New gen ii ACR owner - shifter stiff?

hi everyone,

Really excited to join the viper community with my purchase of this 99 GTS ACR. I’m currently trailering it from Florida to my home in Michigan.



My question involves the shifter. It is STIFF. Very stiff. Also doesn’t seem to center itself when in neutral. Is this just how they are? Is the shifter rebuildable if not and are new centering springs available?

Thanks in advance

I'd describe my shifter as much more mechanical than smooth, but I wouldn't consider it excessively stiff. It does have a positive return to center in neutral.

Can you describe how the shifter is fighting your input? Is it difficult to engage, disengage, or both? Does this happen in every gear or only certain gears? Is it a factory shifter, or did someone install a short throw?

^^^^^^^ Original Shifter?

Starting in 1999, Dodge started using Synthetic Manual Transmission Lubricant 75W-85 (made be Castrol) as the "factory fill". It was used through 2006. This fluid is "stiff" when cold. This was a change from the Dexron II-e and Dexron III used in prior years. The change was undertaken to suppress Neutral Gear Rattle.

Before you go too far, I would change the fluid, then reevaluate. While MOPAR no longer supplies this fluid, there are similar fluids out there. You can use a GL-4 lube or go with ATF+4.

Just be sure to AVOID any lube labeled GL-5.

BoondocSaint said:

I'd describe my shifter as much more mechanical than smooth, but I wouldn't consider it excessively stiff. It does have a positive return to center in neutral.

Can you describe how the shifter is fighting your input? Is it difficult to engage, disengage, or both? Does this happen in every gear or only certain gears? Is it a factory shifter, or did someone install a short throw?

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I believe it’s a factory shifter, it fights me going left to right. Going into 1-2 is easy, it tends to sit just below 1 when in neutral. Going over to reverse is a workout. It does not like traveling through the neutral gate.

I did have the chance to drive it a bit today and it loosened up a little, maybe it is just crusty from sitting

Here’s another question, does anyone have a source for the clutch hydraulic line that goes from the master cylinder to the slave? Is this a dealership order type part because I can’t find it anywhere.

I want to replace mine because the previous owner recently had the master, slave, and clutch replaced and the shop left the line sitting on the headers so it was boiling the fluid.

Figured out my issues with the shifter. It was packed with old sticky grease. I have an ipsco on order to replace it

How many miles on your ACR? Report back on what you think of the IPSCO!

Ipsco is in. I love it, worlds better than the hurst it replaced. It actually centers and it shifts much, much more smoothly. Only thing I regret is going with the 1” drop instead of the 2” drop kit. The 1” drop is still a little high for my tastes, I might pull it out and get the 2”.

Got about 40k on my ACR, previous owner did the clutch, flywheel, slave cylinder, all suspension wear parts/rubbers and a tune up in the past year. I just did brake pads and changed all fluids. This winter I’m getting new tires and sending the Koni shocks out to be rebuilt. Got new 6 point harnesses coming in the mail that I have a jersey shop setup to stitch replica ACR panels onto to match the factory 5 point harnesses so next summer she’ll be ready for the track.

Car drives like new, looks like new, and has no leaks whatsoever, doubt you’ll have that with any other 90s supercar at 40k miles! Helps it has been maintained well too though. I always prefer a car with a few miles that’s been taken care of as opposed to one that’s sat, plus I only paid 58k for it!

serafins said:

Ipsco is in. I love it, worlds better than the hurst it replaced. It actually centers and it shifts much, much more smoothly. Only thing I regret is going with the 1” drop instead of the 2” drop kit. The 1” drop is still a little high for my tastes, I might pull it out and get the 2”.

Got about 40k on my ACR, previous owner did the clutch, flywheel, slave cylinder, all suspension wear parts/rubbers and a tune up in the past year. I just did brake pads and changed all fluids. This winter I’m getting new tires and sending the Koni shocks out to be rebuilt.

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One inch down from stock height on the shifter and you still think it's too tall? Post a picture of it!

Where are you sending the Konis? I'd love to have mine rebuilt, as I'm at 58,000 miles and doubt they've been serviced. I also bought the billet upper spring seats that lower the car about .75" I'm like you, I'll be doing a ton of work to it this winter, and then I have to help my brother (2000 RT/10) remove his rear diff and bring it home for a 3.55 swap.

FuzzyRev said:

One inch down from stock height on the shifter and you still think it's too tall? Post a picture of it!

Where are you sending the Konis? I'd love to have mine rebuilt, as I'm at 58,000 miles and doubt they've been serviced. I also bought the billet upper spring seats that lower the car about .75" I'm like you, I'll be doing a ton of work to it this winter, and then I have to help my brother (2000 RT/10) remove his rear diff and bring it home for a 3.55 swap.

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One inch on the ipsco is barely less than a quarter inch down from stock height apparently because the ipsco sits up higher than stock so it’s about stock height.

Shocks are going to performance shock in Ohio. Talked to them on the phone and they have rebuilt plenty of the ACR 2812 shocks.

What you doing with the Hurst?

Goggles Pizano said:

What you doing with the Hurst?

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Selling it, if you want it shoot me an offer before I toss it on eBay

I’ll warn you if you want a shifter that centers you’ll need stronger springs for it though.