Manual Shim Failed and Now Shifting is a Drunken Mule

[xorlando]

A couple weeks ago I had the linkage on my manual wagon replaced, and at the time they also epoxied in the shim on the shifter that supposedly keeps it from getting thrown too far to the right. Shifting was tighter and great.

Then this evening, the shim fell out. OK, not good but not terrible. But now, even the low gears nearly stall until I get it up above 20-30 mph. I can get on the highway and it's OK. Coming from a dead stop though, it revs hard until I let off the clutch, then it drops to about 500 rpms.

Also, somehow, between leaving the park I was at and arriving at home, reverse decided to stop working completely.

I'm absolutely stymied how this got so terrible so fast, but more practically I'm trying to figure out wth happened and how badly this is going to hit the wallet.

[Digger]

From you description my best guess is the linkage loosened and is now way out of adjustment. How bad it bites your wallet depends on how good you are with a wrench and whether the mount is loose or broken. Take a good look at what you can and before you mess with it yourself check with the people who replaced your linkage. Shops warranty their work, not what you touch.

[xorlando]

From you description my best guess is the linkage loosened and is now way out of adjustment. How bad it bites your wallet depends on how good you are with a wrench and whether the mount is loose or broken. Take a good look at what you can and before you mess with it yourself check with the people who replaced your linkage. Shops warranty their work, not what you touch.

Thanks Digger. My mechanic's only Monday-Friday so hopefully I get a clear answer today.
I took a closer look in the garage and also some testing, First gear seems to be shifting normally now. Still no reverse.
The plastic shim is intact, but not in place, and I think I'll need to file off the old epoxy before i can fit it back on.

I am a bit worried that I burned some clutch on the way home, but that was less than two miles and most of that was highway driving.

I've got my Haynes out now, it's not super-informative but it looks like I can at least test the alignment using a screwdriver.

[GeoffR]

I've got my Haynes out now, it's not super-informative but it looks like I can at least test the alignment using a screwdriver.

Bin the Haynes and go here http://saabworld.net/showthread.php?t=33310 to download the WIS which is what the dealer network use.

[xorlando]

So believe it or not, my mechanic made a house call. He was on his way in to Manhattan anyway, and I live near the junction of two highways, so he pulled in to my building's garage and spent about half an hour noodling with it.

Basically as suspected in this thread, the linkage alignment was off; there's a rod that it connects to and that was moving/not moving (I'm really unclear on which). He got it to work so I have my gears back, but I've brought it up to the shop so they can make a better and more permanent repair.

I'm a little worried, as always, about how much clutch I burned off getting home the other day, but it was less than two miles and most of that was highway driving. Basically the alignment was so far off that third gear was the lowest I could get.

Fingers crossed this is the last major deal for a while. I'm starting to price out Buick wagons . . . .