a kit with the 6" long rod for the cross over or he sells just the bushings individually. You can contact John Montgomery at: bertoneman@aol.com

Hope that helps! ;D

[jp]

Hi Jim

How are you?

I ordered the shift kit from Bruces, but my mechanic says this is not what I need. I need the plastic sleeve/coupling that slides over the ball at the very end of the long rod- does that make sense???

jp

[A1.6HPE]

Hello jp.
I don't understand which plastic sleeve you refer to. The very end of the shaft is bolted to an upright support that can swivel about a bit. Part way along the shaft is the nylon bush that acts on the ball on the lever that comes out of the top of the transmission. Photo - http://lancisti.net/mkportal/modules/gallery2/index.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=28639
or http://lancisti.net/mkportal/modules/gallery2/index.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=28639

Leo

[Jim Keller]

Maybe the mechanic isn't realizing he needs to unbolt the ball from the tranny or piviot where ever it came apart, drill out the remaing part of the original bushing, press the old ball part into the new bushing, then press the new assembled bushing with old ball into the rod, install the C-clip and bolt the rod back in the car???? you do it all on the bench except the one from the interior, that one you struggle with or take enough of the interior apart to remove it, either way it's a pain. It's not a sleeve really, but I think you have the correct parts if it's th white cup bushings, maybe Bruce sent you the wrong thing, if it was the complete kit, it should have 4 large white bushings, 4 retainer C-clips, 4 large nuts, one 6" long dog bone looking linkage that is adjustable and instruction sheet for installation. :-\

[Jim Keller]

Oh yea, and I am actually doing prety good all things considered, my wife having that kid a year and a half ago when I was already regularly refered to as my 8 year olds grandpa, then adding this "needs lots of work" bank repo house Waaay out in the country we just bought plus panicing to get the old house ready for the market has been excellent physical theropy! LOL I hurt but it has made me feel much beeter in a general sense, mental and physical! ;D I still don't get out much, but I'm generally fine with that now, except missing the trips to Carlisle and FFO weekends, that sucks! especially when it's only 2-1/2 hours away like it was this year in Detroit, but the new house kept us from FFO more than my spine this year.

[jp]

I just moved myself 2 days ago, never again!!!

I am glad to hear you are feeling good though, dig in to those house projects, LOL

Thanks to all for the advice and input, I had a pow- wow with the garage, they did not seem to think the bushing would fit, but of course it did and now Livia is back on the road, although not tomorrow, 100 degrees forecast for us in RI, yeesh. Now I have to figure out where this little oil leak is. It is always something...
:)