Rough Gear Shift Or Not At All

[Saabretooth 8]

Mine is a 6 speed Manual.

 

When the gearbox and shifter stick is on its A Game, its lovely, clicking in and shifting fast.

 

but when its not, the following things happen

 

1) its hard to get into 1st, or NOT at all.

Remedy, shift into 3rd to align the components, then it shifts into 1 smoothly again.

 

or

as I found out lately, I lift off the clutch till about halfway, then the gear goes in

 

2) Same with 2nd gear, but not as bad as 1)

 

3) 3rd - 6th is fuss free and awesome

 

4) Reverse, sometimes its hard to get in, or I'll have to lift the lever, move into 4th then into Reverse again just to get it in.

 

Or I have to clutch off half way to get the gear in.

 

Note, I have an CLOS short shifter from Japan, but it was working well for months until recently.

I could live with it, but would prefer to have a solution.

 

Help anybody?

[Gibot123 16]

Hi , sounds like you either need to check the setting of the shifter maybe a bush or a rod linkage needs tightening or you have a clutch issue.

Is the quick shifter a rod system ? Check nothing has come loose somewhere.

You do stand a chance of damaging the box if you have to force the gears.

As it is going into some and not others it sounds like the set up needs checking.

Have you got a link to the site you got the quick shift from so I can see how it's connected.

[Saabretooth 8]

Thanks.

 

This is the one I am using now.

 

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clos.jp%2Fproduct_this.cgi%3Fid_mk%3DCLOS%26id_ms%3DCLQQ%26id_cg%3D11%26id_un%3D%26id_t1%3DALFA%26id_t2%3D156%26id_t3%3D%26id_t4%3D

 

 

The allen head screw is very tiny, it can get loose sometimes, but its now been resolved with loctite.

[Gibot123 16]

Have you checked the other end at the gearbox if your still having problems . Check the point it connects to the gear box itself.

[LJ_GQV 115]

1 other thing you could check is the engine mount? If thats worn the engine can 'drop' slightly so its out of line if that makes sense?

[Gibot123 16]

LJ is the GT a rod system or cables like the 147 ? Have to be honest not had the chance to see one ?

[LJ_GQV 115]

Id presume its the same but i have never looked. I just remember someone saying they had a similar problem on a 147 GTA & the engine mount was worn so it wasn't holding the engine in the 'right' place. Changing it seemed to work though from what i remember

[Saabretooth 8]

Engine mount is great, its the CLOS one.

 

brand new.

 

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.clos.jp%2Fproduct_this.cgi%3Fid_mk%3DCLOS%26id_ms%3DCLTR%26id_cg%3D13%26id_un%3DV6%26id_t1%3DALFA%26id_t2%3DGT%26id_t3%3D%26id_t4%3D&act=url

[Saabretooth 8]

I believe its cable system

[Gibot123 16]

Yes makes sense does sound like something's not lined up either that or there is a clutch/synchro problem .

Thankyou.

[Saabretooth 8]

I am thinking synchro or clutch release bearings as a worst case scenario or the linkages on top the gearbox under the battery.

will need to find time to get that sorted

[LJ_GQV 115]

Engine mount is great, its the CLOS one.

 

brand new.

 

http://translate.goo...&id_t4=&act=url

 

what about the lower engine mount?

[Saabretooth 8]

h

what about the lower engine mount?

 

didn't think about that... car's at 55,000 km now. so early for a worn engine mount?

[Smaky 73]

Engine mount is great, its the CLOS one.

 

brand new.

 

http://translate.goo...&id_t4=&act=url

 

That's an engine stabiliser bar, nothing to do with the gearshift.

 

The problems the 156 suffers from with gearchanges is the stick mount cracking or the roll pin in the selector head (in the gearbox) shears and this can then be a pig to remove, a worn out clutch or leaking slave cylinder can make 1, 2 and R hard to engage duse to the higher ratio changes, the cotrols are indeed a pair of cables and I've yet to replace a set due to wear, so I'd start at the selector head and check the roll pin.

[Saabretooth 8]

That's an engine stabiliser bar, nothing to do with the gearshift.

 

The problems the 156 suffers from with gearchanges is the stick mount cracking or the roll pin in the selector head (in the gearbox) shears and this can then be a pig to remove, a worn out clutch or leaking slave cylinder can make 1, 2 and R hard to engage duse to the higher ratio changes, the cotrols are indeed a pair of cables and I've yet to replace a set due to wear, so I'd start at the selector head and check the roll pin.

 

 

Thanks. I've always thought that part was referred to as the Top stabilizer engine Mount.

 

Clutch is new. all changed at at 42,000 with the belts.

 

Do you have a picture of selector head/roll pin?

[Gibot123 16]

Smaky you talking about the pin in the box on the actual shaft yeah ?

Didn't think of an internal as mileage was so low relatively speaking and he hadn't said it had had a new clutch. Doh.

Wasn't sure about the cables I knew the 147 has cables and my 164 has a rod system and know because it runs thought the center console it can get things like stereo cables stuck between the rods and restrict the linkage movement.

[Saabretooth 8]

I still don't know what the roller pin is but I replaced the black bushings on top of the gearbox.

Feels better, but I still get trouble getting into Reverse once I go through the gears till 3rd.....

 

Same with 1st gear, still a hit and miss. I tried the clutch in until the last 1 inch to shift. feels a bit better though.... but will have to monitor it

[Gibot123 16]

Hi you need smaky to tell you I think it's the one actually in the gear box on the actual selector shaft that changes the cogs .

Edited August 24, 2013 by Gibot123

[Saabretooth 8]

Fiddling with the gear shift, I realize I need to shift it upwards 1-2mm towards 3rd, then I can shove it left and up into 1st without trouble.

any idea whats the loose bit that needs to be tightened?

[Smaky 73]

Smaky you talking about the pin in the box on the actual shaft yeah ?

 

 

Yes, if you slam it into gear then this roll pin takes a battering and will give up to show you what a prat your being.

[Saabretooth 8]

Can't say I smaked the gear in, but its been acting up since I did the clutch and installed the short shifter........ ....... ...

[Smaky 73]

Ahhh, the release bearing may not be engaged properly then.

[Saabretooth 8]

Ahhh, the release bearing may not be engaged properly then.

 

roger that!

the shifter worked great for about 2 months, then it started to give me that issue..... will have to take a look at the release bearings....

[Gibot123 16]

Just thought have you tried bleeding the the clutch cylinder than can need doing a couple of times if you got air in the system whilst changing the clutch . If its not the bearing it might explain why it was ok for a while then got worse.

I take it its the external cylinder and not the concentric internal on the 3.2 ?

Edited August 27, 2013 by Gibot123

[Saabretooth 8]

Don't think its the master or slave cylinder.

I think that there is something not aligned at the shifter or at the top of the gearbox. something to do with the linkages.

If I edge it upwards by 1-2mm before moving it into 1st, its smooth

same for reverse, if I pull it 1-2mm towards 4th before moving it into the reverse slot, its smooth too.

but if I go through the gears like 1,2,3,4, then to neutral, going back into 1 is tough. or not at all.