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Hit Speedbumps - Now No 5th or Reverse

T

TommyRumble

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Atlanta, GA
I hurried through a gated community letting my girlfriend follow behind befor the gate closed, went over two speed bumps a little quick. Heard something go badly. Now I get a fair amount of noise in at least the first two forward gears and cant get it into 5th or reverse. The stick shift moves the plastic housing around it when I try to get it that far right.

1996 2dr manual 4x4

Advice please.

~ T
 
There is a small nylon "bushing" that snaps onto the end of the shifter, it may have broken and fallen off.

Pull the console. Remove the inner boot. Remove the four bolts and lift the complete shifter out, look on the end for the "bushing".
 
Thanks Joe, I will do that. It sounds, at least in first gear like something is not meshing up. I noticed I have a loose engine mount bolt as well and we found a piece of a plastic shroud, looks like from the fan cover, that was on the ground by the speed bumps. Don't know if that helps with indicating the problem. I'm thinking possible the engine moved? I don't know.
 
Ouch. If you found plastic bits from your fan shroud, you may have sheard the engine cushion mount bolts. These are the bolts that hold your engine mount cushions to your engine block.

My XJ had all three bolts broken on the pass. side when I got it. SO, you may want to look there as well.

Oh and while you are there, a new set of engine mount isolators may be a good idea.



Sorry.


Buzz.
 
Buzzstrike may have hit it on the head: blown engine mounts/bracket bolts and possibly a blown trans mount and you would be pushing things around enough to maybe get the shift lever over to the edge of the center console--I would start with checking those mounts FIRST.
 
Thanks for the advice. All three passenger side engine mount bracket bolts sheared off at the block. Bought an easy-out but its tight in there, two not so bad but no clue how to drill the third, any suggestions? looks like Ill be working for my 4th.
 
Trust me...

I've been running on two out of three bolts for the last year and a half.

So far so good. I put in Grade 5 bolts instead of the Grade 8's that were left.

I rather have some bending and easier drill out, than a snap and then a slew of curse words.

Note: When I removed the bolt remains, I took out both of the motor mounts and lowered the whole engine as low as it can go before hitting the track bar and tie rod.

That may give you an extra couple of inches.

Good luck. And may the Force be with you.
 
Yeah, I really, really, REALLY hate easy outs. Can you get your hands on an appropriate size left hand drill bit?

You can always drill it out completely and Heli-coil or tap to a larger size.

If you break an easy-out things get worse very fast.

Good luck.
 
Get a right angle drill adapter! That's what I uaed when I had to drill and ez out those. I always use a left hand drill bit and have a ez ready if the drill bit doesn't get it out.
 
Heat the remainder of the bolts/bosses first and the put a candle where the bolt snapped. I haven't tried it my self but have heard that it helps to remove stubborn bolts. An additional difficulty is that he bolts have thread locker on them. Heating may help that too.

When you put new bolts in make sure that they are tight against the engine mount bracket.
 
It probably wasn't that large. His was probably one of the XJs where either the bolts were too long or the holes weren't tapped deep enough. So the bolt wasn't putting enough clamping force on the mount which would make the bolt take most of the shear force.
 
Broke my 96's bolts the same way. I was able to cut a slot in the end of what was left and turn them out with a flat head screwdriver. PITA though. Good luck.
 
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