Hi, I think it's an issue in the shifter itself, not the cables. I know my cables aren't great , but in the shifter assembly, when trying to get it into reverse, I have to use both hands and push REALLY HARD and then it clicks over to the driver's side and goes easily forward into reverse. But to get it to go to the driver's side it needs A LOT OF FORCE! I feel like I'm going to break it one day trying to get it to the driver's side. Please help.
It's an 85 GT v6 with a four speed (I think that means its a Muncie)
------------------ ===Always trying to find time to work on cars=== Louis Duet Baldwin, Long Island, NY Where driving hard is SOP. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12 The "DuetLorean" VIN #5835 Stock PRV engine Robertson Equipped Neiland/Delman Engineered Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"
I had a lady stop over years ago. She could hardy get into reverse. She learned to always park where she could drive out instead of having to use reverse. A GM dealer had installed new GM OEM cables earlier and not much improvement. Still was very difficult to get into reverse. I took the console cover off and looked at it a while. Looked dry so I got in there the best I could with an oil can and it worked seriously better. So try oiling all the moving parts on the shifter assembly in the console.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
Thanks Rodney, I also PM'd you this info. Nice to hear its an easy fix. Feel free to call me "old lady" now!
LOL
------------------ ===Always trying to find time to work on cars=== Louis Duet Baldwin, Long Island, NY Where driving hard is SOP. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12 The "DuetLorean" VIN #5835 Stock PRV engine Robertson Equipped Neiland/Delman Engineered Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"
The fix should be quite simple and only takes 15 minutes at most. Unscrew the shift knob off of the lever, then remove both ashtrays and use a 7 mm socket wrench to unscrew the four screws under the ashtray. Once that's done, you can lift the shifter console right off and gain access to the shifter mechanism.
The four speed shifter mechanism relies on a really simple mechanical reverse lock out. There's a little spring loaded ramp attached to one of the levers.
When shifting to reverse, a little roller comes up against the ramp. To get the shifter into reverse, you physically have to force the roller up the ramp against the spring tension. Over time, the little ramp wears and becomes more of a wall and harder to get the roller to climb it. If you have the patience, you can file or use a dremel tool to reshape the ramp to make it easier for the roller. If you can't reach it properly without taking the center console further apart, you can always spray some lithium grease in the area and hope for better action.
[This message has been edited by Bloozberry (edited 04-27-2014).]
Ok, I tried everything on the roller and ramp, wd40, spray lithium grease, even brake caliper grease, and then PB blaster silicone spray. It does work a little easier, but to get at that "ramp" to reshape it, I'd have to disassemble the center console or try to flenagle that bolt out that holds the ramp on and it's so cramped in there, I'm afraid I won't be able to get it back on. Ill try during the weekend if I think it's still too hard. A freind told me to loosen the tension of the spring, but I don't know how to do that. Thanks to all.
------------------ ===Always trying to find time to work on cars=== Louis Duet Baldwin, Long Island, NY Where driving hard is SOP. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12 The "DuetLorean" VIN #5835 Stock PRV engine Robertson Equipped Neiland/Delman Engineered Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"
If you want to work on the ramp you will need to take the complete assembly out and work on it on a work bench. I think all the lubricants you used are maybe not the best. Oil might work better. Plain old engine oil or maybe 90 weight gear oil. It has to get inside the roller and any pivot point(s). I would take it out and take it apart and clean up everything and oil it well and put it back together. Maybe work on that ramp area some before you start the clean up process. Maybe new bushings on the selector lever on the trans if you have not done that. Some lubricant there may help but it may also hold dirt and accelerate wear. Just a poor design on the trans. I've looked at that many times wanting to redesign it.
------------------ Rodney Dickman
Fiero Parts And Acc's Web Page: All new web page!:www.rodneydickman.com Rodney Dickman's Fiero accessories 7604 Treeview Drive Caledonia, WI 53108 Phone/Fax (262) 835-9575
The roller rolls now, I can see it rolling when I put it into reverse. Maybe someday I will take it all apart and bench it. But right now I need to be able to drive it everyday. My wife's 2009 chrysler town and country van is going back to the dealership again. They overhauled the transmission and it's still stalling coming off the highway, so back it goes. Good thing for the unlimited lifetime drivetrain warranty, if they could only get it right after two trips and two months at the dealership service center. I also noticed that instead of holding them stick to the drivers side , and then trying to push it into reverse, if I go I to reverse with one quick sudden motion, it goes in easier. Now at least from looking at the internal workings I don't feel like I'm gonna break something forcing it into reverse. On my Delorean, I bent a small pin by forcing the stick to the pass side to go into 5th gear and fortunately the fiero isn't designed that flimsy.
------------------ ===Always trying to find time to work on cars=== Louis Duet Baldwin, Long Island, NY Where driving hard is SOP. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12 The "DuetLorean" VIN #5835 Stock PRV engine Robertson Equipped Neiland/Delman Engineered Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"
The fix should be quite simple and only takes 15 minutes at most. Unscrew the shift knob off of the lever, then remove both ashtrays and use a 7 mm socket wrench to unscrew the four screws under the ashtray. Once that's done, you can lift the shifter console right off and gain access to the shifter mechanism.
