914World.com > side shift trans donna wanna go into gear

Full Version: side shift trans donna wanna go into gear

914World.com > The 914 Forums > 914World Garage

Dave Avery

Sep 23 2003, 06:14 PM

Hey guys

Got a 901 side shifter on my 914 engined 550 spyder. I just put a brandwood cable shifter on it, and it seems to work well. Fresh Swepco in there as well.

While adjusting linkage, I found that the the transmission just appears real reluctant to go into 2nd or 4th. I've disconnected the linkage, and I am hard pressed to get the selector on the trans to engage 2nd. Is it possibly stuck? I can shift and drive in other gears (nothing more embarassing than the 1st to 3rd flop with onlookers). If 2nd gear was stuck, should this have freed it? I guess I will take off the access panel (get covered in swepco yet again

) and try to manually select second. Anyone ever see this happen?

Thanks,

DMA

Brad Roberts

Sep 23 2003, 06:16 PM

Dave.. do you have pic of this cable setup for sideshift 901's ??

B

Dave Avery

Sep 23 2003, 06:21 PM

Not handy, just getting it right. I'll take one soon.

I had to heavily modify his bracket to clear my frame rails (tube frame triangulated right in front of his mount).

BTW, when welding, do not borrow the neighbors flux core wire welder for anything you care about! My mig was out of gas so I borrowed a friends miller 100 (nice welder though) and it sprays CRAP all over the place.... looks like a small volcano deposited slag everywhere. I'm off to the garage with my carbide to clean it up a bit.

DMA

Mueller

Sep 23 2003, 06:21 PM

You should be able to manually put it in gear without removing anything that should have fluid in it......how does the shifting mech. attach to the tranny?

Like Brad said: got pics???

Dave Avery

Sep 23 2003, 06:25 PM

Lol... I'll go take some tonight

You guys are tough

Brandwood has you remove the roll pin and install a small holder that grabs the hole formerly left by the selector rod.

I did have one time when I got the gears somehow jambed and had to poke a screwdriver up where the selector "selects" inside the transmission. I was afraid I reassembed it wrong (though I do remember having selected all four gears before)

Dave Avery

Sep 23 2003, 06:28 PM

This is what I meant re: having to take it apart again, written by Dave@Pelican:

QUOTE

It is possible that the gear selector rod has gotten mis-meshed with the shift forks inside the transmission. You may be able to get them lined up again by pulling off the rear cover and messing with things, and/or pulling off the plug in the hole in the left side of the tranny (where the side-shifter linkage goes in on the side-shift trannies) and messing with things in there.

I have zero experience working with the tail-shifters, so you'll have to check the pictures in Haynes for inspiration about what "messing with things" entails.

Or you could just do the side-shifter conversion now. The only downside I see is that you'll have to get rid of the 74 shell--it sounds like the motor is spoken for already.

--DD

gonna try this now...

Brad Roberts

Sep 23 2003, 06:39 PM

I have NEVER had a 901 do this. I'm betting its in the cable setup.

B

Red-Beard

Sep 23 2003, 08:09 PM

Sometimes, just after I put a tranny together, it is reluctant to go into gear. I usually turn one of the output shafts and it will slide in. I test every position before torquing the nuts.

James

Dave Avery

Sep 23 2003, 10:24 PM

Whoa that was tight.... finally got it into 2nd gear... guess how?

Actually, I needed to FIRMLY crank it into gear, and once I made it through all the gears about 30 times each, it loosened. The trannie had been sitting for some time, so I think it may have developed some corrosion in there.

Here are the pictures I promised...

Dave Avery

Sep 23 2003, 10:25 PM

this is the dongle that goes on the selector shaft.

Dave Avery

Sep 23 2003, 10:26 PM

this is the shift box with mr. gasket 6.99 knob

Dave Avery

Sep 23 2003, 10:27 PM

Rer view showing cable routing...

Dave Avery

Sep 23 2003, 10:28 PM

section showing where the heims attach to the selector dongle.

SirAndy

Sep 23 2003, 10:38 PM

nice!

Brad Roberts

Sep 24 2003, 01:26 AM

Damn Dave. I didnt know it had inboard shocks on it. NICE (like Andy said)

Can you tell us about the Wilwood parking brake setup ??

B

Dave Avery

Sep 24 2003, 07:16 AM

Heh... thanks guys

I admit to having gone way overboard with this car, certainly. A 1955 spyder lookalike with 962/indycar rear suspension. I'm happy with the way it turned out, but really, I just wanted a car to drive

The rear brakes are 911 Carrera, which of course have e-brakes inside the hub. The hubs were custom made, so I ordered a set of Wilwood spot calipers and mounted them up, using their floating brackets ($18.00 ea) welded onto the steel hubs. I'm using a Lokar cable set to the e-brake handle as well, with stainless jackets.

Mueller

Sep 24 2003, 07:19 AM

Dave,

thanks for the pics, now what about some of the horizontal fan and some details....don't keep us hanging , LOL

914Timo

Sep 24 2003, 07:37 AM

Hey, more pics, please !!!!! Your Spider looks very NICE

Very nice details !! Show us more about your rear suspension and rear hubs.

If you have that kind of rear suspension, I just wonder what kind of fron suspension you might have ???

I think it is not old VW type any more.......

Dave Avery

Sep 24 2003, 07:43 AM

Heh... the horizontal fan was necessary as the engine sits somewhat high in the frame rails. It's from aircooled classics, and yes, it's electric. I haven't run the car much to see how well it cools, but my heads temps stayed at 300 after a long idle (tuning carbs) then for a crazy blast through what gears I could hit.

I've got a nice East-coast electric one wire GM alternator on there (100a) so it should be fine.

It may come off and be replaced by either a DTM from Jake Raby, or a 911 fan, not sure which yet, I want to see how/if it cools.

914Timo

Sep 24 2003, 07:44 AM

I have millons of questions.......

Damn, your Spider is interesting !!! I really like all details I could see from your pics.

Have you done all the work yourself ??

Do you have hydraulic chlutch ??

Where is that fan from ?? Is it electric ??

BTW, sorry, cant help you. I hope somebody can and will.

Dave Avery

Sep 24 2003, 08:35 AM

QUOTE

I have millons of questions.......
Damn, your Spider is interesting !!! I really like all details I could see from your pics.

Have you done all the work yourself ??

Lots, but not all. The custom frame was done by side alley restorations in Massachusetts. They used a CNC tube bender to make the frame, don't have one of those at home yet

QUOTE

Do you have hydraulic chlutch ??

Yes, I use a CNC slave and have the CNC dual master pedal cluster.

QUOTE

Where is that fan from ?? Is it electric ??

Yep, from air cooled classics, they advertise in Excellence and Pano I think... their ad is frequently turned on it's side.

QUOTE

BTW, sorry, cant help you. I hope somebody can and will.

No Prob, I think I'm all set.. after some roughhousing last night, I got every gear

Jeroen

Sep 24 2003, 08:42 AM

Crap! That looks great!

We need more pics!
We need more pics!
We need more pics!
We need more pics!
We need more pics!
We need more pics!
We need more pics!
We need more pics!

And like Timo said, what does your front suspension look like?

WE NEED MORE PICS & INFO ! ! !

cheers,

Jeroen

Dave Avery

Sep 24 2003, 12:43 PM

QUOTE(Jeroen @ Sep 24 2003, 09:42 AM)

Crap! That looks great!

We need more pics!
We need more pics!
And like Timo said, what does your front suspension look like?

WE NEED MORE PICS & INFO ! ! !

ROFL.... what have I started ! Go to www.spyderclub.com... lots of stuff there, I'm the webmaster and own half the club. My front suspension is a bit of a letdown... I ran out of money! It was going to be a dual wishbone setup from http://cachassisworks.com/smcrm.htm, with some big wilwood four pots, but it's just a VW trailing arm with a coilover kit. I have Spax adjustable coilovers on there, and can set ride height with a spanner wrench, and change comp/rebound dampening with a screwdriver!

Here's a pic of a buddies car that went all out on the front end (though he has non-independant rear suspension)

http://www.spyderclub.com/phpbb2/viewtopic...p?p=25732#25732

HalfMoon

Oct 21 2020, 10:23 PM

It's truly a pity that this problem was never updated with what the causation was as I have the EXACT same setup and the EXACT same problem.
Me, I'm wondering if the SWEPCO and the cable set up are not ok with each other.
It's the only thing I can figure as the problem persists even when the cable shift is totally disengaged from the console.

brant

Oct 22 2020, 09:41 AM

swepco is just oil.
its not satanic

I can't buy into these swepco threads
it may not be the best oil... but its still oil

I ran synthetic Mobil 1 oil in race 914's for 20 years
its the wrong oil too... (wrong friction modifiers) but it still works and takes the heat better than dino

now we run synthetic redline (lt. wt. shock-proof). Also the wrong oil, for the last 6-7 years

the swepco might reduce the friction of the syncro bands... but its not causing mechanical problems inside the box

This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.