Shifter/ throwout bearing

[CHL2T]

Howdy, newb here (here is the link to my intro, http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=57658.0) with a coupla questions about my P.G. shifter and throwout bearing, unrelated to each other, of course.

I am having serious problems with the shifter
A. Getting stuck in reverse, feels like I'm gonna break something
B. Not engaging second when all linkage lined up using the 1/4 in dowell method
C. Not engaging first when adjusted slightly off from dowell method to engage second
Are ya still with me?
D. Shifter seems to be "funny" is the only way to describe it, while in neutral, I have to push slightly left to engage first and second. This feels all wrong since I would think that to engage first and second you would simply go forward and back, but nope it's third and fourth.

As for the throwout bearing, it is whining, it is a new mcleod clutch and bearing set installed in 98 to get the car running.
Should I just let it whine till it gets real bad (I just want to drive the car a little this spring/ summer) and change it later, or will the thing leave me stranded somewhere if I don't take action on the fly?

This is the only manual mopar I own and the 833 is a bit of a mystery to me, so any help would be extremely helpfull
Thanks in advance

[Chryco Psycho]

Welcome 
the shifter will normally spring load into the 3-4 gate so that is normal so when you push the shifter forward out of 2nd it spring over to engage 3rd
 The shift lever on the side of the tranny may be too long to reach 1&2 , if you have a shorter lever this will help , also if you have a Super Competition shifter there are threaded bolts on the shifter to limit the length of the throw , these may need to be adjusted to lengthen the throw , I have seen the situation where the reverse lever jambs , if you have a lock nut holding the lever on try undoing the nut a thread or so this may make it move more easily
 If the throw out brg fails it may leave you stranded , unless you can drive clutchless by timing gear speeds in & out of gear to limp it home , no idea how long or shoprt it could last as is

[CHL2T]

Welcome 
the shifter will normally spring load into the 3-4 gate so that is normal so when you push the shifter forward out of 2nd it spring over to engage 3rd
 The shift lever on the side of the tranny may be too long to reach 1&2 , if you have a shorter lever this will help , also if you have a Super Competition shifter there are threaded bolts on the shifter to limit the length of the throw , these may need to be adjusted to lengthen the throw , I have seen the situation where the reverse lever jambs , if you have a lock nut holding the lever on try undoing the nut a thread or so this may make it move more easily
 If the throw out brg fails it may leave you stranded , unless you can drive clutchless by timing gear speeds in & out of gear to limp it home , no idea how long or shoprt it could last as is

That is the thing, the shifter doesn't spring to the 3rd 4th gate, It springs FROM the 3rd and fourth gate to the 1st and second gate as though it is backwards.

I am not sure if it matters but, the shifter is a older style(?) with the push and lock handle

The TO bearing on the other hand is not actually making a lot of noise, just a light whine, no grind, no crunching or screaming. If it gets worse I will need to think about replacement. What pisses me off though, is
that the thing is brand new, with like maybe ten miles on it total.

One last clutch question before work.....

For proper pedal free play, am I looking for the play to be up or down, meaning is free play considered when you push the pedal and when the clutch engages or after its out and you can lift it with your foot?

Also when I pull up on the pedal I can get a steady clicking noise right in time with the engine and actually feel it in the pedal, normal? abnormal? I wouldn't know since this, (as I stated) is my first manual mopar
Thanks for your help

[Chryco Psycho]

D. Shifter seems to be "funny" is the only way to describe it, while in neutral, I have to push slightly left to engage first and second. This feels all wrong since I would think that to engage first and second you would simply go forward and back, but nope it's third and fourth.

this is not what you said here , you said you have to push the shifter to the left to engage 1-2 which is normal
 all Hurst shifters do this , diassembly & cleaning / greasing it will definatly help
 you should have the large overcenter spring on the pedal for most clutches at the top of the pedal  , this will pull the pedal up to the top of the travel  & stop it against a rubber bumper on the pedal frame . If someone has installed a diaphragm clutch the spring may have been removed , either way the pedal should have 1/2-1" travel down before feeling the spring pressure of the clutch to stop the release brg from turning all the time . When you raise the pedal something is interfering with the clutch & hitting th elever , this is not normal

[CHL2T]

Ok, I am on board now with the shifter, it is working properly then, I just pulled it and found (I think) that it's missing a shim, put it together and now there is no slop, just a little stiff for third and fourth,

How many shims are supposed to be in there? cause when I put em all in, I can barely get the housing over the mechanism.
Do you have an exploded view of the shifter? that would help a bunch, thanks Chryco

As for the free play/ the over center spring is still in place, I have adjusted it and now I know it's right, thanks again chryco

[Chryco Psycho]

there is 2 shims , one to the outside & 1 between reverse & 1-2 lever

[CHL2T]

Ok, so starting with the handle/ main body itself, is there a shim between it and the reverse lever? if so, is it the one with the tang? if no shim, does it go metal to metal?
Then you say a shim between reverse lever and first and second. is that the one with the tang? if not, it would be the heavy gauge one, right?
Then 3rd and fourth lever, no shim, metal to metal, right?
Then the thin one on the outside, right?

I really appreciate you helping me out on this one, I would be totally lost without ya

[Chryco Psycho]

let me go look , the rippled plate is between the 3-4 lever & the housing for sure

[Chryco Psycho]

ok starting at the block where the shifter slides into we have the thin notched shim between the block & the reverse lever with the notch to the front
then we have the thick shim between the reverse & 1-2 lever then the 3-4 lever then the rippled shim between the 3-4 lever & the case

[CHL2T]

Thanks for checking that out for me, whoever dinked with the shifter before I had the car had it all wrong and I was also way off. I will yank the shifter again and rebuild it using your instructions.

If the shifter is still sloppy, can I add a thin shim to the pack, and if so where?

[Chryco Psycho]

the best place would be to add a second rippled shim on the outside preferably with the ripples opposing each other