Cant shift

Unit 5302 · 09-28-2002, 07:04 PM

Can you get into gears with the engine off? Was the transmission making any noise while in gear before or was it just when you were trying to shift from gear to gear that you were getting problems.

The times I've actually seen T-5's go you get a lot of clunks and bangs with it. Or you may just have 1 or 2 gears that always grind a little/lot. That's because not all the gears share the same syncronizers, and if you have something that actually breaks in there, you've usually got some audible crashing going on.

If you can get gears with the engine off, and you start your car up (while in gear) and are able to drive in the gears, I'd have to say your tranny may be fine, and your factory cable/quadrent/clutch/pressure plate is shot. I've seen this numerous times. It hasn't been a shot tranny yet. Always it's been the stock adjuster/cable. Either the adjuster has some nylon teeth broken so it's unable to adjust the cable properly or your clutch cable has been stretched or in extreme cases, the clutch is coming apart.

Another way to check for this problem is to be on a completely flat surface and keep your engine running with the clutch in, and the transmission in gear. If your car rolls with the clutch depressed or has a tendency to roll faster when you rev, there is something wrong in the clutch system not allowing the proper release.

You can also try a procedure which can be hard on the syncros, but at least you'll know if you have a clutch problem. Shift the transmission without using the clutch at all. First gear is the most difficult to get out of. Drive the car up to a low speed, easier if you stay well below 2500rpms, hold the car at a steady speed with mild throttle input, just enough to keep from accelerating or decelerating. Pull the transmission out of gear, you can use the clutch for this part to help if you like. Then let out the clutch, match engine rpm to the rpm you'll be turning in the next gear. A quick rev as you're pulling will find the spot. As you pull back into 2nd lightly, you should be able to feel the point where the stress is almost totally gone. Once that happens, the mild force should engauge the next gear without use of the clutch. If you can shift this way, you've got a clutch problem, not a major failure in your gearbox.

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09-28-2002, 07:04 PM	#3
Unit 5302 Registered Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 5,246	Can you get into gears with the engine off? Was the transmission making any noise while in gear before or was it just when you were trying to shift from gear to gear that you were getting problems. The times I've actually seen T-5's go you get a lot of clunks and bangs with it. Or you may just have 1 or 2 gears that always grind a little/lot. That's because not all the gears share the same syncronizers, and if you have something that actually breaks in there, you've usually got some audible crashing going on. If you can get gears with the engine off, and you start your car up (while in gear) and are able to drive in the gears, I'd have to say your tranny may be fine, and your factory cable/quadrent/clutch/pressure plate is shot. I've seen this numerous times. It hasn't been a shot tranny yet. Always it's been the stock adjuster/cable. Either the adjuster has some nylon teeth broken so it's unable to adjust the cable properly or your clutch cable has been stretched or in extreme cases, the clutch is coming apart. Another way to check for this problem is to be on a completely flat surface and keep your engine running with the clutch in, and the transmission in gear. If your car rolls with the clutch depressed or has a tendency to roll faster when you rev, there is something wrong in the clutch system not allowing the proper release. You can also try a procedure which can be hard on the syncros, but at least you'll know if you have a clutch problem. Shift the transmission without using the clutch at all. First gear is the most difficult to get out of. Drive the car up to a low speed, easier if you stay well below 2500rpms, hold the car at a steady speed with mild throttle input, just enough to keep from accelerating or decelerating. Pull the transmission out of gear, you can use the clutch for this part to help if you like. Then let out the clutch, match engine rpm to the rpm you'll be turning in the next gear. A quick rev as you're pulling will find the spot. As you pull back into 2nd lightly, you should be able to feel the point where the stress is almost totally gone. Once that happens, the mild force should engauge the next gear without use of the clutch. If you can shift this way, you've got a clutch problem, not a major failure in your gearbox.