Samurai shifter fix kit...

[FireballXL5]

So... Been chatting with zukkev about my 'binding' issue.. And I may want to look into a shifter fix kit as my current stick is pretty wiggly... So far I'm finding these type of fixes...

http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/index.php/sloppy-shifter-fix-bushings-and-bolts.html

http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/Spidertrax-86-89-Suzuki-Samurai-Shifter-Fix-Kit-p-20541.html

I like the idea... And will probly do it... But my question is: when I would get 'bound up', I was still able to shift from first to reverse and try to let out the clutch... But the 'lockup' would only kill the engine when I let out the clutch... So... This is making me lean towards a T-case problem and not a tranny problem?

Crash, war-jeeper, and those that were with me at elbe when she locked up last... Whatcha think? T-case linkage slop issue? Should I start there... Or look deeper? I'll probly wheel it as is til I can get some parts in... And hopefully diagnose it better if it happens again... Last time I would just bang the sticks around while trying the clutch til it broke free... And then it works like it never happened at all... Just trying to track down all the gremlins. ..

 

[Zukzillah]

I had similar problem with tcase. Got going again by pulling shifter out and used a screwdriver to put it back in gear.

I installed a new shifter bolt and solid brass shifter sheet from Zuks Offroad

http://www.zuksoffroad.com/Garter-solid-brass-t-case-shifter-sheet_p_89.html

The groove in my shifter showed a lot of wear, so replaced it with a spare that was in better shape. The little sheet metal cup ears were bent. I was able to get a new one from the local Suzuki dealer.

I never had a problem again after doing all the above.

 

[FireballXL5]

Sounds like we are on the right track here... ;-)

Thoughts on brass vs polyurethane vs nylatron?

 

[Zukzillah]

I think poly or nylatron would give up after a while, especially if it is being worked hard. Brass will outlast plastic.

I think what really fixed my problem was the new retaining cup. The old one with bent ears would allow the shifter to lift and disengage the shifter forks. I had another spare cup but just gave it away last week. Not sure if you can still get new ones from Suzuki.

The new bolt, shifter sheet and shifter with cleaner groove definitely took care of any slop I had.

 

[FireballXL5]

I know this is unrelated... But I came across it while looking at vids of sammi fixes... Gotta love youtubes related vids!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS9jb_c808s&sns=em

Funny as hell watching this guys flops... Glad I wasn't THAT guy with my new sammi at elbe... Might as well just leave a rope tied to his permanently! Lol

 

[Drone637]

On my SJ and my brothers old Sammy for the sloppy shifter I upgraded to a larger bolt and a new top shifter housing. Hawk used to sell them, looks like Trail Tough still does:

http://www.trailtough.com/index.php...ategory_id=13&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=53

For the transfer case getting stuck in neutral most of the time you need a new bushing. As for nylon vs brass I like going with the nylon. It took 20+ years for the stock one to wear out and the didn't just go metal to metal for a reason.

One thing to check on is how close your t-case lever is to the body in the shitting tunnel. My t-case mount was tweaked a bit so there was hardly any space, on a good bump the lever would tap the body and pop the t-case out of 4-low and into neutral. I just made a bit more of a gap and the problem went away.

 

[LiftedZuki]

You sure your t-case isn't getting stuck inbtween rails?

 

[zukkev]

He's shifting the trans when it locks up, not the tcase...The trans shifter could be catching both rails, and partly shifting another gear...I'd do the shifter fixes first before going too deep...

 

[LiftedZuki]

He's shifting the trans when it locks up, not the tcase...The trans shifter could be catching both rails, and partly shifting another gear...I'd do the shifter fixes first before going too deep...

Just making sure there wasn't a bit of both involved :redneck:

shifter could be worn out, a broken shifter bolt won't cause this, maybe with a worn sheet+broken bolt? my sheet was fine, i bought my samurai with a broken bolt, and drove it home and around for a few weeks before fixing it with no effects besides not being able to bash into gears fast. :flipoff:

 

[FireballXL5]

When it gets locked up... I'm playing with the tranny shifter... Once it's locked I try first and reverse, nothing... Try shifting it out of 4 low to 4 high and 2 low... And it doesn't always kick it out... And it isn't necessarily stuck...

I can play with both sticks when it's locked... And then all of a sudden... With movement it breaks free... I think last time it required me pulling on the winch to free it? The other two times were just playing with sticks...?

Sorry, my brain is tired and I'm not remembering too clearly at the moment... Off to bed so I can work tonight and wheel tomorrow without falling asleep at the wheel!

 

[LiftedZuki]

t-case always stays in the right gear like it should?

 

[CHOP SHOP]

Its afawkin ZUK, the tcase is NOT even bolted to the tranny.

ITS NOT the Tcase. In case ya didnt hear it, ITS NOT THE TCASE.


Its a fawkin wore out sloppy shifter that lets ya slide it INTO another gear WITHOUT pullin it completly out of the old gear.

Then you let the clutch out and it cant move in two differnt directions or at different ratios so it either dies, or breaks.


It happens when he makes the change from go to back up.

My tractor has been doing it for years. (tractor is 2wd and HAS NO TCASE)

When my tractor does it, its because I am changin from one rail to the other (1st on left, reverse on right) I pull it out of 1st (on left) and into reverse (on right) then it binds and feels locked up. I then go back to 1st and shift it IN and OUT a few times to make sure its NOT still hung on the edge of that gear, then I shift back over to the right rail and put it in reverse and it works fine.


Two things happen when you shift. One, you UNSHIFT. Two, then you shift.
On a tight shifter this happens automatically.


Wait till you get a 79-83 toy 5 speed and the shifter drops under the pins and lets you shift "around the world". :haha:

 

[LiftedZuki]

Its afawkin ZUK, the tcase is NOT even bolted to the tranny.

ITS NOT the Tcase. In case ya didnt hear it, ITS NOT THE TCASE.


Its a fawkin wore out sloppy shifter that lets ya slide it INTO another gear WITHOUT pullin it completly out of the old gear.

Then you let the clutch out and it cant move in two differnt directions or at different ratios so it either dies, or breaks.


It happens when he makes the change from go to back up.

My tractor has been doing it for years. (tractor is 2wd and HAS NO TCASE)

When my tractor does it, its because I am changin from one rail to the other (1st on left, reverse on right) I pull it out of 1st (on left) and into reverse (on right) then it binds and feels locked up. I then go back to 1st and shift it IN and OUT a few times to make sure its NOT still hung on the edge of that gear, then I shift back over to the right rail and put it in reverse and it works fine.


Two things happen when you shift. One, you UNSHIFT. Two, then you shift.
On a tight shifter this happens automatically.


Wait till you get a 79-83 toy 5 speed and the shifter drops under the pins and lets you shift "around the world". :haha:

I know it's divorced.. I happen to be into zuks. :fawkdancesmiley:

I'm just saying, it's NOT the shifter bolt that would cause this, that would make it sloppy, not cause lock ups.

T-cases are pretty common to pop out (worn rails), and sometimes get stuck, not letting you push the rig, or shift out of your new "gear" you found.

I just get under the rig, pull the shifter out, put it back in, and it works good.

Normally only happens if you "shift while moving" or if its pops out and gets stuck .

 

[CHOP SHOP]

I know it's divorced.. I happen to be into zuks. :fawkdancesmiley:

I'm just saying, it's NOT the shifter bolt that would cause this, that would make it sloppy, not cause lock ups.

T-cases are pretty common to pop out (worn rails), and sometimes get stuck, not letting you push the rig, or shift out of your new "gear" you found.

I just get under the rig, pull the shifter out, put it back in, and it works good.

Normally only happens if you "shift while moving" or if its pops out and gets stuck .

Why on earth would you shift the tcase shifter while wheeling a zuk?

Is there some possible use for high range?

 

[LiftedZuki]

I used low only becuae i could hit 50 iat 7500rpms in 4th gear for dunes

My bro uses 4 high with his 16v for cruising.

 

[zukkev]

I think Phil is on the right track with replacing BOTH shift sheets, and taking care of the trans shifter bolt issue as well....It's likely once he starts to take it all apart that he'll find a couple issues in the shifter areas...:redneck:
One time I thought I lost the trans altogether...took the trans apart, and found the 1st gear shift fork roll pin had fallen out!!! :yikes: I also had the broken shifter bolt, as well as a worn sheet...I replaced the top plate with another I had, and sheet, install 3 new roll pins in all the forks, tacked the pins in place, put the trans back together, and have been wheeling on the same trans since! That's been 9+ yrs ago now (Happened the last legal wheelin day at North Fork, which closed to wheeling in 2004)...Only recently has the shifter become slightly sloppier...I suspect another broken stock shifter bolt...:redneck:

 

[Fordzuki]

Make sure the shift bolt isn't missing the nub. If it is, it could be down in the shift rails binding up when it wants to.

 

[FireballXL5]

Yea... And this isn't a common problem... Only happened to me three times in the hours of wheeling I've done so far... Doesn't happen all the time, or every time... But when it does it sux.

And so far, I can't 'make' it happen... Can't reproduce it, unless I'm out in the trails.

And once I'm in the trails, I'm in 4 low and stay there... I only grab the t-case handle when trying to 'unbind' it... It's bound up once on the Reiter rock pile, once on the hill at elbe where I had to winch and popped off a bead on my left front tire winchin, and once in a mud pit I started into and decided to back out.. All three times I got it free and wheeled the rest of the day... So, I'll replace a few things, investigate what I can, and go break stuff on the trails! :awesomework:

 

[FireballXL5]

Doing a little digging today... Decided to pull it apart and 'inspect'... I found that I already have the 'shifter fix kit' bushing... And the shift lever locator bolt was over tightened and stripped out!

The bolt had worked itself halfway out... Was barely holding on... And it 'reamed' out the slot in the shifter pretty bad...

So... Until I can pick up another shift lever and bolt on top socket... I tapped the hole out to a 3/8 x 16 thread... And filed down a bolt I found laying around to fit the new gap in the shifter...

Wish I could've found a hardened bolt to file down... But my 'nuts n bolts' bin is pretty scarce/scattered at the moment... Who knows... This may hold and do just fine... Or... I'll just have to find a lever and housing that is in good shape with the stock size threaded bolt...

I have no doubt that there is/was enough slop in the setup to create my binding issue... by allowing two gears to try to engage at the same time... And then it would stick when pressure was applied... And break free when i got them to turn slightly from rocking/shifting/winching... Hopefully this will cure the 'constipation'... And give me a much more 'positive' shift feeling!

 

[FireballXL5]

Had to enlarge the gap in the shifter bolt channel... So the bolt could slide up/down when changing gears... But it's waaaaay better. The bolt likes to screw in/out while going from first to reverse... It follows the shift lever... So hopefully the red locktite I put on there will seize it up... Preventing it from backing out...

It's possible I may need a new lever and bolt on housing for the transmission down the road... But only time will tell..

Soooo... Possible nickname change? :worship: :worship: :worship: