I am looking at a 98 Cavalier 5 speed to buy. The guy says the clutch is out but I am almost positive it's not the clutch. It is stuck in first gear and the clutch still has pressure. When I try to shift the linkage on the tranny dosn't move and when it is moved on the tranny the shifter barely wiggles. What could it be? And how much of a hassle would it be to fix?

I'm not sure if this is relevant to you, but i've seen my 5 speed sometimes get "out of whack". That's the best way to describe it. Basically, the shifting mechanism/rod gets put in a different spot that doesn't match the shifter in the cabin. I.E the car is in a gear, but the selector is in neutral.
I've fixed this just by removing the selector on the side of the tranny (5 bolts i think) and manually putting the car back into neutral, and re-assembling the shifter assembly. 10-30 minutes. If it's stock, you'll probably need to get the air intake out of the way.

Like I said, this may not apply to you, but it sounds kinda similar.

You probably have a bent fork. If you can start it. Try reving it up high and let the clutch fly while pushing on the shifter. You may get it to pop out. Don't put it back in 5th. All the other gears should be fine. You need to buy a rebuild kit or get a new trans. I would rebuild if it was me. I always have to help my friend with this with his camaro. He is always bending forks in his 6 speed.



On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.

So of the fork is bent I need a whole new tranny? Is there anyway to check it?

Also the odometer says 223,000 miles on it. He says he did an engine swap to a 97 motor with 60,000 miles. But it has the 2200 Sfi motor. Did the 97 ever use the 2200? I always though it wasnt used until 98 in any cavalier