First off, My C5Z isn't a daily driver...so I replaced my stock shifter with a C6Z shifter a couple months ago, and I began to notice that I have more trouble engaging 1st and reverse from a dead stop than I did before the swap out. Sometimes I have to apply some force to get into first and reverse, or go to another gear and then come back to 1st or reverse in order to engage?

My clutch fluid was the factory fill, 6 years and 21K mi old, and very black...so I just finshed the turkey baster method for the master cylinder flush, and I definitley noticed a difference in shifting smoothness in all gears. However; intermitantly I still have difficulty engaging 1st and reverse from a dead stop?

I've done the "shifter adjustment" twice now, but I have not seen any instructions in previous threads about which direction to move the shifter assembly? Given my problem, should I be sliding the shifter assembly forward or backwards to alleviate my engagement issues?

Thanks.

 

 

I realize this is a "trial and error process", but I would just like some guidance to steer me in the right direction. I don't want to have to tear down the center console a dozen times before I get it right. I don't have any problems with the car popping out of gear...just tough to engage 1st and reverse from a dead stop on occasion.

 

Let me gets this right. You have a C6 ZO6 and replaced the shifter with a C6 ZO6? OK. Your clutch fluid was nasty. So I will assume the factory fill is in the tranny? So I'd say get some Amsoil or Royal Purple Synchromax and do a tranny oil change. Helped mine a bunch. The anti venom mod is easy and helps as well. If you used the adjuster pin I don't see a need to keep adjusting in my opinion. Been there done that to no avail.

Another thought. This is a C5 forum. You either have a C5 ZO6 and went with a C6 ZO6 shifter or you posted in the wrong place.

 

Here man...this should help you out. I got this from a good friend of mine on here (Tim: TSTAR) when I was having the same problems as you. Pay special attention to the 2nd part mostly since you have already done the adjustment. Very small movements make a huge difference. The aligning of the holes is very critical. If you go one way just a hair (I mean really a hair thickness too) then your 1st will be off and be hard to get into. If your off a hair the other way your 4th or other gears will be off. Also pay attention to the re-centering. If aligned properly the shifter will "snap" back to center when pushed from the left of neutral or the right of neutral. If your off a bit. It will hang up for a half a second then move.


Once you remove the trim bezel and the shifter's rubber isolation boot, you will see this.



Simply put the transmission in neutral with the Ebrake on, loosen the 3 Torx fasteners, 2 on the torque tube and one on the pinch bolt for the shifter rod.

Drop the pin into the slot and retorque the fasteners, all 3 to 30 N.M or 22 ft lbs. The 2 torque tube fasteners first, then the pinch bolt. Pull the pin back up, that’s it.



Use an allen wrench or drill bit if your pin is missing…

One step further! I copied this

This made a big improvement, but I occasionally would still get hung up getting into first. I took apart the console again and noticed that even with the alignment pin "in'and all 3 torx bolts loose the shifter "box" still had about 2 millimeters play forward and back. In other words you can tighten the shifter box after you push the shifter box to the front part of this play or to the back part of this play. I decided to try pushing the shifter box all the way forward, tighten everything and drive the car. This made my first gear selection problem COMPLETELY disappear BUT now second felt a bit "crunchy" going in and 3rd and 4th gear were not as easy as before. So I tried moving the shifter box to the back of the possible play and drive the car. My first gear problem came back worse than ever, but the rest of the gears were relatively smoother but not perfect.

I was back to square one... So I took a break, and when I came back i decided to totally remove the shifter box and analyze this problem. Once I removed the shifter I noticed that there is a half moon shaped cut out on the shift shaft that the 3rd torx bolt goes through. This cut out prevents the shift shaft from completely coming out of the clamp if the bolt got loose, and is obviously, exactly where the bolt is designed to go through the clamp.

What I did was I installed the shifter box back with only the 2 torx that hold it to the tunnel finger tight and left out the 3rd torx completely. I took a flash light and shined it down the hole, where the bolt goes in the clamp. It turns out that the cut out on the shift shaft can be a millimeter forward of the clamp or a millimeter aft of the clamp and the bolt will still go into the clamp fine and you can tighten it in any of these positions. Thus the 2 millimeters of play.

I made an educated guess that the cut out on the shaft should be EXACTLY aligned with the hole in the clamp (not a bit forward or back even though the bolt will still fit)so I aligned the cut out on the shaft so perfectly that when you shined a light down the hole the cut out on the shaft was not even noticeable. You could just see a perfectly round hole. I then tightened the 2 torx on the torque tube to spec and checked to see if anything moved. Nothing moved and the shaft cut out was still perfectly aligned with the hole in the clamp that holds the 3rd torx. I carefully placed the 3rd torx in the clamp and since the it was so well lined up it I could tighten it with my fingers (up to a point of course) then I carefully tightened it to spec (22 ft pounds) trying not to place any down pressure on the bolt, just rotational pressure enough to get to spec. Buttoned it all back up and WOW. All gears went in perfectly. First smooth as silk, second smooth with no crunch, third and fourth with one finger, fifth and sixth smooth.

All that and synthetic tranny fluid and it should feel awesome!!!!!

 

I've had my '98 since '01, and the shifter has never "snapped back" to the neutral position. Think this adjustment would fix it?

 

For those not using GM shifters, what size is the "adjustment lock pin" hole?

 

I would say yes...give it a shot, definitely can't hurt. The stock shifter if aligned correctly does snap back to neutral when your in neutral and push to the left or to the right. It should automatically go back to dead center.

 

1/8" hole...You can use a drill bit.

 

Did mine two weeks and REALLY helped. I guess I got lucky ...when everything was loose I wiggled the unit around and let it settle in place...then torqued down...perfect first time. These are some great posts and several have looked for this info in Zo6 section

 

Yes, it was a typo..I have a C5Z, and I'm already running RP Synchromax. I've read about the anti venom mod, but I'm not sure I'm ready to try that yet.

 

Thanks for the write up. I've done everything that you described minus the flashlight method. I guess that will be my strategy on my third attempt.

 

I just did this, and it's more trial and error than anything else....however with a couple tries and a couple rides around town I've got everything smoothed out quite a bit.


Thanks for posting this up, Great Info!

 

Thanks for the writeup, I've tried adjusting my C6Z shifter twice and still haven't gotten it where I want it...I'll use this info next time.

 

I think that last part (flashlight trick) is going to be most critical for you as you have already been in there a few times. It is really a lot of trial and error. Here is another tip. If you take and go for a nice drive and get the car up to operating temperatures and then come home, you can do all the adjustments just sitting in the car in your garage or driveway. Just be sure to get the car up to warm temperatures first. Then shut it down and have had it. You don't need the car running or even with the key on to be able to push the clutch in and move the shifter into and out of the gears. As long as you first warmed it up you won't be causing any damage. A lot of guys practice their shifting techniques this way. It's sorta like training the brain so that the movement of the shifting becomes second nature. Ranger (a guy on here very well known for his driving and shifting techniques for the corvette) actually has a procedure (or workout if you will) for doing so many repetitions of shifting x sets each day to train one's brain on how to properly shift.

It's called "max acceleration" for anyone interested in perfecting their shifting habits:
http://www.rangeracceleration.com/Im..._Shifting.html

 

Did all the above. Still doesn't spring return to neutral without assistance. Good info anyway. Thanks

 

Great write up! I will try this technique and post the results.

 

The stock shifter has no spring return to neutral.
Only aftermarket shifters, like Hurst, are spring loaded to the neutral gate.

 

Yes and NO....not 100% accurate. The stock shifter does indeed spring back to the neutral gate both from the left and the right when the shifter is perfectly aligned! I'll post a movie of this when I get home.

This is why so many people don't like going to the aftermarket shifters. The neutral gate is different and is often overly springy/tight because they in fact DO use the springs. This causes the shifter to be difficult and harder to push into each gear. This is what many refer to as being harsh or firm shifting and why often the stock is considered "mushy". For me I prefer it to snap into neutral very easily.

 

I had the exact same problem after doing the same thing that you did, I used I think the RPM shifter installation guide to reinstall my shifter and all was well after that. If you pm me your email address I can send it over to you to read through and perhaps try.