Shifter or Tranny Issues?

Ask Andy › Shifter or Tranny Issues?
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Andy Shouse asked 7 years ago

I’m trying to diagnose a shifting issue. When the car is running it’ll occasionally have trouble getting into 1st, almost like the shifter just won’t go forward when you push it into that gear. The rest of the time, getting into 1st feels like you are pushing against something and then it moves into gear. There is no grinding. Additionally, about 50% of the time when I’m shifting from 3rd to 2nd it will find 4th instead. With the engine off I can shift through the gears pretty easily up and down. No other issues at all going from 2nd to 3rd and then to 4th, and even from 4th to 3rd is good. Is this a shifter, a coupling issue or a tranny issue?

1 Answers
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Andy Shouse answered 7 years ago

Hi John,

To give you better help, I would need to know the year of the car and if you have a stock or an aftermarket shifter. My first thought, based on the problem is mainly in the center of the “H” of the pattern, is the shift rod bushing. This is a plastic bushing under the shifter. When this is bad, it causes problems when the shifter is moving side to side. It also affects the alignment going front to back. If you are unsure of how to change the shift rod bushing, get back with me and I can share the step by step needed to change this part.

Thanks,

Andy

/by