What just happened to my 5th gear?

Caldera · 12-30-2006, 04:53 AM

Is this a common failure? Is there something I can direct my search for what's broken towards as opposed to just blindly tearing it apart?

Tonight I noticed that if i aim for 5th gear, it goes WAAAAY over and up, and basically ends up next to where 5th would be, but above reverse.... in neutral. 5th is there and works fine, but is nearly impossible to find!

I've got three inches of lateral play in 5th roughly. If i shove the shifter over to the right as if i was going into reverse, it'll just hang out on the right above reverse.

If I shove the shifter up and over, I end up in a phantom neutral gear that'd best equate to "7th" if such a thing existed. To get 5th I have to almost sidearm the shifter, go up, aim for 2:00, and take a left turn at Albequerque, and come in sideways. I can go up and in normally, but I stand a better chance of hitting 3rd again if i try to go up and slightly over. If I go 2:00, then abruptly 9:00, i can get 5th.

2nd feels mushy when I engage it now too. No grinding, no slipping, it just turned to jello on me.

What happened?

turbored · 12-30-2006, 10:23 AM

when's the last time you've changed the bushings inside the shifter? there is one at the end of the shifter, and two that surround the big pivot ball, made out of some plastiky material. try changing those.

Caldera · 12-30-2006, 11:33 AM

Wasn'r aware the on-shifter bushings were serviceable. Thought they were lifetime items.

turbored · 12-30-2006, 11:44 AM

they are servicable.

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...n&key=MIAD1032

http://www.finishlineperformance.com...n&key=MIAD1033

Caldera · 12-30-2006, 11:51 AM

OOontz. To the dealer I go. It's the only thing it can be, really.

Caldera · 01-13-2007, 02:44 AM

So tonight, it all shit the bed!

I have 2nd, I have 4th. That's it... and they're in the SAME PLACE.

I can move the shiftknbb with 0 resistance all over the shiftbooted area, there's no gates, no up no down, just floppiness. I can even spin the shifter 360 degrees! I have up and down now too!

.... there's tranny fluid in my driveway, but it made it the 50 miles home, and I only lost all my gears (neutral FTL!) twice.

Oh happy day!
Oh happy da-ay!

Caldera · 01-13-2007, 03:35 AM

So check this out. The ball is chewed to hell. The top part? Chewed. two of the three small boot bolts? Missing. The bottom bushing? Gone.

... Yeah. Anyone in the Portland OR area have a stock shifter for sale? I'll figure out why there's ATF in the driveway in the morning.

EndlessCorners · 01-13-2007, 04:19 AM

Good luck with this.

The way you are describing your symptoms is making me laugh. I wish I reacted to my car problems with the same humor.

turbored · 01-13-2007, 12:18 PM

that looks like an aftermarket shifter. also, your car should only have 2 rubber boots (unless you're talking about the vinyl boot as the 3rd.)

Caldera · 01-13-2007, 12:55 PM

Yeah, it's definately an aftermarket. Simpson i think. Came with the car back in 00 when I bought it.

I was talking about the bolts, not the boots themselves. The bottom small rubber boot has 3 bolts that hold it down on the turrett, those were what I was on about. Both my rubber boots were perfect though.

12-30-2006, 04:53 AM	#1 (permalink)
Caldera Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 1,999	What just happened to my 5th gear? Is this a common failure? Is there something I can direct my search for what's broken towards as opposed to just blindly tearing it apart? Tonight I noticed that if i aim for 5th gear, it goes WAAAAY over and up, and basically ends up next to where 5th would be, but above reverse.... in neutral. 5th is there and works fine, but is nearly impossible to find! I've got three inches of lateral play in 5th roughly. If i shove the shifter over to the right as if i was going into reverse, it'll just hang out on the right above reverse. If I shove the shifter up and over, I end up in a phantom neutral gear that'd best equate to "7th" if such a thing existed. To get 5th I have to almost sidearm the shifter, go up, aim for 2:00, and take a left turn at Albequerque, and come in sideways. I can go up and in normally, but I stand a better chance of hitting 3rd again if i try to go up and slightly over. If I go 2:00, then abruptly 9:00, i can get 5th. 2nd feels mushy when I engage it now too. No grinding, no slipping, it just turned to jello on me. What happened?
	__________________ -Matt '05 Elise, '99 Neon. No more Miata... for now.

12-30-2006, 11:33 AM	#3 (permalink)
Caldera Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 1,999	Wasn'r aware the on-shifter bushings were serviceable. Thought they were lifetime items.
	__________________ -Matt '05 Elise, '99 Neon. No more Miata... for now.

12-30-2006, 11:51 AM	#5 (permalink)
Caldera Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 1,999	OOontz. To the dealer I go. It's the only thing it can be, really.
	__________________ -Matt '05 Elise, '99 Neon. No more Miata... for now.

01-13-2007, 02:44 AM	#6 (permalink)
Caldera Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 1,999	So tonight, it all shit the bed! I have 2nd, I have 4th. That's it... and they're in the SAME PLACE. I can move the shiftknbb with 0 resistance all over the shiftbooted area, there's no gates, no up no down, just floppiness. I can even spin the shifter 360 degrees! I have up and down now too! .... there's tranny fluid in my driveway, but it made it the 50 miles home, and I only lost all my gears (neutral FTL!) twice. Oh happy day! Oh happy da-ay!
	__________________ -Matt '05 Elise, '99 Neon. No more Miata... for now.

01-13-2007, 03:35 AM	#7 (permalink)
Caldera Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 1,999	Re: What just happened to my 5th gear? So check this out. The ball is chewed to hell. The top part? Chewed. two of the three small boot bolts? Missing. The bottom bushing? Gone. ... Yeah. Anyone in the Portland OR area have a stock shifter for sale? I'll figure out why there's ATF in the driveway in the morning.
	__________________ -Matt '05 Elise, '99 Neon. No more Miata... for now.

12-30-2006, 10:23 AM	#2 (permalink)
turbored CR.net Supporter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 1,390	when's the last time you've changed the bushings inside the shifter? there is one at the end of the shifter, and two that surround the big pivot ball, made out of some plastiky material. try changing those.

12-30-2006, 11:44 AM	#4 (permalink)
turbored CR.net Supporter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 1,390	they are servicable. http://www.finishlineperformance.com...n&key=MIAD1032 http://www.finishlineperformance.com...n&key=MIAD1033

01-13-2007, 04:19 AM	#8 (permalink)
EndlessCorners Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 517	Re: What just happened to my 5th gear? Good luck with this. The way you are describing your symptoms is making me laugh. I wish I reacted to my car problems with the same humor.

01-13-2007, 12:18 PM	#9 (permalink)
turbored CR.net Supporter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 1,390	that looks like an aftermarket shifter. also, your car should only have 2 rubber boots (unless you're talking about the vinyl boot as the 3rd.)

01-13-2007, 12:55 PM	#10 (permalink)
Caldera Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 1,999	Yeah, it's definately an aftermarket. Simpson i think. Came with the car back in 00 when I bought it. I was talking about the bolts, not the boots themselves. The bottom small rubber boot has 3 bolts that hold it down on the turrett, those were what I was on about. Both my rubber boots were perfect though.
	__________________ -Matt '05 Elise, '99 Neon. No more Miata... for now.

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