beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

I need some advice. I just finished installing a short shifter and now I can't shift forward on the shifter, so no 1st, 3rd, or 5th. 2nd, 3rd, and reverse work but are pretty notchy. Along with the STS I replaced the mtl and poly-filled the motor mounts...so I had the whole crossmember and front/rear mounts removed. Do I just have something out of alignment. I can't figure this out and it's making me crazy!

Any ideas?

jonedwards

Sounds to me the shifter is backwards... I know that sounds stupid but I had that happen to me in my Crx many years ago, might wanna give it a look....

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

I will check again...the shifter was used so no instructions. I've put one in a max and b13 sentra before so I thought I'd be ok but it's been a few years.

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

No, that wasn't it. It is definitely installed in the correct direction. I hope this isn't the wrong shifter. Also, when I disconnect the shift rod from the shifter I can't manually shift into the forward gears either. (pulling back on the rod)

Still confused.

OC_Nooby

iTrader: (11)

Does it feel tight? or does it have the light feel it used to? Sorry but it sounds like its reversed...Did you do a 180 and bolt it back in? There isn't much that can go wrong in a shifter install. Maybe something with the ball bushing (3 piece plastic that goes around the STS ball) not sitting properly?

jonedwards

Take pictures it helps.

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

Well, since I had the crossmember and shifter bushing out I'm worried I moved something. If this was just a simple sts install I wouldn't be asking for help. The shifter isn't backwards...if I flip it around it hits the front of the console.

Revo75

iTrader: (9)

hmmm I will watch this thread got a STS coming in the mail don't want to run into these problems lol good luck!

OC_Nooby

iTrader: (11)

If you post a picture it would help out, otherwise look it over. Its not a complex system. Not trying to be an *** or anything. Would something be hitting? Can you get someone in the car to try to shift forward while you look underneath the car and see if the linkage is hitting anything? Does the car go into neutral? while in neutral do you have side to side play? If you can shift backwards id think something is blocking the forward motion.

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

I'm pointing at the shifter bushing bolts with a screwdriver. This seems to be the only adjustment point for the shifter linkage that I can find.


This is the connection for the shifter linkage rod. It only moves in and to neutral.

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

Sorry, let me make those pictures smaller.

OC Nooby, there isn't anything hitting. I have the cat removed so there is more room to work. I have tried having someone sit in the car and work the shifter. I don't see anything binding...it just won't pull out to engage the forward gears.

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

After playing around with it more I think the sts might be wrong. The position for 1st and 2nd gear are really close to the parking brake. Anyone with a B&M, can you confirm that your 1st and 2nd gear aren't really close to the parking brake?

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

I put the stock shifter back in...no dice. Still won't go into forward gears. WTF did I do to my car?

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

OK, another update. I put everything together and went for a test drive. I can go into 1st gear with some effort. (more than normal) I still can't go into 3rd or 5th and shifting is pretty stiff. This is with the stock shifter again, I removed the sts until I can get this figured out.

OC_Nooby

iTrader: (11)

If its done properly you should be able to be under the car and with your hand shift it into gears. If you can't you may have tightened the STS/stock shifter to tight. All the linkages should be tight but have play. From the pics the linkage near the transmission looks pretty tight.

asand1

iTrader: (1)

How were the motor mounts B4 filling, is it possible the motor is rotated (leaning) to far forward now, putting the linkage rod to far back and not allowing enought travel to engage 1,3,and 5?

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

I tried shifting it by hand underneath very early in the troubleshooting process. Even with the shift rod removed from the bottom of the shifter I couldn't shift into third easily by pulling on the rod. It was much easier to push the rod into 4th than pull it into 3rd gear. I don't know what could be overtightened.


They weren't cracked, just weak from age. I don't think I could have rotated them...they only fit one way. I have them turned based on looking at the orientation in the FSM. Putting the crossmember and motor mounts back in wasn't too bad. I only had to lift/pry a little on the front and just lift on the rear. I tried loosening the crossmember and prying the motor/trans rearward to adjust the play in the linkage...which didn't help. You can't really have the motor too far forward and still install the shift linkage. The top rod holding the shifter base is fixed and the shifter bushing/mount only has about 1/2 inch of play...so if you have the motor too far forward you can't attach the top rod to the shifter bushing.

I have a service appt scheduled tomorrow morning at courtesy nissan. I don't want to pay someone to fix this since it shouldn't be that hard to figure out, but I'm stuck.

QT1 5MT AE

iTrader: (6)

you have installed the shift linkages backward...

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

I didn't remove the shift linkage from the transmission only from the shifter. You can't rotate the linkage. The shifter is definitely not backwards.

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

I brought the car to a transmission shop. They just called and the service writer said that the tech recommends pulling the transmission to figure out what is wrong...$500. Needless to say I'm picking up my car from them now. Anyone else have any suggestions?

OC_Nooby

iTrader: (11)

Question: Before you installed the STS, removed the cross member and replaced the MTL did the car shift properly? (I'm Guessing so)...Lets eliminate the STS as you did 3 things at once and your regular shifter doesn't shift properly.

Maybe the mounts are to stiff now and the motor is sitting a little higher causing a hard shift/no shift? Can you loosen the linkage by the transmission to give it some slack?


Last thing what is a MTL?

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

When I picked the car up from the transmission shop I could actually get it into 3rd and 5th. 3rd was harder to engage than 1st, and 5th was very stiff and hard to disengage. I really think I just have something overtightened or out of alignment. I'll bring it to courtesy in the morning to see if they can fix it without emptying my wallet.

MTL= manual trans lube, MTG is what I meant...which is the Amsoil trans fluid I used.

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

Courtesy said that the problem was in the transmission too. I don't know what I did but I think my shift forks are bent. After tweaking the linkage just a bit I can now shift easily into 1st, 2nd, 4th, and reverse. I can pretty easily get into 3rd with just a bit of effort, and 5th is still hard to engage but with some moderate pressure I can use it too...it does stick quite a bit coming out of 5th though. Unless there is some magic remedy I will try and drive like this until it's time for a clutch job. Lame...

beegeezy

iTrader: (3)

Update:
I mentioned this in another thread, but in case anyone reads this in a search I wanted to explain what was wrong. I replaced the original transmission drain plug bolt with one from the parts store...and it was a tiny bit longer apparently. It was acting like a set screw on the shifter linkage rod inside of the transmission. I replaced it with a new stock plug and all is well again. I'm glad I didn't pay someone to diagnose this further. That would have been a huge waste for a $4 drain plug!