OK - so I blew out the 5spd today, 3 hours later had another 5spd I had as a spare installed. Went to finalize the install and found the dam shhifter I took off the original won't fit in the 5spd I installed. To mine and other's knowledge, I thought all 90-97 5spd trans were the same - no differences in ball diameter. Anyway - I didn't get much time but a couple pics before heading out of the shop b/c of tornado heading our way (great). I really hope I'm being dumb here, but what am I missing? Is this 5spd from a 99+ or something? And no - I didn't get a shifter with the trans.

Anyway, here' the tower from the orignal one that puked, and is same as my '93.




And here's the one we installed into the car - notice the difference by the centering pin? God I hope this is something I can remedy tomorrow morning - or I **** $225 away for tomorrow's track day...

 

That pivoting plastic ball thingy on the end is always a pain. Are you sure it's not hanging up on that? It has to go straight in, and it always wants to pivot sideways before going in. Check m.net, I'd be surprised if they didn't have a write up about the differences of these transmissions.

 

There are indeed two distinctly different shifter designs, one is larger than the other.

:(

If you were local right now, I'd rip the one out of my parts car and drive it to your house.

 

I see a difference in the bushing/centering pin between the two, which is strange. I know I put a 90-97 KG works shifter into a 99 with no problem. Interesting.

 

Well - I've never installed a short-throw shifter kit - but appearantly this was a spacer with teflon ring that was left in it - from the kit (I guess). The ring and spacer came right out, removed the spring and ring from the busted trans and put it in, and rocked the car on track! Anyway - now we a know.

In response to Dopple below (don't want to bump this time-wasting thread to the top)
- yeah, I just wish I had 5 more minutes to look into it; would have spared me posting a BS thread and looking like a retard... deerrrrrr

 

Good deal. Now that you've found the problem, I can see the seam for the metal spacer.