C5 Tech Corvette Tech/Performance: LS1 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Tech Topics, Basic Tech, Maintenance, How to Remove & Replace
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Really? The shifter am I insane?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 02:07 PM
  #1  
fatbillybob's Avatar
fatbillybob
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,382
Likes: 250
Default Really? The shifter am I insane?

I just changed the clutch on my C5 racecar having never done this job before. I never noticed if the shifter is sloppy with lots of play left to right in neutral before the detents kick in when you upslide to 1/2 5/6. Was the slop always there? I look at the shifter and I can see the shift rod rotate until the detent in the shift rod gets stopped by the bolt in the retaining assembly. It is a locking block style with a delrin insert. Weird design! Why not put a sleeve around the oem bolt to close down the clearances and dramatically sharpen the shifter feel? Anyone try that? I'm I just crazy? Opinions?
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 02:18 PM
  #2  
Jay_Rich's Avatar
Jay_Rich
Racer
15 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 371
Likes: 1
From: Windsor Ontario
Default

Probably to allow it to actually slide into gear. Im sure if they designed it super tight they would have alot of people complaining about being hard to get into gear.

Jay
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 05:46 PM
  #3  
leadfoot4's Avatar
leadfoot4
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Active Streak: 60 Days
Active Streak: 90 Days
Community Builder
 
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,298
Likes: 1,579
From: Western NY
Default

I could be way off base here, or maybe 100% dead on, but I thought the firmness of the detent was controlled by the adjustment bolt on the transmission....
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 06:02 PM
  #4  
fatbillybob's Avatar
fatbillybob
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,382
Likes: 250
Default

Originally Posted by leadfoot4
I could be way off base here, or maybe 100% dead on, but I thought the firmness of the detent was controlled by the adjustment bolt on the transmission....
It may be that there is one there too as this would be a simple way to make that long rod connct the shifter to the tranny. I'm just shocked by the amount of "freeplay" in the shifter that I never noticed before. I'm thinking of trying to shim out that ffreeplay with a delrin sleeve over the installation set screw. Then when the shifter moves it engages the detents for 1/2 and 5/6 faster.
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 06:20 PM
  #5  
leadfoot4's Avatar
leadfoot4
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Active Streak: 60 Days
Active Streak: 90 Days
Community Builder
 
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,298
Likes: 1,579
From: Western NY
Default

Originally Posted by fatbillybob
It may be that there is one there too as this would be a simple way to make that long rod connct the shifter to the tranny. I'm just shocked by the amount of "freeplay" in the shifter that I never noticed before. I'm thinking of trying to shim out that ffreeplay with a delrin sleeve over the installation set screw. Then when the shifter moves it engages the detents for 1/2 and 5/6 faster.
OK, now I'm a little confused. Which set screw are you referring to?
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 07:15 PM
  #6  
WKMCD's Avatar
WKMCD
Race Director
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 13,760
Likes: 75
From: Haymarket VA
Default

There is a rubber piece that is on the bottom of the shifter box and slips into a slot on the torque tube. Maybe that fell off and is allowing the box to flop around. I shimmed that rubber piece so it's tighter in the slot and also shortened the sleeves in the two screws that bolt the shifter box to the torque tube. It tightened up the whole assembly and I don't notice any increase in vibration.
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 07:53 PM
  #7  
fatbillybob's Avatar
fatbillybob
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,382
Likes: 250
Default

Nope the box is not the problem it is the little pee-pee that comes off the end of the shift box with the detent that indexes only one way into the shift rod. There is like 3/16" play left and right of center which means the shift patter ball in your hand moves left right 2" before anything happens. I can't remember if that is the way it was before I took it apart. See the red dot in the picture vs. the center line on the shfit rod lock.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 08:10 PM
  #8  
WKMCD's Avatar
WKMCD
Race Director
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 13,760
Likes: 75
From: Haymarket VA
Default

Is the plastic piece on the very bottom of the shifter shaft? That seems like a lot of slop. Looks like your running the stock shifter which a lot of us have changed out. I run and MGW and it's world's better than the stocker.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

 Brett Foote
story-3

Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-4

10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

 Joe Kucinski
story-7

10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!

 Joe Kucinski
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 08:12 PM
  #9  
jsbzoh6's Avatar
jsbzoh6
Racer
 
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 278
Likes: 0
From: NC
Default

Mine does not have that problem. In fact, it was a VERY tight fit when I put everything back together a couple weeks back. Take the bolt out and make sure the bolt its self is actually threaded through the notch cut out on the "pee-pee" I made that mistake the first time.
Reply
Old Jan 13, 2012 | 09:43 PM
  #10  
fatbillybob's Avatar
fatbillybob
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,382
Likes: 250
Default

Originally Posted by Renxwar
Mine does not have that problem. In fact, it was a VERY tight fit when I put everything back together a couple weeks back. Take the bolt out and make sure the bolt its self is actually threaded through the notch cut out on the "pee-pee" I made that mistake the first time.
Yeah I thought of that. I pulled it out twice and looked at it. Still I got this play like the torx bolt that goes inside should have a stepped "grip" section that is wider than the threads to take up that slop. The plastic black liner that the pee pee goes into is in the right place too. Something is wrong and I got to figure it out. Funny thing is I got the entire clutch out and replaced and wntire driveline dropped and back in and the shifter is killing me! Are you kidding me? Sometimes you are the bug and sometimes you are the windshield. For about the last 3 months I've been the bug!
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Really? The shifter am I insane?





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:25 PM.

story-0
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-1
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-2
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-5
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE
story-6
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

Slideshow: 2027 Corvette lineup vs the world.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-24 16:12:42


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

Slideshow: 10 major Corvette problems from the last 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-14 16:37:05


VIEW MORE
story-8
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!

Slideshow: 5 most and least popular Corvette model years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-08 13:25:01


VIEW MORE
story-9
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!

Slideshow: 2027 Corvette buyer's guide

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-17 16:41:08


VIEW MORE