Hey everyone,

Erick here. I know I am new, and still need to gain a familiarity with ya'll. I have lurked and lurked prior to registering for a solution to "Goose" being immobile.

I have looked/read/researched/repaired/taken apart/ re-assembled and am still drawing a blank.

The shifter cable became frayed. The outer casing/shell broke, which was the result of my shifter becoming rather difficult to shift into ANY gear. So, I ran it by my local mechanic, cool. They said it was the shifter cable - likely answer, and I had read up on it, before he told me.
I have purchased the shifter cable, replaced it, then it snapped right by my shifter - crap. No problem, I returned it under warranty and I now have a new cable. I replaced it, fixed it all up and it is in there nice and firm . . . no horseshoe clips loose, and no bushings moving around.

BUT. My car will not shift into gear while running. It will shift perfectly while it is turned off. I have read into the hydraulics and then a "wire test" and I am not positive it will be the case.

The clutch is good. The car is in excellent condition. 194k miles and runs like a charm, minus the shifter incident.

I am in a rush to become mobile, again, as I work 17 miles from home and borrowing the family minivan is rather unbecoming and straight up a strain on my family.

ANY help will be appreciated.

Thanks guys.

EDIT: I failed to mention that when I start the car in any gear, it speeds off . . . what's up with that?

 

Have you tried to start it in gear with the clutch in?

 

Yes, and it will take off rather fast. It WILL drive, but it will NOT shift.

 

Your problem is likely in the clutch hydraulics... I had a failed slave cylinder in my truck, and couldn't change gears with the vehicle running in neutral... Have you tried shifting while under way? Some refer to it as speed shifting, basically changing gears without using your clutch... It involves rev matching your shifts, making shifting without the clutch possible...

 

I have not, yet. I am afraid of breaking the casing, if I tried to shift without the clutch.

 

Just get the slave cylinder master cylinder kit. This way you don't have to bleed the lines. Pretty easy job if you can get under the car to get to the slave cylinder on the bellhousing.

 

The only part about this that puzzles me is that when I had my clutch master/slave go out on my 95 SC2, it started with intermittent inability to shift when driving, then parked it and the next morning the shifter was pinned in gear with the engine off, And I mean SOLID. I would think a slave failure would result in inadequate static hydraulic pressure to keep the clutch shiftable when the car is not running.

The job can be done completely from the top.
Go easy on the bolts at the slave -- I think the torque spec is in the 20's. I'll look it up if you need it.

Also the clip at the bottom of the clutch pedal is fun if you like working upside down.

 

So, what you are saying is it 'could' be the clutch hydraulics, but it could also be the slave cylinder? Bad hydraulics would be the cause of me not being able to move the shifter while the car is running, right?

 

Never mentioned the word clutch. Only that I am confused by the situation. I know very little about clutches. Not trying to confuse the issue...just examine it from all angles.

Someone with more clutch exper pls jump in

 

I see. My misunderstanding.