2006 Shift Tower Roll Pin Issue

[adios1344]

Well after dicking around with the car and pulling the trans, my problems indeed were the roll pin. Sheared into 3 pieces, what a wonderful little pin that is...

I have a higher-up helping me with this, and he strongly recommends replacing the roll pin with a bolt. I put a 6mm bolt in it and double-nutted it. I haven't put the shift tower assembly back into the trans quite yet, that's for tomorrow. My question is, is this an awful idea? I couldn't get another roll pin. I got a roll pin assortment from AutoZone, but their biggest pin was just a hair too small. I went to the hardware store and they had one just a hair too big and a hair too small... I am at a loss, and am not about to pay $136 for a new shift tower from Ford.

If a double-nutted bolt will hold it well, I'm perfectly fine with that. From what I've been told, I was told the shift tower assemblies from the 2000-2004 Focuses had bolts anyway.

Please let me know what's up, if this is fine or the worst idea ever, I need to know rather quick since the trans goes back in tomorrow haha. All is appreciated.

[Sponsor]

[whynotthinkwhynot]

I have a bolt in mine. It's nice to know that a 6mm will work. I expected 5mm since the 1/4" bolt I had nearly fit. You should use a grade 8 bolt, and if you can find one- nylon locking nut. Jam-nutting is fine, but a single nut and red thread lock would be acceptable.

What you're really looking for is called a spring pin. You'll remember that the Autozone rolled pin didn't look the same as what you took out of there. Yours would've been a harder steel thinner steel rolled several times around itself. Autozone's rolled pin would look like a round pin with a gap in it- one piece of metal.

I personally would like to replace the part with the correct spring pin, but a bolt is acceptable if it's a high strength or hardness. SS is the hardest, but something like a 10.9 or grade 8 would be hard enough and maybe not damage the shift tower. Stick with the bolt IMO.

Thanks again for letting me know a 6mm would work. BTW I used a cap screw (allen head) instead of a bolt. That made it easier to work.

[adios1344]

Originally Posted by whynotthinkwhynot

I have a bolt in mine. It's nice to know that a 6mm will work. I expected 5mm since the 1/4" bolt I had nearly fit. You should use a grade 8 bolt, and if you can find one- nylon locking nut. Jam-nutting is fine, but a single nut and red thread lock would be acceptable.

What you're really looking for is called a spring pin. You'll remember that the Autozone rolled pin didn't look the same as what you took out of there. Yours would've been a harder steel thinner steel rolled several times around itself. Autozone's rolled pin would look like a round pin with a gap in it- one piece of metal.

I personally would like to replace the part with the correct spring pin, but a bolt is acceptable if it's a high strength or hardness. SS is the hardest, but something like a 10.9 or grade 8 would be hard enough and maybe not damage the shift tower. Stick with the bolt IMO.

Thanks again for letting me know a 6mm would work. BTW I used a cap screw (allen head) instead of a bolt. That made it easier to work.

Yeah I do recall seeing that AutoZone's rolled pin was a single piece of metal that was just rolled once with the gap, but thinking of it, I recall the factory roll pin being the same way...? I used class 8.8 bolt, hopefully that'll hold? I'll be putting a bigger bolt in it though, the shaft that goes through the gear selector bit, where the pin actually is, the shaft has a large diameter than the little piece, causing slop in the movement of the counter-weights spinning motion. I'm going to ever-so-slightly drill out that little piece so it might be a 7mm bolt that'll fit in there... I'll update in a few hours when I get that far.

[Covmister]

so im thinking i have the same problem. in gear i have about half and inch to maybe an inch of free play before a gear engages or disengages. ive read that the roll pin is more likely the issue. let me get this straight.....i need to remove the tower on top the transmission and where exactly are the roll pins?

[05focusST91]

same happened to me last xmas, we got a roll pin from an auto tranny in parts at my job and we kinda had to "work" it in just a little :p lol havent had an issue since, worst case is that you can get the shifter assembly for the tranny and it comes with it

[adios1344]

Originally Posted by Covmister

so im thinking i have the same problem. in gear i have about half and inch to maybe an inch of free play before a gear engages or disengages. ive read that the roll pin is more likely the issue. let me get this straight.....i need to remove the tower on top the transmission and where exactly are the roll pins?

When you remove the tower, you won't be able to miss the roll pin. There's only one holding it together, and it's a cluster of little brackets with a pole that comes down through them all (it's what the counter-weight is connected to). You will see a little H pattern with the gears on one side of the main assemlby, with a little peice of metal sticking through it. I'm assuming that those are the shifter gates. However, where that little piece of metal comes through the gates, it's connected to the tower by a role pin. I just used a punch and a hammer to get mine out.

Before tearing your shift tower out of the trans, I'd recommend checking out your linkages, make sure the bushing around where they connect to the shifter base, and the shift tower aren't wore out. Also make sure the linkages aren't bent or stretched.

[Covmister]

By linkages i assume you mean the arms the cables go to...how could they bend and i already have new cables so it couldn't be the bushings....i think. It still grabs the gears but I'm noticing pay on the while linkage assembly on the transmission so I'm thinking the pin is going out but not totally broken yet.....