shifter messed up, no 1st, 3rd, & 5th!

[frank j. bauer]

At 09:56 PM 8/23/01 -0400, Chris Covington wrote:
>I've had somewhat of a notchy shifter (getting into 2nd particularly)
>since I got my 200q20v awhile ago, but today the shifter got so screwed
>up that I can't even select any of the topmost gears, leaving me only
>with 2nd, 4th & R, and 2nd is extremely difficult to engage properly.  At
>least I got it home.  Anyway, right now the shifter just has a ton of play
>between where the topmost gears are and the bottom (you also have to
>really pull it back to get to 2nd and R, but not 4th as much) and it
>feels like it would need an extra inch or two of forward play in order to
>be able to select those top gears (when you move the shifter, it barely
>gets in the "tunnel" for those forward gears, not enough room to allow you
>to engage them).
>The clutch / gearbox is fine.  I just hope the notches on the tranny
>aren't messed up for the gear selection, but I doubt that is the problem.
>Anyone BTDT on a shifter rebuild, or know the parts, etc. to check out /
>replace?

you should first look at the pinch bolt on the shift lever which is on the
transmission just behind and above the front left axle.
then check the push rod and selector shaft connections, which are in the
propshaft tunnel.
you will probably have to align the linkage before you tighten it.
the (sl)easiest way to align it is to shift the tranny into reverse, loosen
the connections, place the shifter in an ideal reverse position and tighten
the linkage.
helps to have someone in the car jiggling the lever fore/aft and left/right
so you can see how the reset the transmission if necessary (before you
loosen everything).

frank