Having a hard time going into gear, grinding when shifting fast

[YZF-Ford]

I just put a new (used) transmission in the car with a new clutch. I took it for a quick test drive around the block, and it crunches if I shift fast. It also has a hard time going into gear sometimes, mainly first or second. It feels like the teeth are grazing each other, and then catching. The clutch feels good, like it's disengaging like it's supposed to. I filled the transmission with Pennzoil Synchromesh because I've heard a lot of people say good things about it. Could the Synchromesh be the problem? Should I drain it back out and replace with ATF?

 

[platoribs]

J/Y Transmission = shift slowly:thankyou:

 

[jimtash]

Faulty clutch disc.

 

[auto.guru]

first lets ask these few questions before people just start blurting out answers...

what causes a gear to grind when shifting? the sychro cannot spin up to speed fast enough to match the next gear right before you place the car in the next gear

what components have been replaced and what is their condition? USED transmission, which means USED synchros. someone could have easily beat the **** out of that trans and liked to throw it in to gears. The teeth on the synchro could be worn down, but not completely gone yet.
you have a new clutch. are you sure you installed it correctly? are you 100% certain that it was free of any foreign matter on the disc and flywheel? did you use lint free rags and brake clean? Was it tightened to the proper spec in the proper sequence?

fluids? i see youve done some research on the fluids. that is your call and i have personally not expiramented with any of them. If you feel that may be the trouble then try to replace it.

mechanical parts? is your clutch cable weak, split broken, or stretched? before you answer that - have you actually inspected it? A stretched cable will not engage the clutch fully enough to slow the rpm, and thus you grind gears trying to slow the rpm by using sychros. This also causes premature failure of sychros.

with all of the above info it should be pretty easy to diagnose this problem. although my guess is if its a 100k+ 5 speed, and a teenager owned it before you, that trans is shot.

 

[SHOspazz92]

He just replaced the clutch with a new OEM kit. The trans the car came out of did not grind before (Except going in to reverse, like they all do).

 

[auto.guru]

first lets ask these few questions before people just start blurting out answers...

what causes a gear to grind when shifting? the sychro cannot spin up to speed fast enough to match the next gear right before you place the car in the next gear

what components have been replaced and what is their condition? USED transmission, which means USED synchros. someone could have easily beat the **** out of that trans and liked to throw it in to gears. The teeth on the synchro could be worn down, but not completely gone yet.
you have a new clutch. are you sure you installed it correctly? are you 100% certain that it was free of any foreign matter on the disc and flywheel? did you use lint free rags and brake clean? Was it tightened to the proper spec in the proper sequence?

fluids? i see youve done some research on the fluids. that is your call and i have personally not expiramented with any of them. If you feel that may be the trouble then try to replace it.

mechanical parts? is your clutch cable weak, split broken, or stretched? before you answer that - have you actually inspected it? A stretched cable will not engage the clutch fully enough to slow the rpm, and thus you grind gears trying to slow the rpm by using sychros. This also causes premature failure of sychros.

with all of the above info it should be pretty easy to diagnose this problem. although my guess is if its a 100k+ 5 speed, and a teenager owned it before you, that trans is shot.

focus on the red text now

 

[YZF-Ford]

I had the flywheel turned and cleaned off both the flywheel and pressure plate with brake cleaner, then blew them off with compressed air. I torqued both the flywheel and pressure plate in a criss cross pattern to the torque spec according to the SHO engine handbook, using blue Loctite. The exposed part of the cable looks fine. It wouldn't surprise me if it was stretched a little, considering how heavy the previous clutch was, but it feels fine, and the car won't creep if I'm on level ground and rev the engine with the clutch pushed in.

One thing I thought of, it had rained before I picked the transmission up, but it was under a cover. When I was installing the transmission, a little bit of fluid leaked out, and it was milky red, so maybe there is some moisture that needs to burn off by driving it more?

 

[jimtash]

Your clutch is defective. Either the tension on the PP springs are not in spec, which I have personally experienced with a brand new kit and in the end had to mix and match parts from two different clutch kits to get a working unit or you have a glazed disc or flywheel. You can try and run it with the glazing and burn it off. Just engage and disengage the clutch repeatedly until getting into gear become easier. Try this with the car just sitting because your aim is to burn the glazing off which will happen regardless if the car is moving or not. No need to try and force it into gear either.

When you let off the clutch, can you hear a slight thump and feel it as the clutch engages? If so, then there's a problem with it.

 

[kevinspann]

Svofanatic's trans?

 

[YZF-Ford]

Yes, SVOfanatic's transmission, and no thump when the clutch engages.

 

[jimtash]

Is the bushing still on the cable where it attaches to the transmission?

 

[YZF-Ford]

Is the bushing still on the cable where it attaches to the transmission?

Yes..

 

[zak]

Clutch disc in backwards, which will prevent it from releasing completely.

 

[YZF-Ford]

The disk isn't in backwards. I drove it a few more miles today, I'm thinking (and hoping) it just doesn't like the Synchromesh. I think ATF was in it before, so I'm going to change back to that this weekend.

 

[auto.guru]

i just use dexmerc.
but ill give you props mr Ford. Youve answered all my diagnostic questions and concerns. I dont have a clue anymore. Some of the other guys might be of more help.

At least we started with a list of questions, and narrowed them down 1 by 1 eliminating the obvious

 

[YZF-Ford]

Well I decided to drive the car some this weekend and it shifts better now. I guess the fluid just needed to work its way in.