What could cause this manual shift problem?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 3,081
Likes: 955
From: Apex NC
Cruise-In II Veteran
Cruise-In III Veteran
What could cause this manual shift problem?
Went to the tire rack to autocross on Saturday and when I started the car, I couldn't shift into reverse (I have an MGW shifter if that matters) anyways car has been fine up until then with that shifter. Also seemed hard relative to normal to engage the other gears as well but reverse was the worst. Turned car off and pumped clutch and no dice. Shut car off again and was able to force it with considerable effort into reverse. Was able to autocross all day, and strangely, problem seemed to go away as it wasn't hard to put in reverse later in day?
What could cause this? Should I take it in to the dealer, I have an OUTSTANDING vette mechanic but I am unsure what to do or do I wait til I have a major problem. I was lucky that it seemed to go away but I don't know if this could be a sign of something developing.
I do have nearly 600 hp from a vengeance racing package that has been and is flawless, not sure if the clutch or slave or something is brewing. I have been tracking the car a lot this year. Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions
What could cause this? Should I take it in to the dealer, I have an OUTSTANDING vette mechanic but I am unsure what to do or do I wait til I have a major problem. I was lucky that it seemed to go away but I don't know if this could be a sign of something developing.
I do have nearly 600 hp from a vengeance racing package that has been and is flawless, not sure if the clutch or slave or something is brewing. I have been tracking the car a lot this year. Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 3,081
Likes: 955
From: Apex NC
Cruise-In II Veteran
Cruise-In III Veteran
They have done several warranty repairs even with the mods, they are def a "mod friendly' dealer. The only way they won't is if it is a direct result of the mod, in which case, I am happy to pay if it needs it. Just not sure what it could be....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,004
Likes: 68
From: Cincinnati OH
Check and make sure the bolt is very tight in the linkage where you installed the shifter. I would check that and the alignment and would imagine one of those is your issue and is a simple fix.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 514
Likes: 105
From: Georgia
I would agree with this. If the bolt was not tight enough the hard shifts may have disrupted the alignment which would be noticed in reverse gear first
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 1,872
Likes: 333
From: Olmsted Falls Ohio
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '24
x2. I've installed two MGW shifters and the bolt on the OEM shift linkage is the weak point in the install. If the collar where the pinch bolt does not clamp the rod tight, the shifter will not rotate the rod which is what changes the gates. You will notice reverse will be hard to access, then the 1-2 gate will start to be difficult. The factory spec is 22 lb/ft on this bolt - I've heard of some going more but be careful. I'm surprised GM didn't knurl the end of this rod or machine in it such a way it would have a better grip with the collar.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,226
Likes: 1,029
From: Thomas Texas
I've done many shifters and sometimes the rod bolt is not threaded properly. You may think it's engaged but it not. Make sure all the bolts are tights and use Loctite thread locker. Be careful if you have the stock shifter box as the aluminum is soft and you can strip the threads in the box. Not an issue with the MGW box.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 20,933
Likes: 905
From: salem OR
x2. I've installed two MGW shifters and the bolt on the OEM shift linkage is the weak point in the install. If the collar where the pinch bolt does not clamp the rod tight, the shifter will not rotate the rod which is what changes the gates. You will notice reverse will be hard to access, then the 1-2 gate will start to be difficult. The factory spec is 22 lb/ft on this bolt - I've heard of some going more but be careful. I'm surprised GM didn't knurl the end of this rod or machine in it such a way it would have a better grip with the collar.
Be careful to get it perfect on this step