'88 Vette 4+3 linkage adjustment

[88hotrod]

Hi all,

My dad has an '88 Vette with the 4+3 manual transmission. The tranny tends to get stuck between gears. We believe that this is something that can be fixed by adjusting the shift linkage. Our Haynes manual specifies that the driver's seat and a big chunk of the console have to be removed prior to starting the job. Has anyone done this without removing the seat and console? Are there any tricks to make the job go more smoothly? I tried posting this question in a non Corvette forum and haven't had many looks, so I thought I'd come to the experts!

Thanks in advance for your replies.

Matt

 

[JonM]

It is really simple to take the seat out...4 bolts and unplug the electrical connections...thats it...and the side panel is just a bunch of screws. If you need any instructions, I can scan the page out of my HELMS book. You shoulc think about getting one...its invaluable.

http://www.helminc.com/helm/homepage.asp?r=

 

[88hotrod]

Jon,

If you have time to scan that page I would greatly appreciate it. We're going to try to tackle this job after work one night this week. We'll check into that Helm manual--3000 pages of documentation! That's a big step up from the Hayne's manual we have been using. Thanks for your help.

Matt

 

[JonM]

If you buy the manuel..make sure you buy the electrical supliment that goes with it. The two books will save you a fortune.

http://home.comcast.net/~jamislow/linkage.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~jamislow/linkage1.jpg

 

[c4cruiser]

Do yourself (and youe Dad!!) a big favor and buy the Helm factory service manual. These are the same manuals the GM service techs use. They are model year specific and the package comes in a two-volume set. Depending on the year, you may get supplemental pages that updates the books. One book covers mechanical and body repairs and the other book covers electrical diagnosis and emissions/driveability.

You can also find the Helm manuals on eBay from time to time, but if you go that way, make sure you get the manuals with the RED covers. The books with the white covers are preliminary manuals and may not have accurate and up-to-date info.

The Haynes books are generic in terms of information and I have found a number of glaring errors in them. You don't get specific tune-up information, torque specs, and model specific repair procedures. Toss it.

 

[88hotrod]

Thanks for the advice and info. We were hoping to be able to avoid removing the seat, but if need be we'll give it a go. We'll also check into that Helm manual.

Matt

 

[88hotrod]

Hi all,

Dad and I dove into the job and have been correcting some problems that we found with the linkage--the Haynes and Helm manual call out for the 1-2 and 3-4 shift rods to be above the pivot point on the tranny, but we found all three to be set up below the pivot point. I think that this was causing a lot of our binding problems. Unfortunately, we're a little stuck now. The shift rods all appear to be situated where they need to be, but we are having a bear of a time getting a drill bit to pass through the neutral point on all three rods so that we can tighten up the adjustment on the rods. We were under the impression that there would be a well defined hole to pass the bit through, but this doesn't appear to be the case. Any hints or tips? We're feeling pretty frustrated.

Thanks,

Matt