vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

I hate to waste time and space on this site, but I am at my wits end with my build. I cannot, for the life of me, get my car into 3rd or 4th gear! It will catch 1st and 2nd, 5th and reverse, but no 3rd or 4th. I built the car from the ground up and I bought; what I was told 99si linkage and a minty LS hydro tranny. I even took the tranny apart, it looked good from the inside as well as the outside(clean no dents, ect). I have been battling all kinds of issues with every aspect of this build. By far the most exhausting one yet! Most of them I have worked out now. So my questions are:

Is there a way to mount the linkage wrong? The tab on the wrong side of the shifter?

Is there a way to properly identify the linkage to make sure that it's the right linkage, before I go tearing into the tranny?


Please help!!!!!

97ej6dx

AH you need Integra Linkage i had the same problem with my car the linkage was not long enough to get into some of the gears Strange i know.. but there is a diff also i put washers in between to stiffen up the stock linkage . I would try to stiffen it up first the Shifter bushings ware out on hondas and that ruber is just junk try to order poly shift linkage bushings then put washers on both sides untill the inkage is very tight. this will let you know that the linkage is the right one.

To answer your questions tho there pretty much is only one way to mount the linkage as far as i can remember
and
2 the only way is to compare lenght . I just read you said you have the Civic SI linkage. Well i had D series linkage before when mine wasnt working so the Integra linkage may be longer. But i would make sure the linkage is tight and there is no play before ripping any thing else apart

jasoncanseeoh

Props for building your car yourself.
It wouldn't be any fun if it didn't get hard sometimes.
Sounds like an easy fix. I read in another thread of the same thing. GL.

97ej6dx

I know how you feel Vtech junkie i had all sorts of problems with my build to lucky my dad was there to help my between me and him we managed to get through it but it was like almost 5 years of different things here and there. I did my swap back in 05 and only Now are all the bugs worked out but you learn as you go and its all about the experience lol

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

So I need Integra linkage? LS, GSR, what kind. Are you sure that will fix the problem? I am not driving the car. It feels like there is no place for the gear. Just a flat spot all the way till 5th and reverse. Is that what was happening to you as well.

97ej6dx

I would try tightening up the linkage first before you get any thing But i bought GSR linkage for mine and it works great. if its not that well atleast you will have the right linkage> but i think its the length that was my issue

speedooo

92-00 civic b series/94-01 integra linkage is the same...

did you check the gear selector when you pulled the trans apart?

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

99si? What tranny. Did yours feel like there was no place for the gear as well? Thanks for the help though man!

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

No, I used a tear-down re-build thread on here. I just inspected it like the manual said to. The manual didn't say anything about the gear selector.

97ej6dx

Nope mines a 97 civic DX with a B16 swap and a GSR Hydro trans It did feel like my reach was maxed out. i had to get a diff shifter also but thats becaue i had the D series in there. but i was just relating to the feeling where you cant push the shifter any further forward and the Physical limits of the shifter were limiting it. The one i have now is def diff looking and longer on the bottom then again its a short throw> that helped to. It improved the range of the shifter. But i would get under your car, shift it thru all the gears with you fingers if your on your back under your car say your feet are sticking out of the drivers side of the car then the if you turn the little that your shifter connects to all the way to you that should be 5th then reverse, then the middle where the pin is horizontal to the ground that wil be 3rd and 4th push it in and pull it out all the way and you will hear the trans click.. if you hear it click for both gears then that means its a linkage problem if it wont click then id say your there is a snycro problem maybe

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

Ya, my reach is there, just feels like I hit a wall where the gear should be. I really hope that I don't have to tear the tranny all apart to fix this?

MeGotRoundEye

Any DC Integra linkage should work. I'm in the same boat. Good luck.

D16SiHatch

get under the car and see if you can manually move the gear selection rod to get it into 3rd and 4th gear. if it wont go when you are bypassing the linkage altogether then you know the issue is with the transmission internally.

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

Did you get your figured out with DC linkage? Or is it still a problem for you? I will try and esource some DC linkage, and manually select the gears as well. The only thing is I really don't want to f**k with that "bitch" pin! Oh well right!?

forcefedferio

definetely go with integra linkage, also make sure it is factory linkage not aftermarket. i had AVID shift linkage a few years ago and it was JUNK, i had the same problems getting in and out of gear.

Also get some energy suspension shift linkage bushings, talk about an awesome shifter feel, it's the best $14 you could spend.

Also, to make your life easier if you have access to a tool dealer (snap-on) ask them to look up the specialty tool for the honda/acura bitch pins. Or you can do what i did and take a punch (not tapered) that fits inside the bitch pin rather loosely and put washers at the bottom as a base for the bitch pin to sit on. Doing that will allow you to get it started without smashing your fingers and still being able to see what you're doing. Also it will help you put the pin in without spreading the pin making it impossible to fit in.

that is the tool, or what the tool you make should look like.

And hey don't be mad at me or the site because myself and some others tell things the way they are. If you're offended there's a good chance the man in the mirror is to blame.

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

Oh, the philosophical type huh? Thanks Micheal! LOL! Really though, thanks for the help, really man, I appreciate it. I will try to get some different linkage to see if that changes things.

Should I use DC linkage? Or DA?

forcefedferio

haha, you need DC linkage. DA will not work.

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

LS or GSR?

97ej6dx

Some where i heard they were the same but i would go GSR just incase im wrong

Bull_head360

I agree, I think they're the same too but honestly, definatly crawl under your car and try to shift it manually, atleast that will put your mind at ease about the tranny.

Jimster480

well thats the problem right there for you, you cant use a D series shift linkage. its different, so your problem is not the problem that the OP has.

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

So then, will GSR linkage work for me?

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

Is there anyone that has had this problem, or do I have a unique one going on here?

89sihatchls

i have kinda the same problem. but i cant shift down from 3rd to 2nd when i make a right hand turn or when i slow down i have to completely stop to shift to 1st. any ideas ?
\
sorry for the jack

vtechjunkie

iTrader: (2)

It sounds like yours is a syncro problem. It is usually hard for me to get to 1st from second when I am moving faster than 15 or 20 mph.