Shifter problems, rust [prev.] or even stick shift freezing?

[TuffGong]

How to bring your stick shift and/or housing back to speed...even if you've never wrenched a bolt in your life.

If you get all this apart and everything looks gravy, it's probably your transmission.

For tools you will need a phillips screwdriver, 12mm offset box wrench, liquid wrench, brake cleaner, automotive grease, and a small amount of gear oil you would use for your transmission. You might also want to have a toothbrush, torque-wrench, some rags, nitrile rubber glove and MOST importantly probably this: 33555-16030 Toy oem part # for the boot that protects your shifter from the elements and is most likely deteriorated. I would also recommend replacing the gasket although I didn't. The FSM sayz it's not reusable

Here's a foto of the shifter housing:

[TuffGong]

First things first...remove your shifter nobs (they unscrew cc).

Remove the four screws on the shifter's plastic housing.

Remove this and then remove the upper boot. I cleaned it and hit it w/some armor'all protectant.

You then come to the point where you have to remove these four bolts. They help w/the plastic housing's structural intregrity. Remove this and set it aside as well.

You will then have to use needle nose/snap ring pliars to remove a retaing clip from the shift lever retainer (D1045) the rest of the photos are irrelevant for what were doing...

*Notice they show the boot you will probably be replacing adjacent to the hand*

[TuffGong]

You will now want to spray all the six bolts w/liquid wrench or something similar as you don't want to snap these off.

I would use a combo of socket wrench with a deep 12mm socket or a small extension for the first 4 bolts and the offset 12mm box for the harder to get two that are under the steel housing. One member here actually cut the steel housing to accomodate his socket.



Once you remove the retaining clip you can just pull up on your shifter (pref. in N) allowing me to see the rust and standing water through the shift lever retainer.

[TuffGong]

This nets you entry to the shifter's womb...so to speak.

&

I used a lot of brake cleaner and scrubbing to get this housing as rust free as possible.

[TuffGong]

Proceed to clean your shifter and grease it up a bit.



Grab the automotive grease (I used super-tec from wallyworld ) and get lubin'. Put a thin layer on to seal the gasket and then place the gasket on and ta-da. You're practically finished.

[TuffGong]

Before I put the top of the housing back on, I poured about a half cup of 80-90 wt gear oil in for good measure. Hopefully keeping a rush free barrier & some smooth shiftin' pardnah.

When the housing and shifter go back on I also lube them as well especially where the ball of the shifter sits and a thin covering inside the silver, circular shift lever retainer.

You most definately will need the shifter boot that attaches to the shift lever retainer (silver piece in above picture). This has most likely deteriorated to where it lets moisture and water get into the shifter housing causing the dreaded RUST.

From ARCHINSTL I just got this quote from Butler Toy in Indy http://www.toyotaoemparts.com:
33555-16030 is $7.44---boot
33548-16010 is $3.45---bushing
33505-16010 is $9.80---seat
Total of $20.69 + postage.

Guess I got gipped so don't quote me on the prices. I ordered mine from a local parts shop and they charged me $12+$hipping + $ales tax $17...wtf!

My shifter is pretty nice at the moment so I didn't order the bushing or seat for it.

*Also note that I hand torqued all bolts, see your car owner's manual for the specs*

[TuffGong]

Please post any additions that you view pertinent or differences in opinion or things I might have forgot.

Hopefully this helps someone. I wrote this on the fly after I did this and took fotos. I would have used all my own fotos for each step if I would have planned this ahead.

Cheers,
Tuff

[gmeddy]

thanks, this is very helpful, hopefully my Gearbox is not already given up the ghost and i can do this bit of work to help with my stiff shifting. I've called my closest (800km away) toyota parts pro, and they can get me the two parts, but not the boot. your online shop says they have it, but it looks like they only post to the US. I've shot them an email asking if they can please post it to me here in Australia.

please please Tercy... don't die on me now.

[ARCHINSTL]

As far as the boot goes - why not take the remnants to a parts store and see if it can come up with something that is a close fit? I just know there is a car that has a steering bellows or CV bellows or shifter boot that's close. That was going to be my plan if the OE boot was not available.
Don't take this the wrong way - but did you try Toyota of New Zealand dealers? They are a lot closer than the USA dealers.
Tom M.

[takza]

There's also the old flannel shirt gobbed up with axle grease method...where you make a boot out of cloth saturated with grease and use grease to paste it to the top of the trans and a hose clamp to hold it at the shifter.

[keith]

I don't know if I want to admit this or not, but I took the old torn rotted boot and smeared Ultra Black RTV all over it, top and bottom and reinstalled it. It never leaked again.

[gmeddy]

ok, that sounds pretty good.
i was about to suggest that i order it from Toyota OEM parts and get it sent to one of you blokes, and then get you to forward it to me here after i send you the money for postage. but i thought that would be a long shot.
that idea about cloth sounds pretty good... whats Ultra Black RTV? Is that like a silicone based "sikaflex" type of sealant, like you stick windscreans in with?
i was thinking about sealing up the boot with sikaflex. Its pretty amazing stuff.

i've got a tub of bearing grease in my stuff somewhere, it's dark grey. is there any preference of type with grease to put in there?

[keith]

Might be, RTV is a silicone rubber. RTV stands for Room Temperature Vulcanizing. Ultra Black RTV is a trade name used by Permatex.

[Pearson]

, there is something i need to know , does this work finish with the moement of the shifter, i mean my shifter when you place it in any change you fell like itcontinues moving i want it to be quiet and with a short movement as new cars is it posible? could you explain me what do i have to change o replace?

[ARCHINSTL]

I presume you have done a Search here for "short shifter" (or similar)?
There is a thread somewhere - it seems that member shogun from Guatemala made something like that - but dunno if he was the one for sure.
Replacing the worn parts will restore OE shifting movement quality - but will not shorten the throws.
Tom M.