I didn't know where this should belong but since it's about the AFE shortshifter, I thought I would post it on the Aftermarket mod section. I did search but can't find the answer so I'm starting a new thread...

Anyway, I've had my shortshifter for awhile now but recently, it started to malfunction. When I'm in 4th gear and trying to go straight into 6th, the gears grind. This is only when I'm going at a fairly high speed at around 50~60 mph.
So when I accelerate in 4th gear to my cruising speed, I skip 5th and go straight into 6th. With the stock shifter and the AFE SS until now, I was able to do this with no issue.

This isn't an issue with my driving skills because it requires no skills really. I just take the shifter out of 4th and move it right, try to put it into 6th and it grinds. I put it in neutral and try to put it in 6th again, it grinds again. But when I put it into 5th first and then shift to 6th, it works fine.

Anyone who what the problem is?

 

Probably not an issue with the shifter - all the shifter does is move the lever pivot point a bit - it doesn't (shouldn't) force anything in the tranny beyond where a stock shifter would.

There are quite a few directions that this problem could go in.

Some of the alternatives...

Synchros worn.
Other internal trans. failure.
Incomplete clutch release - pressure plate problems, misajusted pedal; broken pedal pivot; slave cylinder problems
Broken motor mounts (trans resting on ppf.)
Etc.

Questions: Are you still under powertrain warranty? What year and mileage? First owner, or is the history unknown?

Have you changed the trans fluid? If so, to what - there have been threads on certain brands of fluids causing shifting problems after a time.

What other power mods do you have? are you F/I or Nitrous?

There are a lot of knowledgeable folk around - most of them don't respond to general posts until a lot of specifics have been revealed...

 

remove the STS and check the bottom cup that sits inside the transmission. That's really the only part that can break. If the cup is OK then the issue has nothing to do with the STS.

 

trying to go in reverse?
Sorry--had to try to be funny\
OD

 

Lol wonder what would happen if you go into reverse at 60 mph. *imagines gear instantaneously stripped of all teeth* ouch

 

I don't have any idea why you decided to blame this on the short shifter considering it worked fine with it installed for a while. Like Mysql said, check the cup on the shifter... if it's not broken, nothing is wrong with it.

If you skip gears often when shifting into 6th gear, it would be a good idea to double-clutch/resynchronize so your 6th gear synchro doesn't get subjected to abuse due to the higher RPM differential on shifting. Your 6th gear synchro could very well be worn out.

Other things to check would be the condition of the clutch pedal bracket (they tend to flex and break if not reinforced), and your clutch pedal adjustment. If your clutch is not fully disengaging when shifting it will put extra strain on your synchros as well. You may find that soon you have this problem in other gears if this is the case.

 

Oh man, I really wasn't blaming anything on the shifter... Just trying to find out what the issue is and if there is solution to the problem.

Anyway, the thing is, I tried rev-matching so there wouldn't be so much change in RPM but when I take the shifter out of 4th and put it in 6th, it grinds. Also, when I take the shifter out of 4th and put it in neutral and let the rpm fall to idle rev (going around 40 mph), push the clutch in, and try to pull the shifter to 6th, it grinds again. The funny thing is that when I take the shifter out of 4th, put it in 5th without letting the clutch out, so guessing just the gears move, and then put it back to 6th, it works fine.

I don't believe that my driving style is putting extra work on the syncros than average 8 drivers.... What I meant on my first PM was that I accelerate in 4th gear to about 3K~3.5K rpm which would get me near 45MPH, which is the speed limit for the expressways. Then I try putting it in 6th, it grinds...

Also, on Sunday afternoon, I popped my stock shifter in after greasing it, and it works fine. So I don't think it's the syncros. I did the same procedure with the stock one, accelerate in 4th, then change gears to 6th, and it works just fine. After doing that a few times, I greased the AFE shortshifter and popped it back in, it is causing the problem again....

Is there some part on the Shortshifter that can wear out with use? If so, I think I need to replace some parts or something... Do you have any solution to this issue?

Oh, by the way, my car is 2006 with Sports Package. It has no mods except for the STS. It has about 24.6k miles on the odometer. I'm the first owner and I never added any other trans fluid myself, just let the dealer change it. Hope that helps.

 

what is the point of skipping gears?

 

Put the stock shifter back in and see if you are getting the same problems. If you do have the same problems bring the car in for service.

 

The only problem I've ever heard somebody mention about the AFE SS is the cup on the bottom cracking apart. I think they're using a different material for it now, and I'm not sure if that issue still even exists.

Does the reverse lockout plate work correctly? There is a pretty high tolerance on the OE shifters, and there are actually different lockout plates used to accommodate if I recall correctly. The reason I ask is because the only thing I can think of is that you're actually moving the shifter past 6th all the way to reverse. The reason it works from 5th to 6th is because you're pulling it straight down... shifting from 4th to 6th you're going to push it as far as you can to the right, and then down, which would be reverse if the lockout isn't working.

 

I shift from 2nd to 6th quite often. If you accelerate hard until you hit your desired cruising speed, are you really going to bang it through every single remaining gear to get to 6th?

 

I rarely use 5th gear. I find myself doing 70 just fine in 3rd, and by then I'm on the highway, so may as well go straight to 6th.

4th gets used on surface streets a lot, but 5th gear is too tall for that.

 

syncros wearing on this transmission is a common issue

If it was an issue with the shifter it would likely grind in every gear or not allow you to shift at all.

 

He said he threw the stock shifter back in and it shifts OK.

 

I guess I'll just have to live with the horrible stock shifter until I can get my STS fixed or get a new one...
Really don't like how the stock one feels...

 

Did you check the clearance of the reverse lockout plate on the AFE SS? Is it working properly?

 

lol...good point

I guess I don't drive my car often on the highway, so for me it has never been needed.

 

could you get a photo of the bucket at the bottom of the st shifter?

i had one go bad, but it just got loud. no shifting issues.. have you checked your fluid? this is very odd.. were the little pins in the plate that hold down the shifter seated fully?

beers

 

just installed mine.. and its wonderfull
no probelms in sound or shifting. and im using voodooo **** too