2nd gear synchro or Clutch

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boat

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I am trying to diagnose an issue I am having with my red 94 MTX.

A couple of weeks ago, my 2nd gear, started to grind when I tried to put it into 2nd. I thought it was b/c of not having the clutch pedal in all the way, nope, it was all the way to the floor and 2nd was grinding. Then, didn't do it again for a week (last week) until it got stupid cold down in the single digits, after the trans warmed up, shifted fine into 2nd. Then did it again Wednesday this last week when leaving work. All other gears shift fine with no issues, and did when 2nd gear would grind, when the trans was cold at 4 degrees outside, as well as when it was almost 32 today. It is just random times of doing it.

When it did it Wednesday, I left my parking spot, I have a bit of a lane to go down and shifted 1st to 2nd no prob. Get to the stop sign. Wait for traffic to clear, take off in 1st, going for 2nd GRIIINNDD. At that point I just I wound out 1st a little farther and skipped to 3rd. There have been times of shifting, I was gentle putting it into gear and I could feel it in the shifter, that it almost wanted to grind, but like it was close enough to get into gear.

And since Wednesday, it has not done this.

On the clutch, it was the one I have had in the car since I bought the car 3 years ago. I was having some issues about 10 months into the owner ship of the car and had some help pulling the trans and found uneven wear on the pressure plate where the TOB engages it. I was told by someone on here it was garbage throw it away. I was told by the people helping me, keep using it. Well, I have kept using it, over 2 years and about 25k miles, it for the most part still seems to engage really good.

Since that work was done 25k miles ago, I have run nothing but Valvoline Dex-Merc in it and it has worked beautifully. Also at the time of that work, a newly blanchard ground stock flywheel was put in, new teflon coated clutch fork bushings, and a ceramic TOB and quill sleeve.

So, I am not sure if this is a 2nd gear synchro thing or if it is the pressure plate failing. If it is a synchro failing, then I may find another MTX and put it in. If it is the clutch, I still have the clutch that was supposed to go in 25k miles ago, to put in if needed. The car has 181k on it, not the original trans, and I really don't know the miles on this one.

Aside from the occasional grind in 2nd, it shifts nice and smooth.

Thoughts??
 

dantheman68

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I have the same problem when i cold shift second... mine is more of a crunch than a continuous grind...


my trans was rebuild around 50k ago by Bizzy... I think I may check my fluids and maybe replace them my next oil change, how old is your fluid? What type are you running?
 

boat

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No worries Sam, that blue car shifts like butter.

Valvoline Dex Merc. The trans has a very slow leak, where I have to add about 1/4 qt or so every 6-9 months. So, it has been topped off. But nothing changed since 25k miles ago. When I changed the driver side axle back in November, it dumped out about quart of fluid, so it got a fresh quart of Dex Merc then. Man that stuff stinks.
 

dantheman68

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Thats the fluid i put in mine during my last change... I had the Mobil 1 synthetic ATF in there and never had an issue, however I believe that stuff is either extremely hard to find or around $10 a qt. I have yet to get around to switching back, but I plan on it.
 

JRA2000TL

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My 89 will do this in 2nd every once in awhile right after a cold start take-off....sounds like a buzz/grind; I shift to N then back into 2nd and it usually goes in. I changed the fluid previously with Valvoline MaxLife ATF. It's only in 2nd now. The SHOSource plastic shift cable bushing completely resolved the reverse grinding.
 

itwonder

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It's worth changing that clutch cable plastic bushing per the previous post. I recommend you drain the fluid and switch to Mobil 1 ATF. Then run it ~500 miles and see if it improves. I ran with Valvoline Dex/Merc for a while and went back to Mobil 1 because it seemed like shifts were stiffening up after ~1000 miles.
 

rubydist

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I too have had better results w/ Mobil 1 than Valvoline in the trans.

If you have a clutch issue, it will not be selective enough to only happen on 1-2 shifts, it will either happen all the time or randomly in any gear. Sounds to me like the 2nd blocking ring is pretty much shot.
 

boat

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I agree, kinda what I thought. I was kind of just asking as a sanity check. If it was the clutch it would be not just selective to 1-2 shifts. I was hoping it would be that simple, and just be the clutch.

Not sure how much draining fluid and replacing it with Mobil 1 will help a synchro that is shot. It may help me limp it along for a little bit longer.

Any harm in bringing the revs up in 1st and skipping to 3rd?

If you have a clutch issue, it will not be selective enough to only happen on 1-2 shifts, it will either happen all the time or randomly in any gear. Sounds to me like the 2nd blocking ring is pretty much shot.
 

Nessa

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My 89 will do this in 2nd every once in awhile right after a cold start take-off....sounds like a buzz/grind; I shift to N then back into 2nd and it usually goes in. I changed the fluid previously with Valvoline MaxLife ATF. It's only in 2nd now. The SHOSource plastic shift cable bushing completely resolved the reverse grinding.


I need to check this, I'm sick of the grinding. I'm scared to check it out myself, I couldn't get the air filter back on myself when we were looking at how to take it off to look at the part. I have to wait for my BF to come look with me. I'm scared I won't be able to put it back together and end up with no car.
 

jelloslug

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I had poor luck with Mobil 1 synthetic ATF. I switched to Pennzoil synchromesh and now it shift like butter.
 

rubydist

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Any harm in bringing the revs up in 1st and skipping to 3rd?

for daily driving, you should be able to figure out how quickly or slowly to shift from 1-2 to allow the input shaft to slow down to let it slip in w/o grinding. that would be preferable to skipping 2nd most of the time, I would think.
 

sperold

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I find when I have my big winter boots on, the shifting takes a hit. It is hard to put the pedal to the floor with the monster boots on, as you don't have that toe precision.
 

My SHITSHO

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My car does this too. Its really embarrassing after leaving work and always grinding 2nd gear in front of all my co workers.
 

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