Tough Shifting MTX into 1st, 3rd, 5th

[DeepPower]

Since my mechanic changed out all my coolant hoses two weeks ago I've noticed it is very hard to shift my '89 SHO into the gears at the top of the gear shift, that is 1st gear (very hard. like pushing through molasses), 3rd gear (hard), and 5th gear (not as hard).

Shifting into 2nd and 3rd and reverse is as easy as usual. I really have to push for gears 1,3,5 and I don't feel a satisfying click when it's in gear. I'm hoping this is low transaxle fluid (I have a very very small leak, fluid changed 8K miles ago). Frightened to ask, but any ideas what's going on?

 

[Devin]

Stock cable shifter or upgraded rod shifter?

 

[DeepPower]

Stock cables.

 

[Banshee]

Something get moved around when the mechanic was in there that is binding the linkage? I'm an atx guy but something similar happened to my old lemans 5 speed.

 

[DeepPower]

Thanks. Can anyone tell me where to look on the MTX side for the linkage connection?

 

[rubydist]

see if you can adjust the cable to make that go away - you need that little "click" when it slips all the way into gear.

 

[DeepPower]

O.K., my mechanic and I found the problem. See below photo, the red circle is for the front/back cable and the boot is pretty much gone. What looks like the bottom of the boot is actually in two pieces and one piece was getting in the way of the linkage moving. We cut that away, but we had to lubricate the cable before the car would shift nicely again. Now I need a recommendation as to what to do with the boot gone - can I get a replacement so dirt doesn't get inside and this doesn't happen again? Also, look at the green circle, is that another boot problem?

 

[rubydist]

the boot on the lower one looks pretty typical.

I have a cable in my for-sale thread, but I don't recall if its the f/b one or the l/r one... I can check if you are interested.

 

[DeepPower]

I already have a spare L/R one, I could use an extra F/B cable.