I've had my 81 now for a few weeks. Runs and drives very nice, the best I can tell. Just changed the oil this morning and took it out for a little while. Only real problem I seem to have is shifting the manual transmission to reverse. Its been very difficult since I got it, and as of today, apparently it became impossible. I've tried twice today, putzing with the shifter for 10-15 minutes with no luck.

I know to lift up on the release handle under the shift ****, but even when I do, it mostly feels like there isn't even a gate for reverse. I've tried putting it in every forward gear before going to reverse, and still no luck. I think one time since I got the car have I sat down in the car, and it went right in smooth as silk (I about fainted)...the rest of the time its been a struggle, but would eventually work until today.

I know I'm new at this, but it doesn't feel like the transmission grinding gears or anything like that...more like the shifter isn't even giving me the option of a reverse gear...if that explanation made any sense at all.

Shifting 1-4 is a breeze...very smooth and easy to drive. I figure this will spawn my first trip to the local Corvette shop, but wondered if anyone had any thoughts or if it sounds like some newbie mistake I might be making.

 

I would post a pic of linkage, not sure but is the reverse rod hooked up? Reverse linkage could be way off to get threw the gate.

Pic will help

 

The problem is likely the reverse shift link. An easy adjustment to do.
In the 1981 Factory Manual there is a procedure to set-up the shifter linkage....far too much to try to type out....but suggest getting this book and doing the shifter alignment.

Again, easy to do, probably take you 15-20 miutes.

Good luck.

 

Another easy thing to check is has the shifting linkage been lubricated? I'd bet that it hasn't! My 74's manual trans linkage was as dry as a bone! And so was the shifter and pull-ups. No lube or grease, nothing. Friday night, I WD-40'd the heck out of the shifter mechanism below the boot and all the pivots, then followed up with either engine oil on the pivot points or grease on the shifter mechanism. I removed the shifter **** too and cleaned and oiled the internals and straightened out the little spring inside, greased it all and reassembled. The shifter shifts like butter now. It only takes one finger to move it from first to second!

And I don't know if 81's came with the stick shift lock like the 74's (please chime in if you know), but that parking-brake-looking cable is one long ***** (it runs right off the top of the steering column all the way back to the transmission. The cable is coated with plastic and I used Dupont Teflon lube, squirting it down the opening at the top of the cable, while my buddy worked the reverse in and out.

 

there is an alignment tool available that allows you to set up the center 'gate'. but you need pretzel hands to get up there to use it.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...uge-lenth.html


it has to be connected or it would never work, you say sometimes it does.
could be the clutch adjustment, but you say the 'gate' is hard to find.

so I would conclude from your description that your center neutral is not lined up thru all 3 shifter arms.

could be your shifter is just too loose and all worn out.

 

Who knows what lurks under the shifter boot in your C3! Does it look like mine?



A coworker had a great suggestion (fellow gearhead). He recommended motorcycle chain lube in a spray can! With the tube on the nozzle, I'd bet you could get to all the upper linkages and plates, as well as the pivots from underneath.

It sure works a lot better now!

 

Thanks for all the tips guys! When I get some more time to tear into the car a little deeper, I'll give some of these a shot.

 

Try unscrewing the **** on your shifter and make sure the reverse lock out rod is still attached to the reverse t-handle. Mine broke off and it wouldn't go into reverse. Try shifting without the t-handle and rod installed and see if it will go into reverse.

 

Last night, stopped by the local motorcycle parts store and picked up a can of spray-on chain lube by Motul. First, because my shifter boot is gone (oxidized to bits), I tried applying this product from above. I used the 5" tube and applied the lube to the top of the shifter mechanism.

It is a dark yellow foamy substance that instantly penetrates down between the plates of the shifter. You could see it bubbling and sinking in immediately! Then, I went underneath the car and was able to 'point and shoot' at all the pivots and linkages from underneath with very little mess. The spray is pretty accurate and hardly any gets outside the target area. I was able to get to the shifter from the bottom too, so if you don't want to take your shifter boot off, you don't have to, this product will easily spray up and into the tranny tunnel accurately.

Hardly nothing dripped either, very little considering how much I sprayed on the linkages. It seemed to stick well. This lube also resists dirt, mud and sand. If it will stand up to life on a dirt bike chain and keep that lubed, it should't be a problem keeping a Corvette shifter linkage lubed and happy.

 

Did you ever solve this?

 

I'll bet he did, because he sure didn't come back! Musta been the lube. You'd be amazed at how dry everything is on a 30+ year old car. Next is the windshield wiper mechanisms on both my 74' and the 95'!

Sometime back, my ex's 87' C4 wiper motor died and I had to replace it. Wanna know why? Because the whole wiper arm crank mechanisms were dry as a bone and the motor had to work extra hard to move the wipers around.

Seriously, lubrication of even minor stuff like wipers and shifters is important stuff!

 

Mine's been like this for the 22 yrs I've had it. Roll it forward in 1st gear an inch and then it'll drop in reverse like butter.
My guess is the syncros in the tranny need a little spin on them to hit reverse.

 

OOPS...I did kinda disappear from the thread, didn't I?

Things got kinda crazy for me after Thanksgiving, and sadly, the 81 ended up sitting quietly nearly the whole month. I never have had a chance to pull everything apart to try to lubricate the shift linkage, but driving it a getting to drive it a bit in the last week or so, I did finally find a repeatable shift pattern that gets me into reverse nearly every time!

I find if I shift to first, then to second, pull up on the lock-out and put a little pressure to the left toward the gate as I push up out of second, it will slide into reverse when it gets up far enough nearly every time.

I'm hoping that is the case inside the door as well, as my door handles and locks are all pretty stiff. That'll be another project on the lubrication list!

 

Yep, a little lube certainly won't hurt.

 

You only have to take off the shift ****, that's it! Unscrew the shift **** and then pull the reverse lock-out finger holds, straight up and out with the spring, totally easy! WD-40 the heck out of the shaft, then follow up with Motul M/C chain lube.

Then jack up the car, safely support it on jack stands and you can easily douche the shift levers and linkages with WD-40 while somebody works the shifter **** around in all the gears. Then after most of the WD-40 drips off, apply Motul M/C chain lube, using the little tube attached to the spray nozzle. It squirts up and into the shifter linkages easily and penetrates immediately!

Same story for the doors and I just did my passenger door last weekend. Before I did this, the outer door handle had to be pushed really hard to get it to even open and now it opens easily.

You should remove the door panel though, then you could get the locks too. Rolled down the window, so I could get under the plastic black cover in the upper corner, using the tube to poke inside and squirting WD-40 in there, followed by Motul chain lube.

While the door panels are off, get all the tracks for the power window mechanism and the regulator, because I guarantee they are totally dry! You will save yourself a huge headache, making life easier for the window regulator motor later on, because that's what will kill the motor and the gears! Thats' what happened to my drivers side. Totally dry as a desert and the lower part of the regulator gear was stripped, because it was working so hard.

Removing the access panel at the bottom is easy and then you can put your arm up in there to apply grease to all the areas I described! Good luck!

 

Awesome...lots of good info there! Thanks!