shifter won't shift

[bettyd48]

I have a 1993 Suxuki Sidekick JX 5 speed.. Last November I replaced the clutch because of shifting issues, and in February I started to have problems with shifting--will not shift except sporadically. Replaced and adjusted two clutch cables, pulled the shift lever out, etc. I have had the car able to be shifted for a week at a time, and then it stops (last time after 400 miles). I drove it last week for 30 minutes, went to a meeting, and came out and it hasn't shifted since.

I am not doing all the replacing, etc., but my friend who is working on this car for me is at a loss. I called a shop to get an idea of what to do,but they said it could be anything, including a bad tranny or clutch. We put a new (older) shift lever in and it still doesn't work.
Any ideas?

thanks

[fixkick]

calling shops is no good, they can not drive a car and tell you,
any mech, worth salt can answer this , hands on.

the first step is to say what CANT shift means?

1: can you shift to 1st gear, depress the clutch and start the engine? y/n.
then let out the clutch pedal and car now moves.
if yes and yes, it does shift, (see?)
no? the car moves as i crank (bad clutch system) note is said system and not the actual clutch deep in side bell housing.
yes it starts, but NO the car will not move, that is bad shifting. (maybe)

there are 2 common easy failures here.
1: THE SHIFTER LEVER BOTTOM PLASTICS ARE NOW JUST DUST A $5 FIX, and prevents getting in to gear, unless, forced hard and random, actions.
this effect is seen with shifted into 1st gear, and starting with clutch out, in that the car dont move, because its in neutral really.
2:bad cable, bad levers. on each end.
the clutch lever on the bottom of the engine, bell side right must move 1 inch, with clutch depressed (2 person test)
if that happens, the clutch cable system is working if the play spec, is set right. called free play.

see free play nut 19 here
http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/clutch/clu...-kick.html

if the lever 11 moves 1inch, the cable did its job.
period.
if it fails sometimes the pedal is cracked or the pedal spline is stripped. see loves to strip in the above link, or see weld break. same photo same page.

now the shifter plastics.

part id 27 is the top fail all these cars.
http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/rails.JPG

it causes the shifter to fail , to engage the shift forks and go to wrong gear or land in Neutral.
a $5 fix.
and 1hr labor.

[bettyd48]

calling shops is no good, they can not drive a car and tell you,
any mech, worth salt can answer this , hands on.

the first step is to say what CANT shift means?

1: can you shift to 1st gear, depress the clutch and start the engine? y/n.
then let out the clutch pedal and car now moves.
if yes and yes, it does shift, (see?)
no? the car moves as i crank (bad clutch system) note is said system and not the actual clutch deep in side bell housing.
yes it starts, but NO the car will not move, that is bad shifting. (maybe)

there are 2 common easy failures here.
1: THE SHIFTER LEVER BOTTOM PLASTICS ARE NOW JUST DUST A $5 FIX, and prevents getting in to gear, unless, forced hard and random, actions.
this effect is seen with shifted into 1st gear, and starting with clutch out, in that the car dont move, because its in neutral really.
2:bad cable, bad levers. on each end.
the clutch lever on the bottom of the engine, bell side right must move 1 inch, with clutch depressed (2 person test)
if that happens, the clutch cable system is working if the play spec, is set right. called free play.

see free play nut 19 here
http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/clutch/clu...-kick.html

if the lever 11 moves 1inch, the cable did its job.
period.
if it fails sometimes the pedal is cracked or the pedal spline is stripped. see loves to strip in the above link, or see weld break. same photo same page.

now the shifter plastics.

part id 27 is the top fail all these cars.
http://www.fixkick.com/tranny/rails.JPG

it causes the shifter to fail , to engage the shift forks and go to wrong gear or land in Neutral.
a $5 fix.
and 1hr labor.

---

Thanks--what do you have to pull apart to get to part 27? Part 19 looked fine when we pulled it out taking the lever off. Can I buy part 19 at autozone or somewhere like that?

---

thanks--tried everything else you suggested and the shifter will shift when engine is off and I can drive in that gear for a while before I have to turn the engine off to get into other gears. Must be part 19 and 27--have to figure out how to get to part 19. Can you do it through the lever opening?

[fixkick]

no those parts are all 100% suzuki only parts, the p/n are there. on those photo

so the car starts in gear, and does not move as you crank it , right.??
then car moves only when the clutch is released, correct??

so if that is true (both) then you need part 27

what you do to get to the part is pull the whole shift lever off.
the part can in fact be missing in fact turned to dust and mixed with grease just a bunch of black slime now.
you look at the end of the shift lever shaft, bottom tip, is 27, its a ring plastic piece, it MUST BE THERE.







when 27 is new. the shifter has almost no play, this lack of play, allows you to shift the shift rails. other wise its all just a bunch of slack there.
shifting Nothing but air.
the reason 27 is there ,is to prevent the shifter from buzzing and making a noise as you drive (a nuisance)
but wears out.

here (dont do this) it's just a demo
im shifting the transmission with no extension housing.
this proves 100% the tranny does shift. perfectly, for those non believing souls....

---

the FSM is online
need the steps?'
http://www.acksfaq.com/96-FSM-v1-7B-pdf.htm
chapter 7
page B16
shows how to remove the shifter.
removing the 2 screws can make it easier, its under the pressure of the large spring , above the top dog ring, its a cup shape , upside down with 2 slots. this must be removed to
get the shifter out of car, and then put back correctly (2 #36 screws must be installed and locked down the upper cup, if not , it will never ever shift.

---

the boot on the end of the shift shaft hides a large spring as other posted stated,, it must not be broken in half.
the clamp #5 is removed to see the spring.

if confused , send photo to the above gallery.
of what you see,
put it in the transmission folder, and then tell us its there to see.

the tip of the shift shaft will have this #27 part attached or it will be in the hole of #30 , if not its MISSING or long gone.

[bettyd48]

no those parts are all 100% suzuki only parts, the p/n are there. on those photo

so the car starts in gear, and does not move as you crank it , right.??
then car moves only when the clutch is released, correct??

so if that is true (both) then you need part 27

what you do to get to the part is pull the whole shift lever off.
the part can in fact be missing in fact turned to dust and mixed with grease just a bunch of black slime now.
you look at the end of the shift lever shaft, bottom tip, is 27, its a ring plastic piece, it MUST BE THERE.







when 27 is new. the shifter has almost no play, this lack of play, allows you to shift the shift rails. other wise its all just a bunch of slack there.
shifting Nothing but air.
the reason 27 is there ,is to prevent the shifter from buzzing and making a noise as you drive (a nuisance)
but wears out.

here (dont do this) it's just a demo
im shifting the transmission with no extension housing.
this proves 100% the tranny does shift. perfectly, for those non believing souls....

---

the FSM is online
need the steps?'
http://www.acksfaq.com/96-FSM-v1-7B-pdf.htm
chapter 7
page B16
shows how to remove the shifter.
removing the 2 screws can make it easier, its under the pressure of the large spring , above the top dog ring, its a cup shape , upside down with 2 slots. this must be removed to
get the shifter out of car, and then put back correctly (2 #36 screws must be installed and locked down the upper cup, if not , it will never ever shift.

---

the boot on the end of the shift shaft hides a large spring as other posted stated,, it must not be broken in half.
the clamp #5 is removed to see the spring.

if confused , send photo to the above gallery.
of what you see,
put it in the transmission folder, and then tell us its there to see.

the tip of the shift shaft will have this #27 part attached or it will be in the hole of #30 , if not its MISSING or long gone.

---

thank you--my friend picked up this part (part 27) in the junk yard--almost didn't put it on because he thought that couldn't be the problem because the part on the car wasn't 'dust"-part 27 worked.. Now I am going to purchase new ones to have on hand. I appreciate your response, and the car is working!

thank you again--this has been a long fix to get done.

[fixkick]

THE PART IS JUST PLASTIC
and wears and wears thinner day by day, then it becomes so thin it is too loose to shift , caused by huge play in the shifter.
great is shifting !!!
i can grab your shift knob and feel that play, if i see that huge play, we know this part is bad.
there is no limit to damage here, it cracks, breaks up or turns to dust , in whole or in part.
the fact that there is play, is all that matters. nothing else but sure why.
the spring can fail (break)
the parts can be missing, are they?
easy part is necessary, not one is optional.
this is one of the top fails on this car, after about 100k miles, or lots of city driving.
yes, keep spares, suzuki might discontinue this part any time. like many of the other parts now.

happy trails !