Please help me rid of this notchy shifting

lalojamesliz1

New member
My original st185 trans failed. I replaced it with a st205 trans but it still has the notchy shifting into 2nd and it's hard to put it in 1st if I'm going over 5mph. I can force it but I just slow down to avoid issues. I think my all-trac has a stock shifter that was cut to become a sorry short shifter. I was looking into a st205 shifter, a st205 shifter or a aftermarket twm but I don't know if these will solve my issues. I doubt it's the trans since I have the same problem my st185 trans has always had.

What do you guys think? I replaced the shifter trans bushings with brass ones. Replaced my slave cylinder and my master cylinder doesn't leak.
The never ending quest continues :(
I love/hate this car :)
 

underscore

Well-known member
I've found all of my Celicas hard to get into 1st while moving at all, so maybe that's normal? If it's only notchy into 2nd it could be a fluke or maybe something is fouling the shifter mechanisms/cables?
 

lalojamesliz1

New member
underscore":31a6n7uj said:
I've found all of my Celicas hard to get into 1st while moving at all, so maybe that's normal? If it's only notchy into 2nd it could be a fluke or maybe something is fouling the shifter mechanisms/cables?

I was thinking of buying new cables to try that idea. I haven't checked recently on the aftermarket cables someone here posted a link to in a while.
If my shifter lever is the original one but just cut, that shouldn't cause this right?
I'm trying to avoid any problems with my trans. I did use new fluid when I installed it like 2 or 3k miles ago. I used a raising clutch and resurfaced the flywheel too.

Are you familiar with the st20x shifters? I remember seeing the st205 shifter is a upgrade for the st185 and even the st204 is also a upgrade compared to the st185
I'm just debating on a replacement shifter assembly
 

Rick89GTS

New member
What type of gear oil are you running? In my 86 Celica GTS, Toyota spec'd ATF, but I had some notchiness. I switched to 75W90 gear oil and it smoothed it out. I noticed in later years, Toyota switched from ATF to gear oil in their specs. I'd start there and research 75w90, 80w90, synthetics, brands, GL4 or GL5, etc. There are threads on this site discussing this, with a lot of different opinions. I'll try to dig them up later and post the links.
Your post said, "...and it's hard to put it in 1st if I'm going over 5mph. I can force it but I just slow down to avoid issues." Are you downshifting into 1st? Not trying to be a dick but I never downshift into 1st gear. If you're at 5mph, just use your brakes; they're easier to replace.
 

lalojamesliz1

New member
Rick89GTS":1q8ntlh6 said:
What type of gear oil are you running? In my 86 Celica GTS, Toyota spec'd ATF, but I had some notchiness. I switched to 75W90 gear oil and it smoothed it out. I noticed in later years, Toyota switched from ATF to gear oil in their specs. I'd start there and research 75w90, 80w90, synthetics, brands, GL4 or GL5, etc. There are threads on this site discussing this, with a lot of different opinions. I'll try to dig them up later and post the links.
Your post said, "...and it's hard to put it in 1st if I'm going over 5mph. I can force it but I just slow down to avoid issues." Are you downshifting into 1st? Not trying to be a dick but I never downshift into 1st gear. If you're at 5mph, just use your brakes; they're easier to replace.

I'm using red line 75W90NS
When i try to put it in 1st is when I take it out of gear and coast to a red light and it suddenly turns green but I'm only going a few mph. Putting it on 2nd will put a huge load on my engine. Know what I mean? That or when I need to make a U-turn and if i stop completely, I'll miss my chance because of cars that are coming in the direction I want to go in.
I don't downshift unless I need to suddenly pick up speed.
Thanks for posting the thread.
On my way home from work a little while ago I noticed that shifting into 3rd feels like its catching on something part way through the shift.
So going I need to be going like 2-3 mph to smoothly put it in 1st
Going from 1st to 2nd feels notchy like if I'm not pressing the clutch all the way in
And going from 2nd to 3rd feels like its catching on the edge of something.

On a different topic, I just read up about shell rotella t6 5w40 and pick up a bottle on my way home :)
I've been using mobil1 forever on my all-trac. I'll do oil analysis in 3k miles.
 

lalojamesliz1

New member
Rick89GTS":2wdkf4kj said:
Ahh, yes, i know what you mean. I forgot about those "in-between" moments. I gotcha.

What do you think it can be? My shifter cables, my shifter assembly or what about the master cylinder..... damn
Thanks for helping so far guys
 

lalojamesliz1

New member
Rick89GTS":1vgv134h said:
Worst-case is your synchros going bad but check all the easy stuff first, even the clutch and slave.
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=53504&hilit=gear

Just woke up,
I'll look into it and post what I find. The thing that worries me the most is this transmission fails and I can't fix it. If I knew how to rebuild it I would not be worried about this at all. I remember seeing that the synchros are still available because they are used in newer transmissions too. That's good news but as of now since I have no knowledge about the transmission it worries me.
I still have my original transmission. With the help of people here I believe it's a shift fork that failed. When I learn how to fix that I'll have a working spare transmission :D
Thanks man
 

lalojamesliz1

New member
alltrac801":3ddjn0b4 said:
Do you have any issues going into 4th?

Nope. No issue going up into 4th or 5tth or even downshifting into 4th. I don't think I have problems downshifting into 3rd either but I'll have to verify that.
 
lalojamesliz1":ur6w38ux said:
My original st185 trans failed. I replaced it with a st205 trans
Was your ST205 trans rebuilt, or have the synchros replaced, prior to you installing it? Why did your ST185 trans fail?
 

lalojamesliz1

New member
I looked at that thread you posted Rick and the sugar cube on the e154f trans is a hard plastic that looked new. I'll check the clutch linkage. It's been a while since I did
 

alltrac801

New member
lalojamesliz1":3vmyqkzn said:
Nope. No issue going up into 4th or 5tth or even downshifting into 4th. I don't think I have problems downshifting into 3rd either but I'll have to verify that.

The only reason I ask is because my car was really hard from 1st to 2nd. and hard from 3rd to 4th but not as bad. After about 3 months of that hard shifting it was almost impossible to get my car into 2nd so i would just shift from 1st to 3rd. Then one day I was driving to the parts store forced it into 2nd and my shift cables snapped and i was stuck in 2nd. You might check and see if MR2Heaven is still selling the st185 cables.
 

lalojamesliz1

New member
93celicaconv":27yhecja said:
lalojamesliz1":27yhecja said:
My original st185 trans failed. I replaced it with a st205 trans
Was your ST205 trans rebuilt, or have the synchros replaced, prior to you installing it? Why did your ST185 trans fail?
Just separated it from the gen3 engine, drained oil, replaced axle and driveshaft seal then installed engine back in car and filled with oil.
I want to say I asked Ryan maroszek (badnews st185) on youtube and I told him the symptoms and he said it was a shift fork. I can't remember who it was for sure.
I just wasn't able to get it in gear while driving home and I was hearing light grinding noise while in idle randomly. That noise caused my idle to drop rpms
 

lalojamesliz1

New member
alltrac801":24evv3gz said:
oh and ive never been able to down shift from 2nd to 1st while going over like 2 mph without it grinding.

I'm trying to be extra careful when I have to downshift into 1st because I worry about the cables too. It seems to downshift fine into 3rd and 2nd. It just feels notchy going into 2nd and going into 3rd is like it gets caught on the edge of something.

I ordered a new master cylinder for the clutch last night and I should be able to install it by Thursday I hope. I'm still debating on buying a st205 shifter to see if it will help but I don't know if it will make much of a difference.
 

underscore

Well-known member
What clutch assembly and throwout bearing do you have? Was it changed with the trans?

Also I know access down there is terrible but can you have someone press the clutch pedal all the way down and then see if you can pry the clutch fork any further?
 

lalojamesliz1

New member
underscore":57402dvs said:
What clutch assembly and throwout bearing do you have? Was it changed with the trans?

Also I know access down there is terrible but can you have someone press the clutch pedal all the way down and then see if you can pry the clutch fork any further?

I have the aisin clutch assembly with a resurfaced oem flywheel. The throw out bearing is a oem Toyota bearing. Yes it was installed with the trans like 3k miles ago I don't remember the part number but I'll find out if you want. I got it from 1stpartstoyota .
My son just left somewhere but when he gets back I'll try to check the movement. Can the fork pop off the ball socket from doing this? My car has about 158k miles btw
 
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