Alfa Romeo Repair: GTV6 shifter, gear shaft, shift fork


Question
Hi Dave,
It's Dave Turner again (coast-down vibration)with another question. When I first got the GTV6, it was rare that I could shift from 1st to 2nd without grinding metal. I then discovered that if I slowed shifter movement down only slightly, and pulled the shift lever EXTREMELY hard to the left while shifting that it shifts smoothly. At first I thought I had the dreaded 2nd gear synchro problem, but now I'm thinking its in the shifter.
Is this a shifter re-build or am I kidding myself?
Dave  

Answer
Hi Dave,

I can assure you if the gearbox hasn't been out and syncro rings replaced, that you have the dreaded syncro problem.  One of the hardest things for people who drive these things to learn, is it's not a Muncie four speed like they had in their Chevelle and it's not a slick Japanese shifter that you can stir into any gear at any speed.  Whoever put the first 30K miles on your car, no doubt damaged the gearbox.  Fear not... they are truly indestructable.  The shift from first to second, requires two deliberate movements with a slight pause in neutral.  "SNICK-SNICK"  If it's bad, it's more like "SNICK-------SNICK".

Before you worry about your shifting, you need to fix the gearbox mounts.  Some of your shifting problem might be from that too.  It could also be that when you apply lots of pressure to the shifter when you pull it back, that you are binding the shift fork against the slider on the gear shaft and slowing the shaft with pressure to help the syncro.  I wouldn't do that until you find out if it's the mounts.
My box in my 84 is all tricked out with lightened gears, different ratios all new synchros and a limited slip unit.  I put it together and filled it with Amszoil synthetic gear lube.  It would make that little "Chunk" noise when I shifted from first to second.  After all I spent on this thing, I was pissed.  Turns out that the synthetic lube was so slippery that it wouldn't let the synchro rings do their thing properly.  It shifted beautfully with standard Hypoid.  I've since switched back to the synthetic and I just shift slower.
My point being that what that synthetic does is exactly the opposite of what you are doing by forcing the shifter to one side.  You are helping the synchros slow the shaft so the dogs can engage.  Unfortunately, you will wear out the shift forks and make it really sloppy.
That's just a possible theory, I'm not saying that's what's happening.  It's the only explanation I can think of right now.    
You are lucky in that your car has the "Early" shift mechanism.  In 1986 (officially, but I've seen 95's with the change) they went to what they called "Isostatic" shift.  It has some advantages but what hurts it, is that where the shift bar attaches to the transmission, it is retained by a roll pin.  Your car has a splined shaft with a retaining nut.  It means you can move your shifter by a spline in either direction to achieve centering in the console.
You can tighten up the shifting by replacing the plastic bushing inside the bottom of the shift lever clevis.  There is a shoulder bolt that goes through there and a very thin nylon bushing.  So thin that some people don't even know it's there.  Sometimes, it's NOT there!!!
Also, if it hasn't already been done, removing two inches or so from the shift lever will make the car shift much more crisply with shorter throw.  I've owned three GTV6 cars and all of them had already been circumsized before I got them.
Are you planning to work on this car yourself?  You need to learn to curse in Italian.
If you name your car and talk to her, she will love it.  Yes, they are female.
Any electrical problems that you have are best cured by first... waiting 24 hours.  My teenager has adopted the phrase, "It will work tomorrow" and he is usually right.

I'll leave you an email address in case you have further problems.  I have lots of parts for these and other Alfa's, so ask before you buy something.
<doc1590@yahoo.com>

dave