90 shift linkage vs 91-94 shift linkage

[Morphius]

I glanced through numerous threads but no one posted the info I'm looking for.

Situation. I swapped a 91 AWD tranny into a 90. Various posts stated that the linkage is different for 90 compared to 91-94. *sigh........ never fails* However, none of them specify what exactly is different. Just that they are.

I've got all the parts to do the swap. (both the 90 and 91 complete cars setting here) I've already adjusted it and given particular gears don't work, backs up the fact that there is a difference. Short of tearing the cars apart to measure the different lever lengths, does anyone one know what exactly is different between the years?

Thanks!!

[Clutch784]

I am also wondering the same thing. Not trying to whore your thread or steal the spotlight, but I need new shifter cables for my 92 and I'm gonna head to the junkyard to yank some off other DSMs. Which ones will work? Any 91-94 or are they different?

[pneumo]

I put a 92 trans in my 90. All you have to do is swap the lever that is bolted on the tranny and the bracket that holds the cables on the tranny.

That's it.

If you compare the 90 to the 91 you should be able to see the differences.

You can keep the same shifter inside the car. No changes needed here.

You can also keep the same shifter cables.
HTH

[thedsmsource]

pneumo,

I have a question for you, your responce was a little vague. I installed a 90' transmission i recently installed in my 94 tsi. The shifting is crappy (rough) and i have no 5 or reverse. Now i use the shfiter bracket from the 94 (the one with 4 bolt holes in it), but what else do i need to switch?

[Morphius]

Originally posted by pneumo
I put a 92 trans in my 90. All you have to do is swap the lever that is bolted on the tranny and the bracket that holds the cables on the tranny.

I don't think that is the case.

Originally posted by pneumo
If you compare the 90 to the 91 you should be able to see the differences.

Ideally, yes. But I was attempting to gather the info without taking the two cars apart. I had the two levers off the tranny at one point. There is a slight difference in the bend of the lever, but the length between the pivot and the cable attachment pivot looks the same. At that point, I didn't measure them like I should've.

Originally posted by pneumo
You can keep the same shifter inside the car. No changes needed here.You can also keep the same shifter cables.
HTH

I agree that the cables don't need to change. I also think that the bracket that holds the cables doesn't need to change.

If they changed the ratio at the trans, doesn't that mean the ratio also changed at the shifter (inside)?


Can anyone speak to this. Ratios have/haven't changed?

[pneumo]

The 91-94 cars have a different shifter inside the car, they changed it's leverage ratio. Mitsu also changed the leverage ratio of the lever on the tranny to match it, so in the end the throws at the shifter inside the car are about the same.

With 5th and reverse not working I would double check that the cables are adjusted correctly. Also, if you picked the wrong lever on the tranny it would make it hard to get into 5th/rev. The lever I'm talking about is the one bolted on, the vertical lever.

The bracket on the tranny that holds the shift cables should be at a certain height and angle so that the cables make a smooth line to the levers; no kinks, twists, or hard bends. Just take a look under the hood and see what you have. It's not like you have to pull the tranny to switch the bracket anyway.

[Morphius]

Thanks for the input. As soon as I get better (been sick), I'll get the parts out and take some pics to post for referance.

Thanks again!

[wishihadatalon]

hey morphuis do you have any 5 spd trannys that you want to sell. i tried to pm you but your inbox is full.

[Morphius]

Originally posted by wishihadatalon
hey morphuis do you have any 5 spd trannys that you want to sell. i tried to pm you but your inbox is full.

I just cleaned out my mailbox, so PM me with what you're looking for.
Thanks.

[JJ93TalonTsiAWD]

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. i swapped a 90 motor and tranny into my 93 and it wouldnt shift into 5th and reverse. i kept the stock shifter and linksges. all i did was unscrewed the bolt thing that slips over the little nipple thing on the horizonial bar (the side to side one) on the shifter and cut about a 1/4 of and inch of of it, took the lock nut off, and screwed the big long nut all the way down on the linkage its self with that lock nut still on that end and then screwed the one i cut all the way down until it wont go no more. and that worked for me. i cut mine with a drimmel because i did it at like 530 in the morning. i couldnt sleep. but yeah thats how i did it. i tried to just change the shifter but the 91-94 shifter has a shorter base that bolts into the floor so the linkage cables are longer on the 90s. so you may have to change either one of those or both. also on the 90's both [ horizonial (side to side) and vertical (up and down) ] of the linkages are adjustable on the inside at the shifter, on the 91-94 only the horizonal (side to side) one is adjustable.

later
JJ

[Morphius]

For referance here are some pics of the tranny linkage showing measurements. First one is of for selector arms for going between 1-2 to 3-4 to 5-R.

1991 top.
1990 bottom.

[Morphius]

This is the selector arm that is not readily removeable. For shifting 1 to 2, 3 to 4, or 5 to R.

1990.
Roughly 6.5 cm from center of pivot shaft to cable attachment pivot.

[Morphius]

This is the selector arm that is not readily removeable. For shifting 1 to 2, 3 to 4, or 5 to R.

1991.
Roughly 8.5 cm from center of pivot shaft to cable attachment pivot.

[thedsmsource]

Morphius, thanks for the pics and info. Recently i installed a 90 tranny in my friends 94 tsi. I had replaced the cable mounting bracket along with the horizontal lever (the one you can remove with 2 bolts). Only problem is that the car is somewhat hard to downshift into 2nd gear. Now that i am looking at your bottom picture i wonder if i need to replace the other lever as well, the one that you use to actualy get it into gear? Besides that everything else seems fine. Can it even be removed once it is on the car?

[Morphius]

Originally posted by thedsmsource
Morphius, thanks for the pics and info. Recently i installed a 90 tranny in my friends 94 tsi. I had replaced the cable mounting bracket along with the horizontal lever (the one you can remove with 2 bolts). Only problem is that the car is somewhat hard to downshift into 2nd gear.

The other difference is the shift lever in the car. Given the longer lever on the trans for 1991 the lever length in the car on the shifter is shorter. I haven't had a chance to get pics yet to show those differences.

According to pneumo, the bracket on that holds the cables is also higher on 1991-on. It makes the angle of the cable to the lever on the trans too drastic and it'll drag. I'll see if I can get pics of those too.

Originally posted by thedsmsource
Now that i am looking at your bottom picture i wonder if i need to replace the other lever as well, the one that you use to actualy get it into gear? Besides that everything else seems fine. Can it even be removed once it is on the car?

I don't think you need to replace that lever if you replace the shifter in the car. At a quick glance, I don't see how that lever is removeable. I think it's pressfit in place and held by a roll pin. This would be difficult to remove in the car.

[NOSLO2PT0]

Simply put:

90 tranny in a 91-94: All you have to do is swap the lever that is bolted on the tranny and the bracket that holds the cables on the tranny. Built in short shifting tranny.

91-94 in a 90: Swap EVERYTHING!! Keep the brackets on the 91 tranny, but swap shifter base, shifter, cables. I just put a 92 trans in my 90, and that's what I had to do. Also had to do a little trimming on one of the shfiter cables, since there was not enough adjustment. Don't know if that's teh case on all of em, but that's what I had to do on mine.

[Morphius]

Pic of shifters.

1990 on right
1991 on left

Note differences in selector arms and the upper lever. Height, length, how they are built and material.

1990 cast steel
1991 sheet steel

[Morphius]

1990

Selector arm for going between 1-2 to 3-4 to 5-R.
Roughly 8.5 cm from center of pivot shaft to cable attachment pivot.

[Morphius]

1991

Selector arm for going between 1-2 to 3-4 to 5-R.
Roughly 8.5 cm from center of pivot shaft to cable attachment pivot.

[Morphius]

1990

Selector arm for shifting 1 to 2, 3 to 4, or 5 to R.
Roughly 7.5 cm from center of pivot shaft to cable attachment pivot.

[Morphius]

1991

Selector arm for shifting 1 to 2, 3 to 4, or 5 to R.
Roughly 8.5 cm from center of pivot shaft to cable attachment pivot.

[Morphius]

1990

Upper lever pivot/cross-over mechanism.

[Morphius]

1991

Upper lever pivot/cross-over mechanism.

[Morphius]

Shifter base.

1990 left
1991 right

[Morphius]

1991.

Shifter base cable mounting.
Roughly 7cm difference between cable attachement points.

[Defiant]

god, I hope mom doesn't see the pictures of those grotty things on her rug...

:eek:

[Morphius]

1990.

Shifter base cable mounting.
Roughly 5cm difference between cable attachement points.

[Morphius]

1990.

Shifter cable mounting on trans.
Roughly 4cm difference between cable attachement points.

[Morphius]

1990.

Shifter cable mounting on trans. Side shot.

[Morphius]

1991.

Shifter cable mounting on trans.
Roughly 2cm difference between cable attachement points.