manual shifting

[Iownagn-gs]

why is it so damned difficult to shift into 1st gear?  Nine times outta ten pulling down on the shifter won't even get into low gear.  Did GM do this on purpose and what options can eliminate this?   


I located an oem in Alabama few months ago and cable has been installed.  I've tried making adjustments both at the shifter and the linkage on transmission.  Very frustrating!

[Steve Wood]

some times it is the adjustment on the park linkage that prevents it from moving all the way into first.  Why don't you disconnect the park linkage and see if it will then cleanly go into first every time.  If it does, then a small tweak on the park linkage may fix it...be sure you still have the reverse lights on in R and it will start in both Park and Neutral after you do this

I have also noticed that the shim that goes between the arm coming out of the steering column and the park linkage rod can be worn out and there is a lot of lost movement between the rod being moved and the arm on the column actually moving which can screw up the action

[earlbrown]

my car was like that when I first got it. Turns out the bracket on the trans pan was tweaked about 2 degrees.  It was amazing just how little it took to keep the shifter from being able to stay in low.

Installing the cable is a balancing act and there is a fixed order of operations.

First you have to take the steering column rod out of the loop. Make the shifter-to-trans adjustment perfect.  Then make the column ring in sync with the trans (VERY important if you have a dammed antitheft chip).  Once those two are set right, then make the reverse lights light at the right time.  Also, for an adjustable chip, and so the car will start, make sure the ring fully indicates 'park' when put in park.