Solid Shifter OFFICIAL GROUP BUY

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Chubbs

Well-Known Member
I got my shifter installed some time ago, and so far it's been mostly positive. I'm still waiting on stupid Missouri to send my title, so i've only driven a couple of times (on closed roads only, officer, I swear!)

The one issue I have is 3rd and 5th gear are just next to each other. I mean, It's almost impossible for me to tell the difference between them. 3rd is straight up from where the shifter rests naturally, so it's easy to hit. But 5th....you just nudge it ever so slightly right, and that's it. You can't go too far right, or you hit no-mans-land and can't get it into gear at all.

Is there any sort of adjustment to get 3rd and 5th to separate a little more from left to right? The car is really difficult to drive as it is, and I have money-shifted a few times from 4th to 3rd, luckily never under power or high RPM. The potential for disaster is there though.

Keep in mind, the trans has 140k on it, and has probably not had an easy life. It's possible some shift forks are bent, and that's what causing the trouble. But if I can adjust it out with the shifter, that would be preferable to a trans rebuild.
 
SACTX

SACTX

Well-Known Member
Chubbs said:
I got my shifter installed some time ago, and so far it's been mostly positive. I'm still waiting on stupid Missouri to send my title, so i've only driven a couple of times (on closed roads only, officer, I swear!)

The one issue I have is 3rd and 5th gear are just next to each other. I mean, It's almost impossible for me to tell the difference between them. 3rd is straight up from where the shifter rests naturally, so it's easy to hit. But 5th....you just nudge it ever so slightly right, and that's it. You can't go too far right, or you hit no-mans-land and can't get it into gear at all.

Is there any sort of adjustment to get 3rd and 5th to separate a little more from left to right? The car is really difficult to drive as it is, and I have money-shifted a few times from 4th to 3rd, luckily never under power or high RPM. The potential for disaster is there though.

Keep in mind, the trans has 140k on it, and has probably not had an easy life. It's possible some shift forks are bent, and that's what causing the trouble. But if I can adjust it out with the shifter, that would be preferable to a trans rebuild.
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If your left to right attachment is in the bottom hole, move it up to the top hole. That will lengthen your left to right throw and put a little bit more space between first to third and third to fifth. That is about all of the adjustment in the shifter itself. If you could get enough throw, you could possibly put one more hole up above the top one but you may run into some interference problems.
 
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Scott Geyer

Well-Known Member
Chubbs said:
I got my shifter installed some time ago, and so far it's been mostly positive. I'm still waiting on stupid Missouri to send my title, so i've only driven a couple of times (on closed roads only, officer, I swear!)

The one issue I have is 3rd and 5th gear are just next to each other. I mean, It's almost impossible for me to tell the difference between them. 3rd is straight up from where the shifter rests naturally, so it's easy to hit. But 5th....you just nudge it ever so slightly right, and that's it. You can't go too far right, or you hit no-mans-land and can't get it into gear at all.

Is there any sort of adjustment to get 3rd and 5th to separate a little more from left to right? The car is really difficult to drive as it is, and I have money-shifted a few times from 4th to 3rd, luckily never under power or high RPM. The potential for disaster is there though.

Keep in mind, the trans has 140k on it, and has probably not had an easy life. It's possible some shift forks are bent, and that's what causing the trouble. But if I can adjust it out with the shifter, that would be preferable to a trans rebuild.
Click to expand...
Were you able to fix the issue with the new shifter going from 3rd to 5th? Same thing happens to me some of the time
 
C

Chubbs

Well-Known Member
Scott Geyer said:
Were you able to fix the issue with the new shifter going from 3rd to 5th? Same thing happens to me some of the time
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Sorry, I don't have any new info yet. It got cold here in Missouri, and I haven't really had a chance to drive it or even mess with it.

I'll try to get an update this weekend.
 
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Scott Geyer

Well-Known Member
Chubbs said:
I got my shifter installed some time ago, and so far it's been mostly positive. I'm still waiting on stupid Missouri to send my title, so i've only driven a couple of times (on closed roads only, officer, I swear!)

The one issue I have is 3rd and 5th gear are just next to each other. I mean, It's almost impossible for me to tell the difference between them. 3rd is straight up from where the shifter rests naturally, so it's easy to hit. But 5th....you just nudge it ever so slightly right, and that's it. You can't go too far right, or you hit no-mans-land and can't get it into gear at all.

Is there any sort of adjustment to get 3rd and 5th to separate a little more from left to right? The car is really difficult to drive as it is, and I have money-shifted a few times from 4th to 3rd, luckily never under power or high RPM. The potential for disaster is there though.

Keep in mind, the trans has 140k on it, and has probably not had an easy life. It's possible some shift forks are bent, and that's what causing the trouble. But if I can adjust it out with the shifter, that would be preferable to a trans rebuild.
Click to expand...
Did you ever fix your shifting issue from 4th to 5th?
 
C

Chubbs

Well-Known Member
I did not.

I basically am just getting used to it. After putting a few more miles on the car, I have just learned to be cautious on the 4-5 shift. Gears 1 through 4 are the only ones that are hurried anyway. On a race track, I doubt 5th is used much, if at all. With a little practice, I don't think it will be an issue.

The other reason I haven't fixed it is just laziness. It's been cold here, and I haven't really had a chance to drive the car very much. So, it's a project waiting for spring.

I'm not sure it can be fixed at all, anyway. I have already monkeyed with the shifter to get the maximum lateral throw out of it, so there isn't anything else that can be adjusted on the shifter side. I worry it's just a function of my current transmission. Perhaps it's difficult for all of them, or perhaps the kid before me bent the shift forks on the donor, and now it doesn't quite work like it did before. I'm not sure.
 
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Scott Geyer

Well-Known Member
Chubbs said:
I did not.

I basically am just getting used to it. After putting a few more miles on the car, I have just learned to be cautious on the 4-5 shift. Gears 1 through 4 are the only ones that are hurried anyway. On a race track, I doubt 5th is used much, if at all. With a little practice, I don't think it will be an issue.

The other reason I haven't fixed it is just laziness. It's been cold here, and I haven't really had a chance to drive the car very much. So, it's a project waiting for spring.

I'm not sure it can be fixed at all, anyway. I have already monkeyed with the shifter to get the maximum lateral throw out of it, so there isn't anything else that can be adjusted on the shifter side. I worry it's just a function of my current transmission. Perhaps it's difficult for all of them, or perhaps the kid before me bent the shift forks on the donor, and now it doesn't quite work like it did before. I'm not sure.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the follow-up. I'm sending the Goblin to ZZP next month for a Turbo upgrade and I'll ask them about it
 
SACTX

SACTX

Well-Known Member
Chubbs said:
I did not.

I basically am just getting used to it. After putting a few more miles on the car, I have just learned to be cautious on the 4-5 shift. Gears 1 through 4 are the only ones that are hurried anyway. On a race track, I doubt 5th is used much, if at all. With a little practice, I don't think it will be an issue.

The other reason I haven't fixed it is just laziness. It's been cold here, and I haven't really had a chance to drive the car very much. So, it's a project waiting for spring.

I'm not sure it can be fixed at all, anyway. I have already monkeyed with the shifter to get the maximum lateral throw out of it, so there isn't anything else that can be adjusted on the shifter side. I worry it's just a function of my current transmission. Perhaps it's difficult for all of them, or perhaps the kid before me bent the shift forks on the donor, and now it doesn't quite work like it did before. I'm not sure.
Click to expand...
I have a brand new transmission and have no problems, other than how close 3rd and 5th are combined with the extra left to right movement there is to get to reverse. If you miss the slot for 5th you end up in “No Shifting” land at the top of the reverse gate. Once there, I had to go back into 4th and then try to hit 5th again.

It’s now second nature to hit 5th and I cut 1 1/2” off of the rod to shorten the throw even more. Also, there is no quick shifting from 4th to 5th. That’s the transmission. I have to be deliberately going into 5th to hit it. Every other gear is fine and I can hit it fast and solidly.
 
Rttoys

Rttoys

Goblin Guru
It is odd 5 and R are not directly above and below each other, but I guess that’s a good thing in some ways. Mine is being a little difficult to get into R, but I haven’t tried to adjust anything to correct it. It hasn’t annoyed me enough yet :D
 
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Chubbs

Well-Known Member
With warmer weather around, I finally was able to get the car out this year. The more I drive it, the more convinced I am that my shifting issues are the transmission, and not the shifter.

Aside from the 4-5 shift being difficult due to the gate placement, it's also a bit finicky even once it's in gear. You really have to force it ALL the way into 5th, otherwise it will pop out of gear. Even once I do that, it will occasionally pop out of 5th under deceleration, even if it was comfortably engaged before then. I'll just be driving along, and all the sudden I get 4000 rpm and no acceleration. I end up having to drive with my hand on the shifter all the time, forcing it into gear.

I suspect the trans has had a hard life. I just bought a new F23 from the DF store, and will be undertaking that project soon. I already have a new long-block engine, might as well have a new trans too, right?
 
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