Can’t get good shift on the racecar - transmission drop time? Options

[Tdskip]

Soooo close, or maybe not, actually driving this thing. The last item is getting a shifting down. I put a new coupler on a shifter that Bruce made sure was correct in its dimensions.

Good coupler and bushings, firewall bushing a bit marginal, console one is fine.

Come screws all aligned and tight.

Clutch cable adjusted properly.

Clutch pedal actuating properly.

Aligned the shifter to rod per instructions and per the last two I’ve done.

Can’t get a clean shift with the car running, getting a grind in every gear.

Car not running and clutch in and it’s physically hard to move the lever into gear..

Drained the oil and it was used but not terrible, no water or foreign matter.

That suggested to me that I need to drop the transmission since the clutch or pressure plate is an issue?

Anyone with other ideas?

Thanks!

[eric9144]

Any noise coming from things with car off and trying to shift? Like rubbing in the tunnel?
Clutch tube broken?

[Mark Henry]

Give the shifter coupler a couple more goes, usually takes me several goes before I find it's sweet spot.

Adding a 3/4" stand off to the front bolt on the clutch cable pulley sometimes makes for smoother shifting and easier pedal. You have to do this mod for Tangerine headers and for some reason it works. It's just a 1/16" flat steel with two holes center to center and a nut and bolt. IIRC it's 3/4" or 1" I'll check as I have a set of headers here.

[gms]

let me understand this, you have the engine running and as you shift thru the gears you get grinding into every gear?

If this happens in every gear it is most likely your clutch adjustment or maybe your throw out bear is installed backwards?

[Nacho]

Have you tried a different driver? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) just kidding! Sounds like not enough clutch engagement. If it's not a new cable and you are using a used cable it could be stretched. How do you know the cable is properly adjusted?

-Nacho

[Tdskip]

Hi guys - thanks for the ideas.

To be clear - I haven't driven this because I can't get clean shifts. When I get close to going into a gear I can feel the teeth about to make expensive sounds so I back off.

@eric914 - no clearance issues on the bar, good thought but I checked.

Good idea(s) on checking the clutch tube to make sure it isn't moving.

When I manage to get the car into a gear when the engine is off it will start to move with the starter.

Shifter is loosening up, which I think is the internals of the gearbox loosing up after sitting actually, feels like the sliders are starting to move more freely.

Agree that the clutch isn't engaging properly - more diagnosis tomorrow.

Thanks again!

@nacho - smarter driver wouldn't have bought this in the first place. Grin.

[wndsrfr]

Hi guys - thanks for the ideas.

To be clear - I haven't driven this because I can't get clean shifts. When I get close to going into a gear I can feel the teeth about to make expensive sounds so I back off.

@eric914 - no clearance issues on the bar, good thought but I checked.

Good idea(s) on checking the clutch tube to make sure it isn't moving.

When I manage to get the car into a gear when the engine is off it will start to move with the starter.

Shifter is loosening up, which I think is the internals of the gearbox loosing up after sitting actually, feels like the sliders are starting to move more freely.

Agree that the clutch isn't engaging properly - more diagnosis tomorrow.

Thanks again!

@nacho - smarter driver wouldn't have bought this in the first place. Grin.

Just tighten your clutch cable. Take the nut up at least 2 full turns and try again.

[Tdskip]

I don’t have excessive slack not but worth a shot.

Thanks

[914 Ranch]

No slack at all. Tighten it right up, you should not be able to move the cable up and down more than an eight. Probably less than that.

[Tdskip]

No slack at all. Tighten it right up, you should not be able to move the cable up and down more than an eight. Probably less than that.

I've got a bit more, but not much, flex than that.

How nice of a fix would that be?

Thanks, and have a good Saturday.

[914Toy]

Give the shifter coupler a couple more goes, usually takes me several goes before I find it's sweet spot.

Adding a 3/4" stand off to the front bolt on the clutch cable pulley sometimes makes for smoother shifting and easier pedal. You have to do this mod for Tangerine headers and for some reason it works. It's just a 1/16" flat steel with two holes center to center and a nut and bolt. IIRC it's 3/4" or 1" I'll check as I have a set of headers here.

Do you have a picture of this?

[Tdskip]

I am getting all the gears now with the car off, so don’t think it is a shifter alignment issue at this point., although that is a good tip to have triple checked it.

If I slot the shifter into second the car wants to move forward when I hit the starter regardless of if the clutch is in or not.

Let me try to see if I can tighten the clutch cable a bit and they get eyes on the tube while I actuate it.

[Tdskip]

Clutch tube not moving at firewall.

With clutch fully pressure the arm is hitting the bellhousing, which doesn’t seem right.

Doesn’t appear the clutch is engaging at any point.

Edit - think the clutch might be stuck to the flywheel?

[porschetub]

Grinding in all gears would indicate the clutch isn't working,maybe the flywheel was resurfaced @ some stage and with clutch wear its simply not moving enough to release fully,that would explain why the release arm is touching the g/box casing.
I assumed my flywheel hadn't been machined but it had,I needed to add a washer under the pivot bolt and noticed an improvement when shifting down and less effort on the gear lever,I didn't any grinding before that however.
Drop the g/box and have a look it may be as simple as adding a washer under the pivot bolt,if not at least you can see what you have to deal with,good luck.

[Tdskip]

Thanks @porshetub

Hope you and your family are all doing well.

[r_towle]

Washer under pivot arm
Heat and bend pivot arm (done it)
Get a new flywheel and pressure plate (cheap enough, good idea)
Do the front seal also.

Rich

[roblav1]

This sounds like a clutch not disengaging issue. The available new pressure plates are not all the same thickness. Need to make sure yours is thicker... at 914 spec. I just went through this on my conversion. The 901 aluminum pressure plate for the 911S (67 68) is about 4mm thinner. This significantly changes the clutch fork engagement position. Washers under the pivot ball don't cut it.

[Spoke]

When I manage to get the car into a gear when the engine is off it will start to move with the starter.

So what you're saying is with the clutch fully in there is still power transmission from the engine to the rear drive?

Grinding in all gears and the above characteristic is the clutch not completely disengaging. Not sure why but the clutch is still engaged a bit which would causing grinding in every gear since there is still torque on the main power shaft when trying to shift.

[screenguy914]

If the clutch cable is fully adjusted, yet the clutch still won’t disengage in all gears, it could be a worn clutch cable. It doesn’t really stretch. It just becomes effectively longer due to broken wire strands somewhere along the sheath.

Sherwood

[wndsrfr]

Clutch tube not moving at firewall.

With clutch fully pressure the arm is hitting the bellhousing, which doesn’t seem right.

Doesn’t appear the clutch is engaging at any point.

Edit - think the clutch might be stuck to the flywheel?

You're getting close to Bingo time....
Pull the trans...actually easy to do even with engine in, just support the engine and go for it.
Your thought about clutch plate being stuck to the flywheel is a possibility--seen that before due to rust from years of condensation now & then as temperature changes--you'll see that immediately.
However, if the arm is hitting the bellhousing then you need a washer under the pivot or another washer if there's one already there.
You'll also be able to see if the throwout bearing has collapsed as well...
Pursue this with great peace of mind....