ralliartist

This write up is for when you lose all your gears. Your shifter become completely gearless and sloppy. After replacing the roll pin, shifter should be very tight just like a brand new shifter.

EDIT: Here is a vid I made with a temporary fix for those that feel like they are about to be stranded and don't have the time or tools to do the complete fix.



Ok, first you need a few tools:

7mm socket
10mm socket
1/2" socket
ratchet
hammer
Roll pin pusher
Car jack
lug nut wrench
New Roll Pin- 1" long by 3/16" thick

You can purchase the roll pin pusher and roll pin at NAPA or any other auto parts store. And you can use your stock jack and lug nut wrench.

First- Unplug battery with 10mm socket and Jack up car and remove wheel.


then remove nuts that hold the fuse box down. 1/2" socket is needed.



Next you must begin to dissassemble the fuse box. 7mm socket is needed. The next few picks will show the process of disassembling the fuse box.


10mm socket needed here also.


Slide ECU out of holder and place to the side.



7mm socket needed here to loosen all the bolts.


then pull top of fuse box up to show the bottom part all sitting there.


place all the different connections to the sides.


at this point you can see the linkages.



Here is the hole where the new pin goes.




Now you use this roll pin pusher to push the new pin in. Tap with a hammer.


And this is my shattered roll pin beside the new roll pin. As you can see it is stretched out as well.


Took me about 30min on my own. Good luck and happy modding!

MarcS

nice write up, approved

JonyyB

nice write up

ralliartist

Thanks guys, Anything I can do for the community.

TxLonghorn#1

nice "How To" w/pics

SSdan

Great. I need to do this one day as well as my shifter has become 'sloppy'

ralliartist

yes, sloppy shifters means a broke roll pin. You should do it soon. You will be amazed at how tight the shifter will become again.

It's a shame that this is what caused me to not continue making passes at the track the other day. I could have fixed it on the spot.

SSdan

I wouldn't say mine is broken, more of a loose feeling when the car is in gear. Stretched definitely but not broken yet.

06CobaltssOrange

omg my dealer is a pos they told me they had to have to car go to a tranny shop and get rebuilt in the process of this also they broke my ******* b&m short throw in the process. if i knew it was this easy i would of done it. this has happen twice btw

ralliartist

it is probably broken but just still all inside that little hole causing the gears to still engage. If you look in that one pic, you can see the pin sticking out like a 1/4 of an inch. It was like that on both sides. If I would have just reached up in there through the wheel well, I would have been able to squeeze them back in and continued making passes. It's a damn shame.

that is why i did the write up, there was no write up or pics or anything and I was facing taking my car to a dealer. Luckily, qwickredline pm'ed me and I was talking to him. He owns a shop in Canada and sent me pics and what not telling me what to do. I then decided a write up would greatly help everyone on the forum as this is a real easy fix.

SSdan

Do you think this is doable through the wheel well? I'd rather not take the fusebox out.

Ralli, check out my thread in the Suspension section. I'd like your opinion.

ralliartist

No, you will have to take the fuse box out. That's the hardest part, but it's still not THAT hard. Going through the wheel well puts you at odd angles and no room to work with. I only would have been able to squeeze the pin back in for temporary use. It being broke and all, it really wouldn't have been smart. Driving it home and doing this would have been the smart thing to do. Oh how educated I am now.

06CobaltssOrange

by chance how much did the roll pin cost.

ralliartist

21 cents for roll pin

roll pin pusher cost 6 dollars.

Kaisoboy

This is great. I have had mine break on me twice and once was on a weekend so I did not have my car for the whole weekend, actually till tuesday cause the had to out source for a stronger pin. My shifter does not feel as stiff again so I suspect it is going.

Ceers, again great right up.

chevy cobalt 08

holytoomuchworkrathertaketodealerormechanictogetth isdoneifeverhappens. anyway... nice how-to

rick1217

haha sweet fiqured it was easy... mine broke for the second time now. and the dealership is not covering it because it broke once before under warranty and because they said i have aftermarket motormounts so it made the motor/tranny move around lots causing it to break... lol the mounts make it so it doesnt move around like it did when it was stock, i told them to pop my hood and rev it up n compare how much my engine moves compared to a stock cobalt. but whatever, ill just fix it myself, they also said it will take 3hrs.

Is there a stronger roll pin you could buy somewhere so it doesnt break again?? my 2nd pin only lasted 2-3000km


maybe even drill it bigger and put a 1/4 roll pin? if posiable??

ralliartist

I haven't tried any drilling. lol. but I'll keep everyone updated when the one I put in breaks. I got it from NAPA, it may hold up for a while, who knows.

Thanks again for the comments. I'm here to help you. And gloat a little. lol.

rick1217

well i changed mine last night in the dealership parking lot and drove away in less than 45mins....
we had some roll pins at work so the only bill was the 1hr dianosics the dealer charged me, wow they quoted me 3+ hrs to replace it and i did it in the parking lot in less than 1hr.
one of the managers even came over by my car to ask if everything was okay as he was driving home, i said well you guys arnt going to warranty my car and want to charge me 3+ hrs to fix this roll pin but im almost done doing it myself in the parking lot and only going to take 45mins.... and you guys still charge me 1hr to tell me the problem?? I already knew it was broken, took me 15sec to fiqure that out... but i guess it took you guys 1hr?

tREBs

ive heard this is a common thing to go... subscirbed for possible later usage

rallyracer

So you just went into NAPA and pick up a universal 1" by 3/16 roll pin?

ralliartist

wow, funny story. I'm curious to know his reaction. This is very simple and can be done anywhere, as pointed out in rick's story. lol. Stupid dealers.

yea.

Kaisoboy

Are you sure about the pin size? I can see the 1" length but 3/8" = 9.5 mm. I have seen the pin and it deffinatly does not have a 9.5 mm diameter. It would seem that it is mor like 3/16" dia. = 4.8 mm

I will check with the dealer.

Edit: Never mind I just read the first post tools list.

rick1217

haha yeah
i only put a cheap roll pin in again, and the shifter felt loose so i went to a bolt place and bought a 10-24 x 1 1/2" that was some kind of steel alloy...so i doubt it will ever break, i replaced it in my shop and put a lock nut aswell, had it in and out in 15mins in my shop.
shifter feels tight and i really doubt it will break again

camarokiller

maybe I missed it, but what is the diameter of the roll pin? Mine broke before and now my shifter is getting really sloppy again, and im not going to the dealer anymore.

NEVER MIND IM A TARD lol