Tough to get in gear

[masho95]

I'm having some problems getting the shifter in gear from a stop. Once in gear it will smoothly shift between gears. From a stop with the foot off the clutch it's really hard to gear into almost every gear, but it will usually get into 2nd and 4th the easiest, so from there I go into 1st.
There's a few months worth of driving on the new clutch, and I had topped off the tranny with some Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF. So I'm trying to narrow down the problem now as it seems to be getting slightly worse over time. I need to recheck the tranny fluid to make sure it's full though.
I also have a Jose SHOrt shifter, and pretty sure everything is back together right. One night a while ago it was freezing out and I couldn't get it into any gear for quite a while when I went to start up the car, I mean with the clutch fully pressed in I couldn't even jam it hard to any gear. Any suggestions on what to check. I mean getting it hard into any gear is that a sign of a clutch issue, shift linkage, tranny fluid, etc. I have to change the oil very soon so when I'm under there I'll double check that everything is tight and in place. Thanks!

 

[dantheman68]

did you adjust the clutch pedal when reinstalling the clutch?

also does it go in easier if you let the pedal up from the floor a bit?

 

[masho95]

did you adjust the clutch pedal when reinstalling the clutch?

also does it go in easier if you let the pedal up from the floor a bit?

The clutch adjuster was disabled while changing the clutch (clutch pedal supported in the up position) and tried pulling up on the clutch pedal after installation. No clicks.

I haven't tried letting the pedal up a little while trying to shift but I'm assuming it'd be the same, but I'll try it.

 

[dantheman68]

well when id try to put the car into gear (like 1st) it seemed like it was in gear, but really wasnt and i had to push it further, i could either 'slam' it in, or if i let up just a bit, it would slide in perfectly, then i manually adjusted my clutch and it was all purdy again

 

[1993MTXSHO]

this innt really a fix but im not sure you can fix that, My car was really hard to get into first so what i did was when i was stopping or w/e I put the clutch in and put some pressure on the shifter pushing into first gear and usually when i got to about 3-5mph it'd just slid right in

 

[Howdy_Doody]

You might try a few "burn offs" to break in the clutch a little more. Actually, putting it in 3rd gear and slipping the clutch a couple of times. You'll take a little material off the disc (don't overdue this!) and "flatten" the disc out.

The center of a clutch disc has a wavy spring that helps smoothly engage the clutch. This makes the disc thicker and can cause clutch release problems like you're having.

 

[green91SHOPlus]

I have that same issue in two different 91 SHO's I've had. It's INSANELY difficult to get it into first gear, or really any of the gears. How can a clutch cable be manually adjusted? I know how to do the automatic adjustment.

 

[VADERSHO]

i have the same problem when i shift but some days its fine and shifts good but others its hard as **** to get into gear! And BTW where can i purchase a jose short throw shifter at or who from?

 

[jedhead]

Everytime I had shifting problems the problem was with the TOB. First time the quill the bearing was riding on was galled and gunked up. I could get it in gear in the morning, but as I drove the car more the more difficult it was to get it into first. Second time the TOB wore through the pressure plate. Did you install a new quill and TOB?

Bob

 

[green91SHOPlus]

Everytime I had shifting problems the problem was with the TOB. First time the quill the bearing was riding on was galled and gunked up. I could get it in gear in the morning, but as I drove the car more the more difficult it was to get it into first. Second time the TOB wore through the pressure plate. Did you install a new quill and TOB?

Bob

What's a quill, exactly?

The only thing that didn't get replaced was the sleeve that the TOB rides on (maybe the quill? haha). I couldn't get the old one off to replace it with the new one, so I just left it on there. How would I go about manually adjusting the clutch cable? I know how to use the ratcheting mechanism. What's really funny about this is that my clutch doesn't engage until it's practically all the way out, and I shift with the pedal to the floor. I have a clutchmaster's stage I and a fidanza aluminum flywheel.

 

[kzoosho]

What's a quill, exactly?

The only thing that didn't get replaced was the sleeve that the TOB rides on (maybe the quill? haha). I couldn't get the old one off to replace it with the new one, so I just left it on there. How would I go about manually adjusting the clutch cable? I know how to use the ratcheting mechanism. What's really funny about this is that my clutch doesn't engage until it's practically all the way out, and I shift with the pedal to the floor. I have a clutchmaster's stage I and a fidanza aluminum flywheel.

there ya go.

 

[green91SHOPlus]

Ah. Well, I had tried to get it off by opening those three tabs on the quill, but it still wouldn't budge at all, so I just cleaned it and installed the TOB. I checked it to make sure it would glide alright, and it did. Is there any way to tighten a shift linkage for a cable shift?

 

[!vtec-this!]

What's a quill, exactly?

The only thing that didn't get replaced was the sleeve that the TOB rides on (maybe the quill? haha). I couldn't get the old one off to replace it with the new one, so I just left it on there. How would I go about manually adjusting the clutch cable? I know how to use the ratcheting mechanism. What's really funny about this is that my clutch doesn't engage until it's practically all the way out, and I shift with the pedal to the floor. I have a clutchmaster's stage I and a fidanza aluminum flywheel.

Ive got the same problem and same setup but i purchased the car this way.

Is their a way to adjust the clutch cable?

 

[green91SHOPlus]

The only way I know of is the "auto adjuster" that's on the clutch pedal itself. I don't know how to explain it, but I'm sure you'll find it if you search for it.

 

[green91SHOPlus]

Haha, I just now realized that you asked me about my old car, hahaha. Yeah dude, I know what you're goin' through! Haha, oh, I needed a nerdy laugh...

 

[Wht93MTX]

Clutch adjustment according to the '93 owners manual (p. 288):

"1. Turn your engine off and put your gearshift in first

2. Put your foot under the clutch pedal and gently pull it up until the pedal stops

3. Then push the clutch down slowly. You will hear a click if your clutch needed adjusting and adjusted itself."