91 Prizm question re: shifting hard


  #1  
Old 08-18-07, 04:01 AM
ikleiman's Avatar
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: USA
Posts: 78
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
91 Prizm question re: shifting hard

Hi,
My 91 Prizm began last winter to be harder to shift. This is hard to describe, but when moving from one gear to the next, I have to push harder to get it from neutral into the in-gear position. It feels as if there is something holding the sides of the gearshift lever, as if it is going through some kind of rubber or padding or something. The odd thing is that this doesn't always happen, but it is often the case. I've been trying to see if there is some pattern where it would shift easy if I controll the conditions, doing things like pumping the clutch (no change), trying to find a speed where the shifting is not restricted, but free (seems to be a middle engine speed, but not consistent). Anyway, it is not always the case, but mostly. Sometimes shifting is easy, without the added friction, but there is no consistency. Why does it shift easily at times, but is tight and has this friction in it at other times?
What I'd like to know is what this might be and how long it could go on before I have a major failure. The car needs about $500 worth of work and I wonder if it is worth doing.
 
  #2  
Old 08-18-07, 07:03 AM
HotxxxxxxxOKC's Avatar
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 7,754
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Does it seem not to shift smoothly when car is cold and not been driven for hours or days?

It could be a worn clutch, how many miles are on the current clutch?

I had a similar problem when I had an old Chevy, turned out the shifter was binding where it mates to the transmission. I removed the few bolts and greased it up real good and it was fine afterwards.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description: