Tranny Problem - Synchros, Clutch, or...?
 

I am a total amateur when it comes to manual trannies, so please bear with me.

Recently, my stock 89 GT has developed issues shifting. Basically, on random gears and at random times, I will not be able to get the shifter in gear. When this happens it usually takes 2 or 3 tries to get it in properly. There is NO audible grinding occuring, the shifter is just blocked from going into gear. It occurs I'd say around 30% of the time, from 1st - 4th. Sometimes I can run through the gears just fine. Other times they all give me an issue. 5th is the only gear that doesn't seem to give me a problem. It also happens when I'm sitting perfectly still with the engine running at idle and I shift through the gears to test it out.

I know that my clutch cable has been out of adjustment for a while. I need to push the pedal almost all of the way to the floor to get it to engage. The auto adjuster is long dead. Could it just be further out of adjustment than usual, or might I have a synchro issue?

Thanks for the help!

bad synchros are normally given away by the going half-way into gear, grinding a little, then going the rest of the way into gear. It should like your clutch is going bad from what you describe.

I'm planning on putting a new clutch in soon. If that fixes it, great. But I'd hate to go through the trouble if my synchros are actually causing the problems. Any way to diagnose this with a fair degree of certainty?

if the syncros are bad you will hear some grinding. Also if it is the syncros it will be specific to one or two gears and should do it all the time in that gear and never in the other gears. usually seond and third syncros are the first to go.

to me it sounds like the clutch or clutch cable. For ease of install and a lower cost I would start with an aftermarket quadrant and adjustable cable.

how many miles are on the clutch and how hard are you on it?

Do you have trouble getting it out of gear once you get it in? I had a similer problem with my old T-5. I would have trouble getting it in 3rd gear and sometimes have trouble getting it out again. Until finally I just stayed in 3rd! I tore it a part to find that the 3-4 syncro slider "tabs" had worn and bent from years of abuse.