MTX Hard to get in gear

[guse1096]

Hello! Havnt been to forum in awhile but I had some time today...anywho, I have a 93 MTX that gives me trouble in all forward gears, seems like its not fully locked in unless using force(then an audible clunk is heard) Recently replaced the clutch and TOB (southbend stage 2) along with new clutch cable, shifter bushings, clutch fork bushings, and had flywheel resurfaced. I adjusted clutch cable properly and can tell the release of the clutch is not the issue as there is no reverse grinding and its hard into gear even with the engine off. I thought it was a trans fluid problem so changed and checked fluid levels several times but no improvment. I also checked for abnormal play in shifter linkage but found none... The shifting was easy before clutch replacement even with most of the fingers on old clutch missing! Im wondering what to do/check next as a see no adjustments for linkage??? Could it be synchros in transmission or a linkage problem?? Any help would be great

 

[93rev2sev]

Pull axles and have a look at the dif pin.

Have you tried to remove the shift linkage from the trans and shift the trans through the gears from underneath using just a screwdriver in the hole on the shift shaft?

If that's hard to do than your problem is internal to the transmission.

 

[guse1096]

I will try today to shift with a screwdriver and post results. What would be considered hard to shift that way? Because the driver is getting a mechanical advantage through the linkage right?...what will looking at diff. pins tell me?

 

[guse1096]

Well good news is I made progress... bad news is it shifts the same with linkage removed, so I have it isolated to internal transaxle issues. Any fluid recommendations that would help? Because Ill drive it as is for awhile

 

[93rev2sev]

I have it isolated to internal transaxle issues. Any fluid recommendations that would help? Because Ill drive it as is for awhile

Wait what?!

If you've blown a diff pin, there may still be a chance to save that transmission...UNLESS YOU CONTINUE DRIVING IT!

 

[guse1096]

Diff pins are good yet, forgot to mention that

 

[rubydist]

my 92 shifts very hard because the mainshaft stops very quickly - I think at some point it was run low on oil and scored the shaft - so I have to shift it very fast all the time. it works much better w/ Mobil1 atf than any other I've tried, and I had to change it a couple of times to get it this good.

so, I'd suggest Mobil1 atf.

 

[guse1096]

I thought Id post an update on this issue... Randomly I go to drive the car one day(about 2 months ago) and it shifts very good in all gears. I never did change trans fluid, just checked the level. Apparantly the clutch just needed to be broke in?? Does that sound like a logical conclusion?? Or is it tempurature related as now its cold here and thats when I started to notice a differance in performance? You know sometimes chance favors the prepared mind

 

[jelloslug]

What fluid are you using? I used Mobile 1 synthetic ATF for a while and it never shifted very well. I switched to a full fill of Pennzoil Synchromesh and now it shifts amazingly smooth.

 

[AREA 91]

These tranny's can be picky about the fluid you put in them.
Everyone is different. Also, no MTX likes cold weather.

 

[Bob Gervais]

I used dielectric grease in mine.

 

[trainguy1989]

I used dielectric grease in mine.

Sweet!! I thought I was running out of options. I will have to give that a shot!

 

[Bob Gervais]

Sweet!! I thought I was running out of options. I will have to give that a shot!

You gotta cut it with heatsink paste though, or it'll get things all bitched up.

 

[rubydist]

my trans that had these same symptoms has been replaced by a refreshed one - the bad one has a bad bearing on the input shaft. the rollers have some spalling, and if a piece of that metal debris was in the wrong place when I pushed in the clutch, the input shaft would stop very fast, which made it very difficult to shift most of the time.

the good news is that the refreshed trans that is in there now (w/ Mobil 1 atf) shifts better than any other SHO I have ever driven!

 

[trainguy1989]

You gotta cut it with heatsink paste though, or it'll get things all bitched up.

k thx, brah

 

[shoff22]

I have a similar problem going to second gear I have to pull all the,way tward me really hard then pull down into second gear

 

[19sho90]

Mine shifts really ******* cold days, gets better as the car warms up. I'm think of changing the fluid(O.E fluid i believe)

 

[itwonder]

I've tried several and Mobil 1 seems to give the best results in my MTX. It can take 500 miles to reveal the effects of changing fluid.

 

[auto.guru]

anyone know where to get a magnetized fluid check/fill plug for the mtx?

 

[kevinspann]

Don't think there is one. There is a magnet inside the MTX that will probably catch everything else first anyways.