RE: Removing shift linkage from 5KTq tranny

["Buchholz, Steven" <Steven.Buchholz@kla-tencor.com>]

> The shift linkage has a splined shaft towards the rear of the tranny. 
> It is held by a U-clamp with bolt. Mark the spline engagement before
> removing (I scribed the spline with a sharp object).  I marked mine for
> depth but not for its rotational position - this caused a problem when I
> put it back togehter. I had shifter porblems and by trial and error I
> change the spline to find the correct rotational position.  If you mark
> both spline engagement depth and rotational position you should be O.K.
> 
> You can get to this spline/clamp with the tranny installed but is is a
> real PITA.
> 
I would not recommend disassembling the shift linkage unless absolutely
necessary!  I did this on the 4kq because the ball on the linkage had come
loose; other than the hassles I had thanks to the wrong pilot bearing, the
toughest part of the reassembly was getting the linkage set correctly.  

I think the original post was in reference to removing the tranny to do the
clutch ... you shouldn't need to disassemble the shift linkage to do this
... just disconnect the linkage at the selector rod and pop off the locating
link and the two are separate ...

I suppose that this does bring up the issue of checking the ball on the
tranny side of the linkage to see if it has come loose.  The ball is held in
place by a press-deformed end, which was seriously loose on the 4kq.  I used
punches to deform it some more to tighten it up ... but then I had the
problem with correctly lining it up on the splines (even though I had
scribed both).  The first day the car was on the road it only had 4 forward
gears and no reverse!

Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)