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So I recently rebuilt the shifter assembly with a new seat, spring, pivot cover and urea grease and it completely improved the shifting as well as fix the issue where I had to manually pull back up on the shift knob to getting out of reverse. A few days ago while driving the weekend warrior I ran into the same issue having to pull back up on the knob when coming out of reverse (wasn’t as hard to push down/lift up as before the rebuild). The strange part is that there’s absolutely no issue when you first drive the car it feels as if once the cars warmed up that the issue appears? One would think it would be the other way around and that it would be easier once things are warmed up... Could the new spring be seated unproperly if that’s even possible? I was definitely not stingy with the grease. Could it be another issue instead of the spring? I won’t be able to check it out myself for another week or so but it’s been on my mind so thought I’d seek advice, thanks guys! - cumulusAP2
Last edited by cumulusAP2; Dec 9, 2018 at 12:16 PM.
Gonna follow this. I too have a hard time engaging reverse when I'm trying to park, and that's usually after going out for a drive (so the car is warm).
Honestly, engaging reverse is probably my least favorite thing to do in my car.
Sounds like more of a mechanical issue with the shifter if you need to pull back up on the lever. You don't have an issue actually getting the lever into the reverse gate, correct? You just have a problem with it popping back up when you shift out of reverse? I'd open it back up, clean out ALL of the grease and use some brake cleaner or something else to get it all out of there.
The thing to really look for is burrs on the metal walls of the transmission where the lever carrier / spring sits. If it wears any kind of grooves into the metal it will create potential for binding. Clean everything up and feel around in there with your fingers. If you feel any sharp edges or raised material you can knock them down with some scotch brite or fine grit sandpaper. Just ensure you stuff a rag down where the pivot ball goes in and the surrounding area to catch any of the dust and shavings so it doesn't fall in there. Get it nice and smooth to the touch. If your car didn't shift good before it probably means the grease was pretty much dried up and mostly gone, that leads to more friction between the contact surfaces. Believe it or not the aluminum is pretty soft, where-as the plastic bushing will eventually wear into it without proper lubrication; how many miles on your car? Most shifters will look like this regardless, but if yours got pretty bad there might be more than just surface scoring; it may have worn some grooves and burrs. Here's a pic:
Also ensure the shift lever is facing the proper direction in the carrier basket. With the assembly removed hold the shifter up-side down. There's a vertical key tab on the basket. With that facing you the threaded rod on the shifter assembly should be angled off to the right. Some people get this backwards.
Lastly...grease the absolute **** out of it....I'd really get everything packed in. Completely coat the large ball, fill the inside of the basket, once the basket is around the ball pack as much grease as you can into the two channels that the tabs pivot up and down in and all surrounding grooves, coat the entire outside of the basket, coat the pivot ball, fill the little reservoir on the bottom of the pivot ball bushing and coat the entire outside, coat the walls of the transmission channel with it liberally as well as the little cup the pivot ball sits in. Don't be sly with the grease....use like 1/3 of the can of this stuff, it absolutely cannot hurt to have more of this stuff in there.
Gonna follow this. I too have a hard time engaging reverse when I'm trying to park, and that's usually after going out for a drive (so the car is warm).
Honestly, engaging reverse is probably my least favorite thing to do in my car.
2000 AP1.
Saaame! Ill be able to get it pulled back out this weekend to take a second look and will update the thread. Have you already performed the shifter rebuild? Or at least cleaned and re-greased all the components to the assembly?
Sounds like more of a mechanical issue with the shifter if you need to pull back up on the lever. You don't have an issue actually getting the lever into the reverse gate, correct? You just have a problem with it popping back up when you shift out of reverse? I'd open it back up, clean out ALL of the grease and use some brake cleaner or something else to get it all out of there.
The thing to really look for is burrs on the metal walls of the transmission where the lever carrier / spring sits. If it wears any kind of grooves into the metal it will create potential for binding. Clean everything up and feel around in there with your fingers. If you feel any sharp edges or raised material you can knock them down with some scotch brite or fine grit sandpaper. Just ensure you stuff a rag down where the pivot ball goes in and the surrounding area to catch any of the dust and shavings so it doesn't fall in there. Get it nice and smooth to the touch. If your car didn't shift good before it probably means the grease was pretty much dried up and mostly gone, that leads to more friction between the contact surfaces. Believe it or not the aluminum is pretty soft, where-as the plastic bushing will eventually wear into it without proper lubrication; how many miles on your car? Most shifters will look like this regardless, but if yours got pretty bad there might be more than just surface scoring; it may have worn some grooves and burrs. Here's a pic:
Also ensure the shift lever is facing the proper direction in the carrier basket. With the assembly removed hold the shifter up-side down. There's a vertical key tab on the basket. With that facing you the threaded rod on the shifter assembly should be angled off to the right. Some people get this backwards.
Lastly...grease the absolute **** out of it....I'd really get everything packed in. Completely coat the large ball, fill the inside of the basket, once the basket is around the ball pack as much grease as you can into the two channels that the tabs pivot up and down in and all surrounding grooves, coat the entire outside of the basket, coat the pivot ball, fill the little reservoir on the bottom of the pivot ball bushing and coat the entire outside, coat the walls of the transmission channel with it liberally as well as the little cup the pivot ball sits in. Don't be sly with the grease....use like 1/3 of the can of this stuff, it absolutely cannot hurt to have more of this stuff in there.
Awesome thanks a lot for the detailed response!! I’ll get it back out and check it all out this weekend. I only used up maybe half the container of Honda’s urea grease so I don’t mind emptying that sucker out for the sake of fixing the issue! Perhaps it does lack a bit where the basket snaps onto the pivot ball. The spring should be well greased as well correct?
Reverse harder to engage when car is warmed up?
