Jamar Shifter Issues

Beck Spyder with Jamar Billet Shifter, mechanical clutch and ProStreet Transaxle.

Every now and then (Like today for instance) I get the following:

1. Start car, shift into Reverse and back up.

2. Clutch in, shift out of Reverse and try to shift into 1st...No 1st.

3. Try to go to 2nd...No 2nd 3rd or 4th

4. BUT it will go BACK into Reverse...With OR without the lockout button depressed.

5. Finally, with several depressions of the clutch pedal it will go into 4th and then I can work my way "down" to 1st.

6. Then it drives fine all the way up through the gears and back down from 4th to 3rd...

7. BUT try to go to from 3rd to 2nd and it grinds Reverse...Again without the lockout button depressed.

I thought the lockout button was there to PREVENT this kind of thing.

This is an intermittent problem and the shifter seems properly adjusted and is properly lubed.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Terry

Can you spell cable shifter? No seriously, search this site and spyderclub.com for this issue and Mike Christian. He's got the rod shifter down pat and has posted the how to's.

Good luck!

Bert,

I thought I had seen posts on the rod shifter but couldn't locate them. Mike, can you point me to them?

Thanks,
Terry

you need to adjust that puppy. check spyderclub forums on that one.

here is one link Terry - I just did a search over there using JAMAR.

www.spyderclub.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=6674&highlight=jamar

Thanks Mike...I think it's more than the "standard" adjustment procedure, but I'll read everything on spyderclub and then proceed from there.

Terry

I think you will find you can adjust it out....if you can, adjust the car using the reverse gear position (seprate the rod system (or loosen it at teh shift box), manually put hte car into reverse back at the nose cone (feel it kathunk into gear), have someone hold the shoift lever tight int he cockpit (in the desired treveerse position with the lockout pressed) and then tighten everything down. That position is at the extreme and everything else should fall into place. If you weren't solidly getting into reverse at the trans it will act as you describe. The last 1/8 inch is the challenge for my Jamar setup in the reverse position....

Regards,
Mike

Thanks Mike...I ran through all of that yesterday and thought I had it solved only to have the same issues pop up again on the test drive. I've got some "slop" somewhere in the mechanism and I can't locate the source...It adjusts out fine sitting still, then the slop shows up on the drive...I think I'm going to have to start from scratch...Almost as if I'm installing the thing...Until I get the freeplay cleared up, the standard adjustment process is a waste of time.

BTW, I don't have the issue with reverse that you described...Mine goes into reverse slick as gopher grease...Problem is, it goes into reverse even when I don't want it to.

Onward through the fog.

Regards,
TMc

Make sure the jam nuts at the shifter and nose cone are locked real tite, also check the unions make sure the bolts are firmley seated
and locked in w/hex nut.hope this helps
Lenny C.

Terry, it is loosy goosy soemwhere. Can you have someone shift it in the cockpit while you look at the movement of the rods and joints?

Terry did you get to work let us know.
Lenny C.

Not really...I don't have the time or inclination to fool with the thing. It's for sale, but knowing what I know about it, I wouldn't buy it. It's too bad...What should be a lot of fun is nothing but a pain in the ass.

Are these cars really that bad to maintain ???? Always wanted one but I am not a mechanic --- should I even consider one ??

Uh, they do seem to take a little bit of care, if you want them running right.

Bruce,

Don't go by my experience...Most Spyder owners seem to have less trouble than I do or perhaps they just don't find it as frustrating as I do or perhaps I have a crappy car or perhaps I'm a lousy mechanic. Some people see mechanical maladies as challenges to be happily met and conquered...I see them as time spent not driving.

But back to your question...There IS a certain amount of regular tuning/adjusting/repairing to be expected with these cars. Consider that they are hand built with wildly varying levels of attention paid to quality control. Then consider that the engine, transmission, suspension and brakes are 1960's-based technology.

Then consider that many (Most?) Spyders' engines are "tweaked" with regard to power (Increased power results in exponentially decreased reliability, particularly in engines originally built to make 60 HP). Add in the fact that many of these cars are driven fairly hard and the result is the need for a good bit of time spent in preventive maintenance and/or repair.

There will probably be some here that disagree with me, but I think I'm making fairly accurate statements...In the end, it's just like anything else...You have to decide for yourself whether or not it's worth the grief.

Terry I went through a lot of heartburn with the Jamar. The rear shifting adjustment seems easy and not a problem. My problem was with the adjustment at the gear selector, the one with the jam nut. The last couple of threads were stripped and the adjustment would not hold. The symptoms were like yours and changed from time to time. Greg suggested drilling and tapping a set screw that after some tweaking has worked quite well. I broke a tap and had to drill it out, the inner rod on my unit is harder than the outer sleeve. I needed a longer set screw and used a nut to give it more threads to bite and hold the position. Now it is working reasonably well and is at least dependable enough to eliminate a lot of stress when driving. I am not mechanically inclined and prefer to drive but you gotta do some things on these nice little cars. Most of the time you will do better than the VW shop! But it will take you a little more time. Norv