Can't Get Into 2nd Gear (Just installed Kartboy, MTEC, Motul 300, and Whiteline)
 

Alright, my car is still up on the jacks, so I haven't driven it yet. But even before I cranked it, I could not get it into 2nd gear. Now that it's cranked, it's still not going into second.

I just installed: SPEC aluminum flywheel, Kartboy short shifter, Whiteline positive shift bushing, Perrin rear shifter bushing, MTEC Springs, and filled 'er up with some new Motul Gear 300 oil.

Everything seems great. Flywheel's chattering like a little punk ass kid, but that's to be expected. All shifts are super clean, mechanical, and snap into place with authority. But I cannot for the life of me get the shifter to even almost go into 2nd gear. It's like that whole direction is mechanically blocked off. Like the shifter is hitting solid metal.

Any ideas?

Would it go in second with the stock shifter? Hard to tell what went wrong because you had the whole tranny out so it could be anything.

Is the perrin bushing installed with the lettering facing the ground? Next thing i would check is the short throw install...

Check the reverse lock out plate.

I know. :( I wouldn't normally install so many things at once, but I'm trying to get this together for a meet on Sunday.

Yes. That's how it goes, huh?

Is that the thing the four bolts go through that hold the shifter in place? If so, I thought the reverse lockout itself was hitting one of the bolt heads at first. Then I pulled up on the reverse lockout and it didn't change anything. I then shifted into all of the other gears while holding the lockout up, and confirmed it can go into those gears with the lockout being held up. But still won't go into second.

The short throw install seems to be the most probable suspect. It seems good though. As far as the shifter itself, you either install it right or completely backwards, which would be obvious. It's not in backwards.

This ^^. Most likely the lockout plate is too far to the right. Loosen the bolts on the lockout plate with the motor off, and push the shifter as far left as you can without using the lockout ring and put it into second. Make sure the shifter will then slide right into 1st without hitting the edge of the gate. Tighten the bolts. Reassemble interior center console.

Ah! Thank you, sir. Let me give that a try. Back in 5-10...

Is your parking brake set? If so release it and try to shift into second.

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Why would having the parking brake set matter?

I suspect the short shifter portion of the install. I know for a fact that Motul 300 does make second gear a little harder to get into when the fluids is cold but should be butter smooth once it's warmed up. The fluid should noway completely lock you out of 2nd gear. This is most likely mechanical alignment of some sort.

I've had something similar happen when I was putting my car up on stands. Something got bound up and prevented it from going into gear. Releasing the brake allowed it to go in. Worth trying as it will only take a few seconds.

Yah this is most likely your issue. I just did my clutch and flywheel last weekend and ran into the same thing. What you think is first gear is actually reverse.

Ok, I figured it out. Apparently, you can't slide the shifter all the way to the left and then down anymore. There's a tiny window between the void to the left of 2nd and 4th where 2nd actually exists. Before I could go all the way left, then straight down and it would go into 2nd. Now I just have to go exactly straight down from 1st and it goes right in. Not sure if that's normal or not. Seems like it'll make my driving a lot sloppier unless I'm more precise than I've always been.

I just played with the lockout plate, and it doesn't really affect the ability to get into second. I even tried sliding it as far to the right as possible to block out R, 1, and 2, but was still able to get into them. You've just got to be spot damn on to get into 2nd now.

Maybe it'll change as it breaks in? Or maybe once the car's on the ground and I'm actually shifting and accelerating under load it'll feel more natural. With the car as is though, it's like a game at the fair. No giant stuffed animals for me just yet...