Shifter VS Backup Light switch (Page 1/2)
J.E. Rowlett DEC 11, 06:06 PM
85 GT 4spd. Shifter works fine but it seems that the shifter will not stay in the reverse gate enough to stay engaged with the Back Up Light Switch. If you hold it over it stays engaged but when you let it go it moves too far to the right??? Ideas??
Spoon DEC 11, 06:32 PM
I'd say your shifter is worn out. There were 2 versions of the 4 spd shifter. An idea of what happens when you put it in reverse is like opening a car door on a grade and the door no longer stays open. Look around a car door hinge and you will see a roller that moves to different notches to hold the door open. Same with shifter going into reverse. The roller is worn as well as the notch so the shifter moves back to the right enough that the backup lights may even turn off but the car will stay in reverse. If I find some pics I'll post them here later.



Spoon


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"Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast. They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne." - Kurt Vonnegut

[This message has been edited by Spoon (edited 12-11-2020).]

J.E. Rowlett DEC 11, 06:40 PM
Thanks for your response and thats what I thought. Anyone selling shifters??
pmbrunelle DEC 11, 10:23 PM
Rodney Dickman sells rebuild parts for the shifter assembly.

If after rebuilding (and adjusting) the shifter assembly the reverse lamp switch still doesn't work properly (due to play elsewhere in the shift linkage), then I suggest trying my reed switch modification:
http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/142564.html

It worked for my Fiero. Road-tested all of summer 2020.

[This message has been edited by pmbrunelle (edited 12-11-2020).]

pmbrunelle DEC 11, 10:41 PM

quote
Originally posted by Spoon:
An idea of what happens when you put it in reverse is like opening a car door on a grade and the door no longer stays open. Look around a car door hinge and you will see a roller that moves to different notches to hold the door open. Same with shifter going into reverse.



Are you sure the shifter is supposed to spring to the left when in Reverse? I previously asked the following question:

http://www.fiero.nl/forum/F.../HTML/142564.html#p0

quote
Originally posted by pmbrunelle:
In the Reverse position, is the shifter supposed to spring:

*****Towards the left?*****
If it sticks to the left, then after pulling the shifter backwards from Reverse, it stays on the left side by itself, keeping the reverse lamps on. To get into the forward gears, give the shifter a shove to the right, and then you're back into the normal pattern.

*****Towards the right?*****
Same as 1st and 2nd, so after pulling the shifter backwards from Reverse, it springs all the way to between 3rd and 4th. My friend's BMW E90 is like this.



Answer:

http://www.fiero.nl/forum/F.../HTML/142564.html#p1

quote
Originally posted by fierofool:
On the 4 speed, the resting position in Neutral is aligned with the 3-4 gate. All the way to the right.



Second answer:

http://www.fiero.nl/forum/F.../HTML/142564.html#p2

quote
Originally posted by fieroguru:
The spring loaded lever should push the shifter out of the R gate, not keep it in there.



Spoon, what you're saying is in contradiction with what the other posters have stated. Who is wrong here?

[This message has been edited by pmbrunelle (edited 12-11-2020).]

J.E. Rowlett DEC 12, 12:54 PM
Thanks everyone!! I went and checked the shifter and it is exactly as Spoon described. Shifter does work just fine just worn and will not hold the B/U light switch. I will check with Rodney for the rebuild parts!! John
Spoon DEC 12, 09:05 PM

quote
Originally posted by J.E. Rowlett:

Thanks everyone!! I went and checked the shifter and it is exactly as Spoon described. Shifter does work just fine just worn and will not hold the B/U light switch. I will check with Rodney for the rebuild parts!! John



Thanks John. An engineer friend once said to me....... "I may not be right all the time, But I'm never wrong". lol...

Spoon

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"Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast. They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne." - Kurt Vonnegut

pmbrunelle DEC 12, 11:52 PM

quote
Originally posted by Spoon:
"I may not be right all the time, But I'm never wrong".



It was actually from reading one of your posts on this subject that raised a doubt in my mind. That prompted me to ask for clarification in the thread I linked to.

So did you ever drive a new Fiero with a shifter that stayed stuck to the left while in Reverse?

Are fierofool and fieroguru perhaps wrong because they have only dealt with Fieros having worn shifter/transmission parts?

I seek an explanation to reconcile the different opinions. Actually it would be good for the forum in general if everyone could form a consensus.

[This message has been edited by pmbrunelle (edited 12-12-2020).]

J.E. Rowlett DEC 13, 01:29 PM
I'm not sure I can explain this very well but to answer pmbrunelle from my memory as a Retired Pontiac Dealer and driving many new Fieros, on a 4 spd when you would go to reverse the shifter would stay in the gate for reverse postion1&2 was no pressure and 3&4 had pressure to the right. Clear as mud?? John
pmbrunelle DEC 13, 02:00 PM

quote
Originally posted by J.E. Rowlett:
from my memory as a Retired Pontiac Dealer and driving many new Fieros, on a 4 spd when you would go to reverse the shifter would stay in the gate for reverse postion



Good to know; the fact that you drove many of them increases the reliability of the answer.

Actually, by looking at the ramp as Spoon mentioned, it looks like it's intended to keep the shifter leftwards while in Reverse.


quote
Originally posted by J.E. Rowlett:
1&2 was no pressure and 3&4 had pressure to the right. Clear as mud?? John



I would think that in 1&2 there would exist a spring force to the right, so this part is not clear to me... however the discussion is more focused on the behaviour while in Reverse.

I invite fierofool and fieroguru to make statements on this subject.