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

[dave77]

Oh I see. No, the reverse lockout works. I can't shift into reverse without using it.

Originally Posted by Malt

Its not that hard to tell if it is or isn't. Can you shift into reverse without pulling the lockout up?

I've been running a kartboy shifter, MTEC springs, rear bushing, 1 piece driveshaft, and trans bushing for 4000 miles with absolutely zero issues. If you're having a problem getting into second its most likely due to an improperly installed shifter.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by dave77

I'm not sure. I had a shop install it.

WELL. You need to bring it back and yell at them.

[Malt]

Originally Posted by dave77

Oh I see. No, the reverse lockout works. I can't shift into reverse without using it.

So are you saying you physically can't get it into 2nd or you have difficultly when they fluid is cold. If you physically can't get it in its possible the lockout is adjusted to far to the right. It could be that the rear bushing was installed upside down or even the shifter was installed backwards (although I'm not sure how that could happen and if that was the case I'd imagine you'd have issues getting into 4th and 6th possibly). The kartboy shifter does move the shifters position in neutral a tad towards the back. If its massively out of place then you definitely know something is wrong. If you can get it into second, it just takes a little effort when the fluid is cold, welcome to the club.

Like Anthony said, if you paid someone to install it I'd take it back and tell them to fix it. You did pay them to install it after all.

[dave77]

Ok, yea I was going back to the shop this week so I'll do that.

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by Malt

So are you saying you physically can't get it into 2nd or you have difficultly when they fluid is cold. If you physically can't get it in its possible the lockout is adjusted to far to the right. It could be that the rear bushing was installed upside down or even the shifter was installed backwards (although I'm not sure how that could happen and if that was the case I'd imagine you'd have issues getting into 4th and 6th possibly). The kartboy shifter does move the shifters position in neutral a tad towards the back. If its massively out of place then you definitely know something is wrong. If you can get it into second, it just takes a little effort when the fluid is cold, welcome to the club.

Like Anthony said, if you paid someone to install it I'd take it back and tell them to fix it. You did pay them to install it after all.

The shifter can easily be installed backwards. I did this at first when I was installing it, but right before I put the cotter pin back on, I thought something was "off" when trying to shift through the gears (it'd go, but 2nd was a real pain to shift into, and this was with engine off). I compared the orientation of the shifter below the ball to the DIY install pics and sure enough I had it backwards. Swapped it around, tried again and it worked fine. But it WILL install and other gears can be shifted into relatively fine (but not as easily as when the shifter is installed correctly), but 2nd will be VERY difficult if not near impossible.

When installed correctly, the short shifter should be slightly canted backwards when sitting in neutral, NOT straight up. If it sits straight up while in neutral, it has been installed backwards.

[dave77]

Thanks, that's pretty interesting. Do you have a link to the DYI install pics/page? I think I'm just gonna look into this myself.

Originally Posted by SirBrass

The shifter can easily be installed backwards. I did this at first when I was installing it, but right before I put the cotter pin back on, I thought something was "off" when trying to shift through the gears (it'd go, but 2nd was a real pain to shift into, and this was with engine off). I compared the orientation of the shifter below the ball to the DIY install pics and sure enough I had it backwards. Swapped it around, tried again and it worked fine. But it WILL install and other gears can be shifted into relatively fine (but not as easily as when the shifter is installed correctly), but 2nd will be VERY difficult if not near impossible.

When installed correctly, the short shifter should be slightly canted backwards when sitting in neutral, NOT straight up. If it sits straight up while in neutral, it has been installed backwards.

[Malt]

Originally Posted by dave77

Thanks, that's pretty interesting. Do you have a link to the DYI install pics/page? I think I'm just gonna look into this myself.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31340

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by Malt

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31340

It's what I followed when I installed the short shifter (don't even need to lift the car... just do it all in cabin). I installed the rear bushing several months later.

Installing the short shifter, following the directions, took about 2 hours from start to finish (that is, reassembled interior center console) coming at it cold with only that thread on my smart phone for directions.

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by dave77

Ok, yea I was going back to the shop this week so I'll do that.

Ok. Your problem is the reverse lockout plate is incorrectly installed. The plate can move freely in two axis. Even if its locking you out of reverse, it can still be moved at an angle and that induces 2nd to be off even if 1st and reverse are prefect (ASK ME HOW I KNOW).......


So, the shop needs to remove the top bits of the shifter until the 4 lockout plate bolts are visible, loose them up and move the plate towards the shifter. Then move the shifter into first, then a straight shot to second. Try it a few times more first/second. The lockout plate will make slight contact with the shifter and thats fine. When 1st/2nd are going in effortlessly, is time to slowly tighten the bolts being careful of not rotating it at all.

Perfect shifts after this.. I've had he problem twice already.

Let me ask you Dave, can you find second moving the shifter to the side a bit? Like being in neutral, and you move the shifter towards second and the lightly left/right and you will be able to find it and go it will go in?

[dave77]

I just looked over the DIY page and I'm gonna check this out myself. THe lockout plate thing sounds simple enough.

I can shift into 2nd: in 1st, I shift down and slightly to the right (pretty easy); downshifting from neutral, move over to the left and go down, but if I go too far left it won't shift down (which could mean it's hitting the lockout plate.

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

Ok. Your problem is the reverse lockout plate is incorrectly installed. The plate can move freely in two axis. Even if its locking you out of reverse, it can still be moved at an angle and that induces 2nd to be off even if 1st and reverse are prefect (ASK ME HOW I KNOW).......


So, the shop needs to remove the top bits of the shifter until the 4 lockout plate bolts are visible, loose them up and move the plate towards the shifter. Then move the shifter into first, then a straight shot to second. Try it a few times more first/second. The lockout plate will make slight contact with the shifter and thats fine. When 1st/2nd are going in effortlessly, is time to slowly tighten the bolts being careful of not rotating it at all.

Perfect shifts after this.. I've had he problem twice already.

Let me ask you Dave, can you find second moving the shifter to the side a bit? Like being in neutral, and you move the shifter towards second and the lightly left/right and you will be able to find it and go it will go in?

[Sportsguy83]

Originally Posted by dave77

I just looked over the DIY page and I'm gonna check this out myself. THe lockout plate thing sounds simple enough.

I can shift into 2nd: in 1st, I shift down and slightly to the right (pretty easy); downshifting from neutral, move over to the left and go down, but if I go too far left it won't shift down (which could mean it's hitting the lockout plate.

Yes sir! If it's like that I'm 1000% it's the lockout plate. Check your PM. I'll help you out.

[dave77]

Originally Posted by Sportsguy83

Yes sir! If it's like that I'm 1000% it's the lockout plate. Check your PM. I'll help you out.

Yea I hope it's just that and not a backwards installation, tho that doesn't seem like that much more work to turn around anyway.

[SirBrass]

Originally Posted by dave77

Yea I hope it's just that and not a backwards installation, tho that doesn't seem like that much more work to turn around anyway.

It isn't. Heck, you could just lift the car, slide off the boot, remove cotter pin, edit: slide shifter off of the shifter linkage rod /edit, and turn the shifter around in the socket. Just don't burn yourself on the front pipe .

[FearBoy]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I responded to your message before I realized you'd posted here. For everyone else, here's what I said:

I just learned to catch second gear. But I recently realized I never reinstalled the reverse lockout, so that is definitely the problem. I thought the little black plate was the reverse lockout, but it isn't. I believe it's silver. I put all of my parts in storage when I take them off my car, and I've just been too lazy to go and find it. But I'm pretty sure that's the problem. If you installed your reverse lockout and it's still doing it, then I have no idea.

No reverse lockout plate would definitely cause hard second gear shifts and reverse without lockout. That's actually pretty dangerous to go 4+ months that way. Glad you fixed it.