could use some help please shifting
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 10
Likes: 3
From: Manchester ct
could use some help please shifting
First hello everyone Sal from ct , new to the c3 . something I always wanted so added a 76 to my 12 GS .
Its in great shape and im loving it .
so the shifting is something im having issues , the shifter doesn't seem too bad as far as play , the weird part is parked i can go to all the gears , i ilmost could swear that once i turn the key to on position this thing locks up on neutral position and if i
wigle it and fight it i can go to second third and fourth but its a battle ,
the clutch feels ok when the shifter works ,I only drove it a few times today i almost got stuck could not get it 1 or second at a light third when in drove it home , i park and now it goes in ,
nothing like my mgw , could someone shine some light on this maybe direct me to where to start .
Its in great shape and im loving it .
so the shifting is something im having issues , the shifter doesn't seem too bad as far as play , the weird part is parked i can go to all the gears , i ilmost could swear that once i turn the key to on position this thing locks up on neutral position and if i
wigle it and fight it i can go to second third and fourth but its a battle ,
the clutch feels ok when the shifter works ,I only drove it a few times today i almost got stuck could not get it 1 or second at a light third when in drove it home , i park and now it goes in ,
nothing like my mgw , could someone shine some light on this maybe direct me to where to start .
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,842
Likes: 285
From: Palmdale CA
You might need to adjust the shifter lock cable. There's a cable that runs from the shifter to the steering column in front of the firewall in the engine compartment. It's so that the shifter is locked in Reverse, along with the steering wheel until the ignition key unlocks both. This was to prevent anybody from stealing the car, by popping the car out of gear and rolling it to a trailer. If you don't have a Factory Service Manual or FSM, I'd advise getting one. The last major edition was the 1974 FSM, with updates (or supplements) each year, beyond that. Your shifting linkage might need adjustment as well.
Is my vette stock?? HAHA
Joined: Oct 2015
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From: Im not allowed to tell you
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
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does it gring when you finally get a gear with the carr running or does it just finally pop into a gear?
IF it grinds at all the clutch needs adjustment, if its just hard to get the shifter to move and it finally pops then you need to go F22"s route. I had a similar problem finding gears with the engne off but when I started it I couldnt get out of nuetral at all. I have a 68 with no reverse lock . I had just put in a new clutch and had to further adjust the linkage
Good luck
IF it grinds at all the clutch needs adjustment, if its just hard to get the shifter to move and it finally pops then you need to go F22"s route. I had a similar problem finding gears with the engne off but when I started it I couldnt get out of nuetral at all. I have a 68 with no reverse lock . I had just put in a new clutch and had to further adjust the linkage
Good luck
Last edited by Rescue Rogers; Feb 3, 2019 at 06:50 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 11,929
Likes: 4,497
From: Virginia
Hopefully the lockout cable and/or clutch adjustment will do it.
My 80 4-speed was a mess when I got her. She still is, but the following simple things made a big improvement. If you have your car up on jackstands anyway, you may as well check them out:
My 80 4-speed was a mess when I got her. She still is, but the following simple things made a big improvement. If you have your car up on jackstands anyway, you may as well check them out:
- Make sure the shift linkages are properly attached to the transmission. I could barely get into (or out of) reverse. Turns out my reverse linkage was half unscrewed, and about to fall of entirely.
- Make sure your shifter is securely mounted, either to the crossmember (I think), stock, or to the transmission if it's a Hurst.
- I don't know what to do to tighten up a stock linkage, but if you have a Hurst shifter, new "pit pack" bushings (I went with the metal ones) will help out.
- It never hurts to change the oil in the transmission. You can use one of these to suck the old fluid out if your transmission doesn't have two plugs. If it does have two plugs, be sure to take the top one out first. If you can't get it out, at least you haven't disabled your car.
