Did something let go in my trans?

[MONSOUN MOTORS]

Okay to make a long story short, I parked my 92 MTX on a steep inclined driveway, I put it in 1st gear but I did not put on my e-brake because it has a tendency of sticking. Next thing I know the car rolls backwards down the driveway slowly. I got in the started it up and just parked it on the flat street. I drive home and everything seems to be fine but then i stop for gas and after I fill up I am having a hard time getting into first. It will eventually go in with not too much force but when i got home and I tried to park and put the car in reverse it would grind very bad and it would not go in. I tried 1st to R, 2nd to R, 3rd to R and 4th to R and it would grind very bad. It went it after about a minute and the car would have to rolls first before it went in. SO I was just wondering if my car rolling down the driveway could have cause something to let go in the trans and cause me to have a hard time getting into first and reverse? I am pretty sure it does but just wanted to see that could be done or what i need to replace. I am flushing the trans fluid tomorrow and I hope it will help a bit.

 

[AREA 91]

Does the tranny shift ok without the engine running?
Sounds clutch related.

 

[MONSOUN MOTORS]

Does the tranny shift ok without the engine running?
Sounds clutch related.

Yes the tranny shifts fine through all gears when the engine is off. Damn so I need a new clutch already? I barely have three oil changes on this one, man this sucks. I don't understand because when I drive I take it easy all of the time and I almost always have no passangers so the clucth doesn't get too loaded up. Stock PP FTL, I think I am going to have to save up for a south bend or spec clutch. Thanks Brian so my trans is okay?

 

[fitefanSHO]

Kinda unrelated but I've noticed in my ATX a similar issue (almost like stuck then use some force and it kinda slams into gear) getting it out of park and into first while parked on any kind of hill, either sloping back or forward. On level ground smooth shifting, anyone know why this is?

 

[stangeater]

Kinda unrelated but I've noticed in my ATX a similar issue (almost like stuck then use some force and it kinda slams into gear) getting it out of park and into first while parked on any kind of hill, either sloping back or forward. On level ground smooth shifting, anyone know why this is?

ostwhore: You're right, it is unrelated..................

Now back to the original post. Yes your clutch may have been new, but when it rolled down the hill backwards in first gear, it had to be slipping against your clutch. I would guess it's a clutch issue. Sorry, I know this isn't what you were wanting to hear. Good luck......

 

[sdpatt]

If the clutch slipped enough to let the car roll without rotating the engine, the clutch was not engaging fully and the friction material was worn to begin with. If the clutch did not slip, then the engine would have to rotate in the opposite direction from normal operation.

To do this while the transaxle was in first gear would require a fairly steep incline as you stated. It should not have hurt the engine, transaxle or clutch to rotate backward as long as it was not for a prolonged distance. The only problem in that case would be from lack of lubrication to the trans bearings spinning backwards.

The condition described about the difficulty shifting has more to do with the throwout bearing (TOB) and the decoupling of the engine from the transaxle. Try lifting the clutch pedal to reset the clutch cable tension. If no change with that action, then the throwout bearing is suspect. The TOB would not have been affected by the roll down the hill.

 

[stangeater]

If the clutch slipped enough to let the car roll without rotating the engine, the clutch was not engaging fully and the friction material was worn to begin with. If the clutch did not slip, then the engine would have to rotate in the opposite direction from normal operation.

To do this while the transaxle was in first gear would require a fairly steep incline as you stated. It should not have hurt the engine, transaxle or clutch to rotate backward as long as it was not for a prolonged distance. The only problem in that case would be from lack of lubrication to the trans bearings spinning backwards.

The condition described about the difficulty shifting has more to do with the throwout bearing (TOB) and the decoupling of the engine from the transaxle. Try lifting the clutch pedal to reset the clutch cable tension. If no change with that action, then the throwout bearing is suspect. The TOB would not have been affected by the roll down the hill.

Now that's some good info!!

 

[MONSOUN MOTORS]

If the clutch slipped enough to let the car roll without rotating the engine, the clutch was not engaging fully and the friction material was worn to begin with. If the clutch did not slip, then the engine would have to rotate in the opposite direction from normal operation.

To do this while the transaxle was in first gear would require a fairly steep incline as you stated. It should not have hurt the engine, transaxle or clutch to rotate backward as long as it was not for a prolonged distance. The only problem in that case would be from lack of lubrication to the trans bearings spinning backwards.

The condition described about the difficulty shifting has more to do with the throwout bearing (TOB) and the decoupling of the engine from the transaxle. Try lifting the clutch pedal to reset the clutch cable tension. If no change with that action, then the throwout bearing is suspect. The TOB would not have been affected by the roll down the hill.

Wow that was really some great info but I guess I have some bad news. I drained the Mobil1 ATF that was in there and it was a dark purple. I replaced it with some Valvoline maxlife atf and now I can shift into reverse but first gear is still giving me some problems. Sometimes it will slide right into 1st with very little effort but sometimes it takes a bit of force but not as force as i used when I first posted this thread. I didn't get all of the MOBIL 1 out I think there is about less than a quart of Mobil1 and now mixed with 2 1/4 quarts of Valvline maxlife. I think the Mobil1 ATF fluid just pooped out on me. I really need to tap a drain into the tranny and as soon as I get some money saved up I am going to swap in a new clutch, again just in case. Thanks for all of the good info sdpatt and everyone else.

 

[jthod]

My first thought was TOB as well, sound like the same symptoms as mine, but with 100K plus miles as the culprit, not rolling backwards.

when an ATX gets stuck in park when on a incline, it's called torque lock. It's kinda like how your automatic reel works on a work light.