Clutch?

[my89sho]

Here's the situation. I figure a need a new clutch because when i down shift into 3rd or second gear after driving for about 15 minutes or so the gears will start to grind. but only after driving in town and shifting a lot. well, the other day i for some reason was shifting from 3rd to second and i didn't have do push in the clutch to pull it out of thrird. my question is, is this a sign that its getting progresively worse and something else may get messed up. i know the clutch and labor could be costly, but is it going to cost me more if i keep waiting? i've asked people if my clutch is bad or if it's the gear box and the mechanic asked if it grinds going into reverse. well, no it doesn't and it only grinds in second and third when down shifting. what's the scoop?

 

[SHOemup]

sounds like a syncronizer to me. You can pull a car out of gear and even back into a gear at the right RPM's without any grinding at all (At the correct RPM"s) I wouldn't suggest doing it. The grinding of gears i dont believe has anything to do with the clutch but a syncronizer inside the transmission. The syncronizers arn't expensive but the labor for dropping the tranny and all that good stuff is what will turn out to be the bullet that bites you.

 

[Bizzy]

My clutch needed replacing for a month before I actually had the work done. I was lucky to have made it that long I might add...but I stayed off the clutch as much as possible and I did learn to shift without the clutch pedal. It's actually pretty easy once you get the RPM's figured out. Like in the olden days before syncros came into play, it was all in RPM levels. There is a "sweet spot" in the gears. After you've pulled the tranny out of say 1st gear, let the rpms drop then rev the engine to about 3300 rpms then let it drop, while doing that you can pull the shifter towards 2nd gear...when the rpms are right you'll feel the sweet spot and then can pull it down into 2nd gear. It'll go into gear at about 2700 rpms. The same goes for all the other gears.

I do not suggest doing this on a regular basis as nothing replaces proper maintenance and repair BUT it will get you by for awhile if the problem is indeed with your clutch or TOB. It will not help with a syncro problem (I don't believe), but I am NOT an expert in the transmission field.