901 Transmission Guru Needed - Tony Help?

[t6dpilot]

I need some web diagnosis help if you can please. I have a 5sp transmission in my car that has left to right play in the 2/3 gear set. I replaced the rear (and maybe front) shifter bushings in the fall of '08 before our big drive to CA. Transmission was shifting nice, but maybe had a little play in the 2/3 location. It seemed to get a little worse as we completed our trip, but I had no shifting problems. I probably put a few thousand more miles on the car since then and no problems - except for that play, which did get worse over those miles. It stayed pretty consistent with what it is exhibiting now.

So, here is my dilemma and the reason for my question. I am planning an extended drive in a week or so and was doing a once over before the trip. I started looking into this play issue again. Rev/1 and 4/5 are nice and tight both fore/aft and left/right. 2/3 is tight fore/aft, but has a fair amount of left and right play - maybe an inch side to side. Bushings right? Wrong - that is what I thought. I popped off the rear tunnel cover to check the bushings there and see that they are in great shape. But the shift rod will move left and right as I move the shifter left and right while in 2nd and 3rd gears. Again, Rev/1 and 4/5 are tight.

Any ideas from the brain trust here? Could the bolt holding the shift fork be loose? Could it be that the peanut - ball - spring detent assembly has deteriorated? I don't think that it could be these, but you never know. How about where the shift rod goes into each of the U-channels for the three gear pairs? Could that have gotten out of adjustment?

Sorry for the long post. I kind of need help determining if this is an issue that is safe to continue to use the car until I get an opportunity to pull the tranny. Or should I stand down on the trip and change to my freshly rebuilt box? Time is the problem with that option. Does anyone have experience with this and thanks for the advice.

[t6dpilot]

Jim B. opened up a transmission in his shop and let me know what he thinks the problem might be. We think that the problem is not with the 2/3 set, but with the Rev/1 and 4/5 shift fork shafts. They may be out of adjustment (wrt the U-channels of each shift shaft) on either side of the 2/3 shift shaft to have too much left to right play with the main shift shaft ball. Any other thoughts? Time bomb waiting to happen or no big deal in the near term?

[911quest]

Scott,

I think I understand what your asking When you put it in Rev& 1st you have little play because the dongle( Shifter) cannot move because it is between it stop and the 2nd shift fork. When you have it in 2nd & 3rd the dongle can move in that space side to side. Does this make sense? Give me a call

502.454.5591

[edmayo]

Scott, have you replaced the shift rod support bushing under the shift lever housing?

[Mr9146]

I'm with Ed.

Ball cup and shift rod guide bushing sound suspect.

Also the shift housing itself - the 901 shifters are notorious for braking at the spot welds.

[t6dpilot]

Thanks guys and thanks for the help Tony. IIRC, the shift rod support bushing was replaced in the fall of '08 with the coupler bushings. I will have to double check that. Wouldn't the shifter exhibit play in the other gears (R, 1, 4, and 5) if that were the case? And thanks for the tip on the 901 weld points Marco. It looks like I will pull the shifter to check everything out there as well.

[Mr9146]

Wouldn't the shifter exhibit play in the other gears (R, 1, 4, and 5) if that were the case? And thanks for the tip on the 901 weld points Marco. It looks like I will pull the shifter to check everything out there as well.

Re: the bushing ... Not necessarily.

Re: the shifter ... not all the cracks or broken spot welds are obvious. Make sure you have VERY good lighting when you go prospecting.