T50 Transmission: Improving on shift feel

Autohaus_Z
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Posts: 130
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:45 pm
Location: San Jose, CA

T50 Transmission: Improving on shift feel

Postby Autohaus_Z » Tue Apr 11, 2017 3:36 pm

Hey all,
I rebuild and service T50 transmissions out here in the Bay Area and wanted to do a write up on a simple modification you can do for a firmer, more positive shift feel.

Tools needed:
27mm wrench or Big adjustable wrench
Silicone/RTV
Spare T50 Tailshaft housing

Pictured is a spare transmission, but you can do this with the vehicle in the air without removing anything extra; transmission driveshaft, ect...
Image

On each side of the transmission shift tower is a spring loaded plunger that controls the side to side movement of the shifter. The darker colored one is the hard spring while the lighter colored is the soft spring (Depending on how dirty/corroded they are, you can easily feel the difference by squeezing them with your hands). Our aim is to replace our soft spring plunger with a hard spring plunger off a donor T50 tailshaft housing so that our shifter will have the hard spring on both sides.
Image

The plunger is a 27mm, but a big adjustable wrench will suffice
Image

Clean both the threads on the plunger body and the shifter tower with some parts cleaner. Put some silicone/rtv on the end of the plunger (like anti seize on a spark plug) and install plunger. Tighten "german tight" haha (guudentight)
Image

Shifter in neutral as well as the 1, 2, and 3 shifts should feel firmer/more positive. This also helped alleviate missing the 3rd gear shift for a local drift guy who changed from his TRD short shifter back to the OEM shifter with aftermarket bushings.

Enjoy!
Last edited by Autohaus_Z on Sun Jul 23, 2017 12:09 am, edited 3 times in total.
Owner. CM Autohaus LLC. San Jose, CA.
RnD/Product Testing. Battle Garage RS/Annex Suspension Group
Amsoil Dealer # 5615215
IG @Autohaus_Z for AE86 fun, T50 trans builds, and track life!
The Autohaus Podcast

MisterJerk
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Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 6:10 pm

Re: T50 Transmission: Improving on shift feel

Postby MisterJerk » Tue Apr 11, 2017 11:44 pm

Good, simple modification.

aukword1
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 485
Joined: Fri Dec 06, 2013 6:03 pm

Re: T50 Transmission: Improving on shift feel

Postby aukword1 » Fri Apr 14, 2017 7:59 am

Just gotta source a hard spring plunger now lol

Rwddriftsvx
Club4AG Regular
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 12:19 pm

Re: T50 Transmission: Improving on shift feel

Postby Rwddriftsvx » Mon Jun 05, 2017 6:14 am

Did this on a buddies car, worked great!

Autohaus_Z
Club4AG Enthusiast
Posts: 130
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:45 pm
Location: San Jose, CA

Re: T50 Transmission: Improving on shift feel

Postby Autohaus_Z » Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:36 pm

aukword1 wrote:Just gotta source a hard spring plunger now lol


I have extras if you still needed one. $20 shipped works for me.
Owner. CM Autohaus LLC. San Jose, CA.
RnD/Product Testing. Battle Garage RS/Annex Suspension Group
Amsoil Dealer # 5615215
IG @Autohaus_Z for AE86 fun, T50 trans builds, and track life!
The Autohaus Podcast

Autohaus_Z
Club4AG Enthusiast
Posts: 130
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:45 pm
Location: San Jose, CA

Re: T50 Transmission: Improving on shift feel

Postby Autohaus_Z » Sat Jun 24, 2017 8:37 pm

Rwddriftsvx wrote:Did this on a buddies car, worked great!


Glad it worked for you! Yeah on the vehicles Ive performed this modification on the owners have all been more than happy with the shift feel.
Owner. CM Autohaus LLC. San Jose, CA.
RnD/Product Testing. Battle Garage RS/Annex Suspension Group
Amsoil Dealer # 5615215
IG @Autohaus_Z for AE86 fun, T50 trans builds, and track life!
The Autohaus Podcast

Autohaus_Z
Club4AG Enthusiast
Posts: 130
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:45 pm
Location: San Jose, CA

Re: T50 Transmission: Improving on shift feel

Postby Autohaus_Z » Sun Jul 23, 2017 12:10 am

Got the images back. Ah photobucket, used you since middle school, how far you have fallen.
Owner. CM Autohaus LLC. San Jose, CA.
RnD/Product Testing. Battle Garage RS/Annex Suspension Group
Amsoil Dealer # 5615215
IG @Autohaus_Z for AE86 fun, T50 trans builds, and track life!
The Autohaus Podcast

wulfstan
Club4AG Regular
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:01 am
Location: Chesapeake, VA

Re: T50 Transmission: Improving on shift feel

Postby wulfstan » Sun Apr 26, 2020 7:03 am

Reviving and old thread since I'm rebuilding.

Autohaus_z: Do you stll have the harder plungers?

thanks in advance...

Nick94tt
Club4AG Expert
Posts: 253
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 9:43 am

Re: T50 Transmission: Improving on shift feel

Postby Nick94tt » Thu May 21, 2020 9:12 am

It would be a firmer spring you're looking for.

You could pretty easily match the former one in the McMaster Carr catalogue if you have one on hand.

Wire diameter, coils, compressed length, resting length. Relatively straightforward, and you wouldn't have to cannibalize a tailhousing.

Plus, everyone could just order new replacements if we had a part number.

Hope it helps. ^_^