Shifting Problems caused by something other than clutch or trans?

[silvercoffin]

I am at my wits end trying to figure out whats wrong with my car. I can not shift well enough to bother taking it to the track anymore. On the street sloppy at the track impossible. I have tried several clutches installed by a few different shops, different shifters, a new stock clutch cable, adjuster etc etc.. finally I got a new RPM Racing trans and same troubles.

After a trans shop mentioned that on older cars broken or worn engine mounts have caused these sorts of problems I have started to wonder if my shifting issues could be completely unrelated to the trans or clutch.

My car does have one other strange symptom. When I am backing up and I think its also when turning I can feel a creaking in the pedals/floor boards like something is loose.

Has anyone ever had shifting problems caused by engine mounts or sub frame issues or anything else?

What can I check for myself? IDeas?

 

[Digital]

Take it to a frame shop and have them put it on the machine to see if your car is straight, or even 1 car and not 2 welded together, lol. There is also a optimum "pivot angle" that the enitre drive train needs to sit at as to not bind. Might want the frame shop to measure that as well.

 

[Othic]

When I replaced my motor mounts they were both torn. I replaced them with OEM and I felt no difference in shift quality. Not even a little.

 

[EvilBlack]

Real men use solid mounts. oke: Ok, I like mine.

 

[quikcobra]

My stock mounts were shot accually fell apart when I removed them. Shifting was crappy, hard to put in gear, and impossible under acceleration. I now have urethane and got some solids here also so see what I like most. So yes I had some weird shifting caused by motor and trans mounts.

 

[TRQJUNKIE]

Subin... My trans can't shift for SH!T and i've done everything i know to do to it. Is the t-56 just a POS or why cant we shit smooth as butter?? I hope the OP has the same question here, im not trying to jack this thread.

 

[EvilBlack]

Well, one thing I know for sure is that I put Pennzoil Synchromax and my shifting changed DRAMATICALLY. Also, shifters are a big issue with these cars. It seems that the MGW orange with a Cobra Bob gasket is the way to go. Also, the Anti-Venom shifter mod is recommended by a lot of guys, try that out. I was going to but a fluid change really made the difference to me.

Seriously, the shifter and fluid make a huge difference.

 

[laterbra]

i am having a similar problem i dont want to maker another thread and ask the same question but!
when i first start the car parked it goes through the gears like butter, once the car gets hot and i drive a bit its tough to get into any gear, stop signs, stop lights i almost have to use both hands to engage it and same goes for shifting it.
when i park and try go engage gears its very hard aswell and to top it off i hear a clunk. after a few engages i goes away.

this video is an example when im done the burnout i try to engage it into reverse and something is making it grind and the clutch pedel is to the floor. i had to granny shift for that run (i still rocked the m3 lmao)
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nzFcWYFz5g"]YouTube - burn clutch? whats wrong with the cobra?[/nomedia]
please help me aswell!

 

[cobracide]

i am having a similar problem i dont want to maker another thread and ask the same question but!
when i first start the car parked it goes through the gears like butter, once the car gets hot and i drive a bit its tough to get into any gear, stop signs, stop lights i almost have to use both hands to engage it and same goes for shifting it.
when i park and try go engage gears its very hard aswell and to top it off i hear a clunk. after a few engages i goes away.

this video is an example when im done the burnout i try to engage it into reverse and something is making it grind and the clutch pedel is to the floor. i had to granny shift for that run (i still rocked the m3 lmao)
YouTube - burn clutch? whats wrong with the cobra?
please help me aswell!

I assume you have a firewall adjuster? If not get one - I MAY HAVE had the same issue. The steeda fw adjuster could not go OUT far enough and the gears were really notchy. The clutch was at the floor and was not dis-engaging the trans fully. The firewall adjuster needs to come away from the firewall more, pushing the clutch cable sleeve out. A fiore firewall adjuster has better adjustment range than every other one I've seen. Get the micro-click.

 

[josh2016]

how much power are u puttin down? the stock T56 is only rated to 400 rwhp from what im told. i had the same problem so i took my transmission to a shop and found out my imput shaft was twisted causing it to be damn near impossible to shift. ur stock imput shaft is 10 spline. have a 26 spline imput shaft put in and ur problems will be solved. i had my tranny fully rebuilt since i was there anyways. parts and labor came out to around $1,800.00. it shifts like butter now

 

[TRQJUNKIE]

how much power are u puttin down? the stock T56 is only rated to 400 rwhp from what im told. i had the same problem so i took my transmission to a shop and found out my imput shaft was twisted causing it to be damn near impossible to shift. ur stock imput shaft is 10 spline. have a 26 spline imput shaft put in and ur problems will be solved. i had my tranny fully rebuilt since i was there anyways. parts and labor came out to around $1,800.00. it shifts like butter now

YUCK $1,800... im a cheap ass hahah

Maybe i'll just get a magnum.

 

[oldmodman]

Here is a suggestion.

A really long time ago I was helping a neighbor with his Fox. He had been having intermittent shifting problems for over a year.
And while he was replacing a clutch he asked me to take a look at it while it was going in. He seemed to have it aligned OK but when I tried to pull out the alignment tool it was sticking. I pulled the clutch back off and saw that his pilot bearing was damaged. We pulled the old one out, installed the new one and his car shifted great from that point onward. He said he had not bothered to replace it the last three times he had the trans off the car.

 

[josh2016]

YUCK $1,800... im a cheap ass hahah

Maybe i'll just get a magnum.

the magnum is going to run u around $3000. and mine is stronger than the magnum for half the price.

 

[Shadow Grey 03]

the magnum is going to run u around $3000. and mine is stronger than the magnum for half the price.

Yours is rated at 700 ft/lbs? The magnum also has the upgraded output shaft. I'm with you on having the upgraded stocker, but the guys that did it claimed that 550 wheel was about it for banging gears without upgrading the output shaft.

 

[josh2016]

my tranny was completely gutted and everything was redone. Pro Motion said my transmission was now good for around 850 ft/lbs. i had to get a new clutch because of the 26 spline imput shaft and i put in a fidanza aluminum flywheel since my stock one was worn to shit.

 

[TRQJUNKIE]

my tranny was completely gutted and everything was redone. Pro Motion said my transmission was now good for around 850 ft/lbs. i had to get a new clutch because of the 26 spline imput shaft and i put in a fidanza aluminum flywheel since my stock one was worn to shit.

Where is Pro Motion located, did you take your car there or ship your trans?

 

[TRQJUNKIE]

?

 

[silvercoffin]

info

Yes I have done everything and even had the guys from JDM a few years ago take a look at the clutch and adjust the firewall adjuster properly.

I have had two different trannys, three different clutches and tried two different shifters and two different frewall adjusters..now have fiore

I am going to eventually go back to a FMS clutch because I hate the spec clutches 3+ and now I have 2+ ...i used to burn up a clutch every season and a half but I could launch great with the FMS clutch

When I go back to a FMS clutch I am going to ask the shop to tell me what they think about motormounts and trans mounts... or maybe Ill just ask them to replace them anyway.

 

[silvercoffin]

?????

How big a job is it to change motor and trans mounts?

Just wondering how big a bill Ill be paying in addition to the new clutch I want.

This is it for this car... if this doesnt fix the shifting issues im selling it. on the street it feels okay.