Transmission questions

Mr. C. · #1 (**permalink**) 10-25-2004, 01:12 PM

My car is a Nuova Super 1300. It is eguipped with a 5 speed transmission which must be the same as any Alfa 4 cylinder 5 speed 105/115 car.

My questions concern the shift gate. To select 1st or 2nd gear, you must hold the shift lever hard against the left side of the gate. If you dont you get 3rd or 4th. To Select 5th or reverse, you must hold the lever hard against the right side of the gate. If not you get 3rd or 4th. #rd and 4th are selectable anywhere between the two extremes as in a very wide gate.

1, Is this normal operation? I do not remember this being the case in either my 1750 GTV or the 2000 Berlina. But they were a while ago.

2, Can the gate width be changed? Anyone know how to change it?

thanks

**papajam** · #2 (**permalink**) 10-25-2004, 01:58 PM

First thing I'd check is the shift lever to trans stub shifter pinch bolt (the bolt that holds the shifter to the trans). Often times, the original 7mm bolt is replaced with a 6mm bolt which, if not tightened to within a inch of it's life, can allow the shift lever to pivot on the trans.

To my knowledge, the 5th gear ratio in the 1300 engined 105 Spider Jrs. and GT Jrs. is 0.85 to 1. All non-1300 cars have an 0.79 to 1 5th gear.

Mr. C. · #3 (**permalink**) 10-25-2004, 03:18 PM

Thanks Jim. I will check that out tomorrow.

**CarPoor** · #4 (**permalink**) 10-25-2004, 08:58 PM

MrC- When I reassembled my '67 Super, the shift lever was completely worn out, probably from being used loose. I had to replace the top stub of the trans and the shift lever itself because no amount of torque on that little bolt would tighten it up enough to be usable. HTH,
Pat

Mr. C. · #5 (**permalink**) 10-26-2004, 04:13 PM

You are some kind of sharp guy Papajam.

The 7mm nut was loose. Probably my not tightening it correctly when I had the transmission out to do the clutch. But as I got to it, I remember tightening it because it needs an 11mm wrench. It does not have a lockwasher as the parts book shows it should. Now my hardware supplier only sells 7mm lockwashers by the box (100 pieces) and he has a minimum order.
So maybe nylon insert lock nuts would be better???? Or maybe slop some locktite on it OR ream the thing out to 8mm and then I wouldn't have to buy anything. Darn decisions.

I think I need another Alfa to work on so my mind doesn't stagnate.

Anyway thank you very much Jim and Pat also.

MrT · #6 (**permalink**) 11-24-2004, 05:34 AM

I have the same problem, from exactly the same source (my own not-quite-tightened clamping bolt after a clutch R&R) as you. I plan to fix this before it does what CarPoor's hardware did, which is to wear out. But it's already been a couple of thousand miles since the clutch R&R.

I appreciate you folks renewing my attention to this matter and keeping my hardware healthy.

Michael

Jr. Z · #7 (**permalink**) 11-24-2004, 08:40 AM

Papajam is right (again) on this one, the bolt is a very high strength (10.9, I think), very odd dia. & length, with a specific shank length as well, VERY specific to ALFAs. The ALFA suppliers that know about this stock these bolts & nuts. Don't forget, when you are dealing with a high strength bolt, you have to use a high strength nut as well so you can torque correctly. When everything is right, the shifter stub should be a snug slip fit into the shift lever, the bolt is a snug slip fit into the hole in the lever, and a snug fit past the cutaway on the stub, which means that if everything is correct you shouldn't have much movement at the lever/stub interface even with the bolt just slipped in place, no nut. Then you torque the s**t outta the damn thing, which you can do because you have high strength fasteners. THEN you get no movement! Folks, this does not seem to be well known, and the majority of cars out there have had this area butchered by people who don't know/care about fastener grades, lose the OEM part & sub. with something inferior. The experienced ALFA mechanics that R & R gearboxes know, though. They've found out the hard way & seen it done incorrectly too many times. Bruce

Touringspider · #8 (**permalink**) 11-24-2004, 09:33 AM

Incorrect fasteners are one of my pet peeves. It is amazing what people will use on their cars, either out of ignorance or laziness. Manufacturers use certain fasteners in particular applications for a reason, and using the wrong ones can lead to leaks, non-optimum functionality, or at worst failure. The local Phoenix Alfa Shop guru is a fastener nazi, and gets really wound up when he finds "communist bolts" (i.e. anything incorrect) on a car he is working on.

One interesting thing is how hard it is getting to find metric slotted head machine screws and bolts, which are correct on the older cars. Even well equipped hardware stores only carry Phillips heads now. On several occasions I have had to order a box of 50 from McMaster-Carr (a GREAT resource) just to get 10 correct fasteners.

On the other extreme, I have a friend who is completely blind to using the correct fasteners. He uses whatever is at hand, mostly because he is really disorganized and has usually lost the correct ones. I saw him using drywall screws to attach trim this weekend and about had a cow. When I suggested he use something more applicable to the job, he said he didn't have time to look for them and kept going. Whatever.

Arno Leskinen
AROC-USA National Concours Chair
102
115
116

Jr. Z · #9 (**permalink**) 11-24-2004, 12:09 PM

Arno - Sieg Heil!! I have to admit to being a fastener Nazi as well. I sure as hell hope you dock people for incorrect fasteners when judging, we have to get the word out somehow. I restored my Jr. Z bought from a supposed Alfa Guru here in Portland, OR & was appalled at the use of SAE instead of Metric, sheetmetal screws driven in instead of machine screws, you name it, stuff you've seen B4 I'm sure. Drove me batty. I think you're right when you attribute it to a combination of laziness & ignorance. Most people just don't understand how important correct fasteners are to the integrity of whatever vehicle you are working on. I bet when you dock people at a concours for fasteners, you get blank looks most of the time. This trannie stub to lever bolt is a good example, Alfa used very high quality & high strength fasteners in producing these cars, & subbing a hardware store grade 5 zinc instead of a black oxide grade 10.9 is potentially dangerous as well as very indicative of poor workmanship. If you can't find new exact replacements, clean & replate the OEM stuff. If you have to buy replacements, get them from somebody who knows Alfas, not the booger pickin' kid at the hardware store. Bruce

GTD · #10 (**permalink**) 11-24-2004, 04:58 PM

Bruce
You forgot to add - IMO

76spider67mini · #11 (**permalink**) 08-29-2005, 06:59 AM

Same symptons, different solution.

My Spider started to exhibit hard shifting- especially into 5th gear and reverse. The shift lever would have to be held hard over to the right to engage either of these gears. On inspection, I found that the nut/bolt that connects the "inner selecting lever" (identification used in Brooklands- its the assembly that the gear shift lever is bolted to) had come loose. Although the nut has a bent retainer washer intended to keep the nut from backing off, it came loose none-the-less. I assume that vibration had caused the bolt to back off while the nut was held stationary. On reassembly, I used some medium strength loctite to insure that it doesn't vibrate loose again. The good news is that it's possible to get to this bolt with the transmission still in the car. Shifts like new now.