[DeTomaso] Gearshift linkage disaster

[Christopher Kimball]

FYI,

For a while, my car would jump out of second gear whenever I would punch it.  I feared it was the ZF, but it turned out to be a weird kind of problem.

There is a bracket that supports the "eye-bolt" support through which the turnbuckle passes.  I replaced that part with a new version that doesn't need lubrication (it's Teflon or something).  Anyway, the bracket is shaped like a square upside-down "U" and each leg is spot welded to the frame.  One of the spot welds had broken free from the frame, allowing the bracket to flex up and down slightly, and side to side a bit, so that the shift linkage hit the side of the ZF which would knock it out of gear.

Since I don't own a welder, I just drilled a hole through the bracket and frame at the spot-weld location and ran a bolt through it.  Works like a charm now, and no more slipping out of gear!

Sincerely,

Chris
#3846



> From: MikeLDrew at aol.com
> Date: Sun, 9 Nov 2008 15:18:43 -0500
> To: bjbstewart at yahoo.com; DeTomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Gearshift linkage disaster
> 
> Brent,
> 
> The turnbuckle is, well, the turnbuckle.   It's located just aft of the 
> trunnion bearing.   That is how the linkage length is adjusted.   It has a locknut 
> on each end, one of which is reverse thread (the one with the notches cut into 
> the corners, very plainly visible).   With the locknuts loosened, if you turn 
> the turnbuckle one way, it shortens the overall length of the shift linkage, 
> and if you turn it the other way, it lengthens it.
> 
> Assuming you have successfully moved the splined shafts within the various 
> U-joints (something which is not normally necessary), then the proper fore-aft 
> and side-to-side location of the shift lever is adjusted strictly with the 
> turnbuckle.
> 
> It's not an easy thing to get right; small misalignments are magnified at the 
> shift lever, making it impossible to get either reverse/first, or 
> fourth/fifth if it's clocked incorrectly, and impossible to get the 'forward' gears 
> (reverse/second/fourth) or 'aft' gears (first/third/fifth) if the linkage is the 
> improper length.
> 
> It is MUCH easier to adjust with two people, one person sitting inside the 
> car and managing the shift lever and the other one working the turnbuckle.
> 
> BTW the nuts and the turnbuckle are all 22mm believe, or big-ass crescent 
> wrench....
> 
> Mike
> 
> 
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