W58 won't stay in first, third or fifth- stick pops out? Help?

[RyleyMA61]

Hi guys

Background:

- MA61 with 7MGTE and W58 recently blew gearbox
- Bought an ex-JZA80 box to fit off CLG. (approx 78,000km)
- Had to remove selector shaft, drill and tap new hole to suit internal shifter selector.
- Refit, all appears okay.
- I used the old MA61 gearbox selector socket/bracket on the shaft – not the ex JZA80 gearbox one.

However, the gearstick doesn’t want to stay in any of the forward gears (first, third, fifth). There is barely any resistance holding it in gear. To the point of when all the interior was back in (and gearboots etc), and therefore providing resistance, you had to hold the stick physically in first, third or fifth. Otherwise it’d jump out.

I took the interior out and bolted just the gearstick in. There is no engagement like the ‘back’ gears (2nd, 4th, reverese) but it holds in first and 5th. Third you must hold the gearstick up until you release the clutch and provide a mechanical link- then it stays.

I haven’t tried it under heavy load/torque to see if it jumps out.

I removed the gearstick altogether and played with the selector hole/socket thing.

You can click it into any gear- when in second, fourth etc, you cannot pull it out with your finger (need a screwdriver). When in first, third, fifth, you can pull it out with your finger (not as much resistance/engagement).

Any ideas?

Should I have used the JZA80 selector housing bit?

Any help would be awesome.

Thanks

[big_zop]

I take it you pulled the gearbox apart to fit the MA61 shifter position? Did you by chance loose a spring or ball for the shift detents, not that you need to remove these to swap shifter positions but there could be a chance they are missing or broken. Though now that I think of it, since 1/2, 3/4, 5/R share the same shift arms and the back gears work, maybe there could be some wear on the shaft detents themselves.

If you havent already, check out the TSRM on p9 for the exploded view, the ones I am referring to are in the middle pic and should be on the side of the sandwich plate - http://www.supras.org.nz/techinfo/TSRM/14_MT.pdf (for a MA70 but has a W58 section, plus R154 if you ever go that way)

[RyleyMA61]

Thanks mate, looking at that assembly drawing, I didn't touch any of those bits.

I simply pulled the rear housing off, removed the 'shift and select' lever, drilled and tapped a hole in it, and refitted the old MA61 W58 'shift lever housing'.

[RyleyMA61]

Perhaps I could tighten those screw plugs, and add a bit of pre-load onto the ball and springs? Would that work?

[big_zop]

Yeah, I have done a shift position swap on a W58 and R154 so didnt think it was that.

Did you try the shifter out when it was still in the JZA80 position?

[allencr]

Perhaps I could tighten those screw plugs, and add a bit of pre-load onto the ball and springs? Would that work?

No. They provide some resistance & feel for the gear lever to put the syncro sleeve in its proper position but do nothing at all to
keep/hold it there.
If it actually required any force to be held in gear, the forks would be worn thru in about 10,000km.

[RyleyMA61]

I did. But I didn't take note of the amount of force required to 'pop it out' of gear. It seems to be a lot less in first, second and third.

Thanks for the heads up.

Any ideas what else it could be?

[RA35GT]

Are you sure you drilled and tapped the right selector rod?

[RyleyMA61]

Hahah yep! looking down, without the gearstick, it all looks pretty good.

[RA35GT]

Hehe, I only ask because the end of the rods are different between the A80 and W57 that I had, using the wrong one in either box may cause the shifter linkage to not work correctly on one side (Don't know, this is just speculation).

You may have to remove the extension housing again and physically see the shift forks are able to move correctly. It sounds like they aren't being moved far enough or something is restricting the movement. (nothing stuck behind the shift rod?)

Something else to check, how accurate did you place the hole in the rod?

Also, do the detents springs work correctly? (I.e. is there equal resistance left to right?) and is the tab on the bottom of the shifter housing (that the detent springs act on) centralised to the detent springs? Are they fouling on anything?

[RyleyMA61]

Yeah I am fearing pulling the gearbox again. I really can't be bothered... Don't think there is anything stuck behind the shift rod... It does seem to click and move quite nicely, but there is just less resistance in the "forward gears" when pulling out...

The hole was done very accurately - based on the centreline of the shaft end, with the other W58 shaft as a guide.

Will check the detent springs location and force.

Another one:

Gearbox seems to have a leak from the front.

Tell me this can occur if it's overfilled, and it doesn't have a front seal gone....

[Mr Ed]

You cant really over fill it, the full fluid level is the height of the fill hole. Unless of course you fill it on its side or in zero gravity conditions.

PS. As said on PF. I reckon its the shifter bush.

[RA35GT]

Have you taken the shifter housing off or just the shifter?

Does it feel like it (shifter) can move forward more? (or backwards in the case of the shift rod itself)

Does the shifter move forward the same distance it moves back? (i.e. from neutral to 1st compared to neutral to second)

Yeah, it must be overfilled and not the front seal gone

Man, I'd just bite the bullet and take the box out. Would be eleventy billion times easier to diagnose and you can change the seals while you're at it.

[RA35GT]

You cant really over fill it, the full fluid level is the height of the fill hole. Unless of course you fill it on its side or in zero gravity conditions.

PS. As said on PF. I reckon its the shifter bush.

you can overfill it if you fill it via the shifter hole and dont take the filler plug off.

Shifter bush is a good suggestion though.

white bush on end of shifter, green bush on pivot, and bush/sleeve on the shifter arm itself.

[RyleyMA61]

thanks guys. It's going to have to come out.

Now I know who is on PF and who is on here - different names.

Fucking gearboxes... The Mercedes one is doing weird shit too.

FFFUUU

I did spill some fluid before I put the box in, so filled a bit through the selector hole.... Hence possible overfill... wishful thinking.