Hi,

I have a 1998 forester with the 5mt. I recently swapped it out for another one. The problem is it wont shift into gear running or not. It will start. I have inspected and loosened the linkage and cannot determine the problem. I may have to pull the motor to get access to the clutch plate and fork to check for correct alignment. please help if you know of a better way to troubleshoot this so i can prevent pulling the motor.

Thanks

It should shift with the engine off, even if the clutch won't disengage. To drive the point home, with the engine off, hold the shifter in gear (trying to shift into gear) and have a helper roll the car. That should line everything up for it to drop into gear.

 

Also do make sure the clutch fork is moving when you push the pedal, you may not have bled the master/slave cylinder properly if you took them apart.

 

What did you recently swap, the transmission or the engine? Double check you hooked up the shift linkage, guide rod bushing, etc correctly.

You swapped the transmission? Did you check to see if the new trans would shift through the gears before installing it?

I replaced the manual transmission. Is it possible to shift the transmission with it installed? Do I need to remove the linkage completely?

I don't follow, the transmission should shift when installed.

Try to roll the car as you shift the transmission to rule out a clutch issue.

 

Next you need to make sure the linkages are hooked up properly.

When you try to shift, what happens? Shifter flops around? Shifter won't move??

Shifter only feels like its in neutral. Wont shift into any gear feels like its seized up, but will start.

Also need to tell you that im using a group N tranny mount, urethane bushings, kartboy shortshifter, and TiC upgrade shifter linkage.

Have you tried to get it into gear by moving the car while trying to shift to, you know, rule out a clutch issue??

 

Sounds like you mis-installed something, though. Take a really close look at the linkage to make sure it's correct. Maybe post a picture from under the car so we can see what's going on, etc.

I was observing the slave cylinder while my wife pushed in on the clutch. The fork did activate and seemed to work fine. Im going to try shifting into gear while the car is moving to help things with alignment. I would post a pic but cant seem to get my wifes larger galaxy phone into that little area where the linkage is. Do you know where I might find a diagram for this linkage?

Just did some research and found that the transmission I, installed actually comes out of a 01-02 legacy outback, hope this is compatible with my 98 forester

It is, I did that swap the other way. Put a 98 forester transmission into an 00 outback. Either the transmission didn't shift gears before you installed it (did you check?), or you have something connected improperly.

Did not check,is there a way to check using only the linkage fork?

Yea, it goes in and out, and twists back and forth. It should have 6 distinct positions for each gear (1-5 and R). Twisting is like moving shifter side to side, in/out is putting it into a gear.

Would you happen to know if the 01-02 5 speed that I have uses the spring in the linkage like my 98 5 speed?

Also rolling the car with someone attempting to shift didnt work,thanks for the idea though

The return to center spring, or whatever it is? you don't actually need that for it to shift properly.

 

Disconnect the linkage at the transmission and make sure it goes into all 6 gears from the shifter shaft. Once you've confirmed it has all the gears, you'll know it's in the linakge. Or whatever. You have one of two different problems here:

You screwed up and didn't install the shifter properly.

Your new transmission is screwed up and doesn't shift.

 

Figure out which of those it is.