Hey guys, I've been searching for a while and since I finally get a day off this weekend I was going to try and fix my problem. Looking for some advice on what are my possibilities.

What it's doing is like halfway popping out of 5th gear. The only way to keep it in that gear is to push it and hold it while in 5th. I've noticed that while I'm holding it if I go down a hill and/or get off the throttle, the shifter moves forward a little bit. As soon as throttle is applied or on a flat or uphill surface, the shifter moves itself back as if it's trying to pop out of gear.

The weird thing to me is, it doesn't pop all the way out of the gear. It never goes into neutral, almost like it's going into a false neutral between 5th and neutral. And honestly, I'm not too sure it's going all the way into the gear when I'm shifting.

All other gears including reverse work flawlessly. It's just that one gear and it just started doing it all of a sudden.

I'm guessing that it's somewhere in the linkage or possibly a roller mount, however from searching it seems that dog teeth seem to be a popular response. I am really hoping it is not this because I can't get the driver axle out so I'd have to replace that with the tranny since I'm not going in there. So any advice is greatly appreciated.

check your shifter cable bushings at the shifter and the trans. check the cable C-clips too.

5Th gear dog teeth are worn out.

Gonna need a 5th gear (input shaft sprocket) outer slider and ball detent set.

I'll check those tomorrow. I have noticed that I have excessive front to back play in the shifter before I can feel anything move. Compared it to the one in my talon with the same short shifter setup and it's about .5-1.0 inches difference.

And how difficult would it be to switch the 5th gears out? I have a spare trans I could use for parts, but I've never gone into the tranny and have 0 experience with transmissions. Is there a good place for diagrams on which parts I need to get or a walkthru on how to do it? I figure I already have done everything else, I might as well give this tranny work a shot.

BTW thanks for the responses guys. I didn't even know people checked this part of the forum regularly.

Okay I was looking at the linkage today, and the bracket for the linkage is loose. Looks like it's missing a bushing or spacer on one of the bolts. Both U clips are still there but the cable seems a bit loose by itself.

Also, I have alot of play in the gear selector on the transmission. I can move it about 3/8-1/2 inch front to back and up and down. I played with the selector on my junk transmission and there is virtually no play at all.

I know this can make it pop out of gear, so I have to hit the junkyard tomorrow and grab the bolts for the mount. But the selector, however, I'm not sure what to do about that. Is there a way to fix that?

EDIT: The bushing on the end of the shifter cable at the transmission was junk, too. I was able to pull the center sleeve out with my hand, and the rubber was barely connected. I'll be replacing both of them with skateboard bearings to take care of that.

Grabbed a set of cables out of the local pick n pull yesterday and put them in today and here's what I found...

When I pulled the old cables out I fixed the bracket that holds them so it won't move anymore. Threw the new cables in and was about to put the battery back in when I realized since I took the big U-shaped bracket out and never put it back in the tray was sagging enough to make contact with the shift cable.

What I'm thinking is that while I was messing with the speed sensor, battery in and out a few times, once the tray started sagging enough to make contact, it keeps it from fully engaging 5th gear. So, everytime I try to accelerate while in 5th, the engine rocks backward just enough to where the tray pushes the lever out just enough to pop it out of gear.

I'm going to test it as soon as I get a piece of thick flat steel to use as a support and see what happens. Wish me luck.

Okay, I finished the transmission swap and almost all is well. Shifts very smooth (I'm surprised since I had to use the local truck stop 80W90 gear oil) and it doesn't pop out of gear anymore under any load condition.

Only problem is that I am still not getting anything on the speedo or the turbo timer. I used the same speed sensor that was on the tranny when I pulled it... as a matter of fact I didn't even take it out... but still no speed at all. My only guess is that it's got to be either the ecu signal wire or the ecu itself. Any input?

Unless you have rebuilt that trans with brass synchro's, you going to be needed a trans very soon. Standard 80w90 gear lube will weaken the fiber material on the factory synchro's and cause then to disintegrate.

Sound to me like that trans is going downhill anyway. Start looking for a new one.

(Sigh) dont say that. What should I use in the trans as far as fluid? I've read that I should be using that mopar ATF... however, when asking around and looking at local parts stores, no store caries a cross of that part number. The "Napa know-how guy" said that he thinks it would depend upon geographic location and that 80w gear oil would be fine. And "Satan" down here wants $30 a quart. That being said, I think you can imagine what I told him.

I've only driven the car for about 2 miles, so I definately don't believe that would damage them in that short period of time. I can switch to the mopar stuff, but I don't want to, and the trans is operating perfectly except for the speed sensor and I'm not swapping it again just for that.

It's been through three speed sensors, two of which were working before they were on the car, and since it's not getting signal to either the cluster or turbo timer, I'm guessing the signal wire is jacked or it's in the ECU. Either way, I refuse to replace the transmission again. The throwout bearing doesn't even make noise, which is a first for that car.

AMS-oil makes a gear lube you can use or you can buy ATF+4 which is available at any parts store. Look on the back it will state its for chrysler transmissions.

You can get the Mopar ATF-4 at Walmart. Or, if you want something that is better quality, get Amsoil Synchromesh.

It just doesn't make sense to me. Why is it that the best stuff for our manual transmissions is automatic transmission fluid?