im spinning, im spinning

[mipstien]

My shift lever spins and won't go into gear if spun one way or another. I saw a link about what causes it but couldnt remember if it said how to remedy the problem. And does the short shifter curcumvent this problem?

[So Cal Mark]

the short shifter won't help your problem at all, You need to remove the triangular cover from the bottom of the shifter and inspect all of the pivot pieces, including the ball on the lower shift lever

[wachuko]

Photos to help:

[mipstien]

that is awesome!!! i love pictures haha. can you get to that piece without dropping the trans?

[wachuko]

that is awesome!!! i love pictures haha. can you get to that piece without dropping the trans?

Yes you can. I just happen to have the transmission out and took the photos of everything as I took it apart...

If you get under the car you will be able to see the triangle shaped cover...

[mipstien]

wild guess but if the shifter is spinning does that mean that the triangle piece is rather loose or broken?

[mipstien]

and if anyone didn't get the 'im spinning, im spinning' joke then check this url out
http://joecartoon.atom.com/cartoons/67- ... _a_blender
old school internet's

[trent]

Happened to me, was that nylon ball on the shift-lever; see here:

http://www.fiatspider.com/f08/viewtopic ... 59&p=45968

Yeah, you can get it out of the bottom w/o removing the whole deal...

[mipstien]

http://www.international-auto.com/trans ... -parts.cfm

which of those pieces is the plastic piece that always wears out? i guess the plastic top most piece on the shifter.

[wachuko]

http://www.international-auto.com/trans ... -parts.cfm

which of those pieces is the plastic piece that always wears out? i guess the plastic top most piece on the shifter.

Did you take the cover off (triangle-shaped) to take a look? Could be as simple as a loose bottom nut...

In mine, items that were worn out or cracked:

Item No.: 4289497 - Shift Lever Seat



Everything else I was able to reuse.

[maytag]

If I'm going to put this car back on the road for the spring, I need to replace the worn items in the shifter.

Do we have a frequent supporter of this forum who sells these parts?

or do any of y'all have it all for sale?

Otherwise, I'll just be chasing around the internet for 'em.

[RoyBatty]

A failure of any of those parts at the base of the shift lever can cause the lever to spin.
Usually it's from the nut coming off the bottom.
Do yourself a favor and do not remove all three bolts from the bottom of the triangle.
Just remove two and loosen the third. This will allow you to pivot to bottom cover out of the way and still keep the bottom piece secure.
Good Luck

[courtenay]

I bought the pieces needed from Mark. Good tip, Roy. I had a hell of a time with mine and eventually gave up. I found the guibo tough to get around, so I'm going to change the bits in the shifter when I change the guibo. Mine isn't spinning, it's just rattling.

[maytag]

courtenay: a rattling shifter that is not spinning could be the plastic bushing where the two pieces of the lever join. just a shot.

So I've got the bottom of mine taken apart, and I don't see anything wrong from the bottom. I'm going to have to take the nut off and start pulling peices off 'til I find the culprit I guess.

My suspicion is that it is the plastic "collar" that goes around the lever where the locating stud is. does that sound right?

edit: my suspicios were correct: the plastic collar / donut on the lever that centers on the locating-dowel has come apart in peices.
Can this be purchased seperately somehow? Or do I need to buy the whole lever?

[RoyBatty]

I fabricated a new piece to replace the broken pivot ball on my shift lever. I used a hard plastic castor wheel I found at the local Ace Hardware store.
If you'd prefer to just buy a replacement,
http://www.vickauto.com/newstore/index. ... ts_id=3220