WIPLSH

I have a 01 ss 6speed, the other morning i noticed it was hard to shift into any gear all of the sudden. So i pulled over and checked my clutch fluid. It was very low so I added some.
It felt like normal the rest of the way to work. That night it did the "hard to get into gear" after leaving a stop light. 1st went in smoothly, 2nd ground slightly as if i wasn't mashing the clutch down far enough. 3rd and 4th did the same thing so i pulled over, fluid level was normal.

I have been trying to figure this.. what has me stumped is this problem seems sporadic. Some times it will shift as smooth as it ever has been. The next light there will be a slight grind in every gear except 1st.

it grinds 2 times per gear sometimes... it will be a slight grind when the gear engages. then, when the clutch engages, it will grind again. very very short grind. I can feel it through the shifter

At the next light, it will be smooth as silk again.

My fluid was black so I am flushing it out, using the bask method. No + results yet... still the same sporadic results.

Anyone Have Any Ideas??

the empty fluid makes me think either the master or slave is leaking ever so slightly. How ever there are no drips.

Any of you guys ever heard of this problem before?


Thank you for your time!
chris

ae13291

iTrader: (8)

do a complete clutch fluid flush through the slave

WIPLSH

Ok, i'll do that this weekend. Thanks!


Anyone else have any ideas on this problem?

bigsticksupra

iTrader: (3)

I did a clutch bleed and it did not help with my cold weather shifting. after 10 minutes of driving it would shift fine though. i have brand a new master and slave with a mcleod twin.

WIPLSH

bigsticksupra, Does your grind twice per gear sometimes, when its cold? Once when you engage the gear, the again when you let the clutch engage?

thanks
chris

bigsticksupra

iTrader: (3)

it only did it going into gear. if i just go from 1-4 for the first ten minutes or so it wouldn't grind..so i just do that now. it's also kind of hard to get into 1 and R when its real cold out.

CayanneZ

iTrader: (1)

Mine does the 1 and R thing when it is cold outside... sometimes takes a little jiggle and a hard push

WIPLSH

Well I did the flush. No change in how the car is shifting.

I took it to AAMCO Transmission and let them take a look. They seem to think its my syncros going out. But if that were the case... why does it only do it once everything warms up.

First thing in the morning, if i drive it. It drives perfectly with no grinding and it shifts as smooth as it ever has. After about 10 mins of driving it starts grinding ever so slightly as it goes into gear. The hotter it gets the worse it grinds.

They estimated it would be $800 for new syncros... but i don't think that is the problem.

Any of you guys have any ideas?

Only grinds once its warm.
Fluid level is fine.
New Clutch (6000 miles ago)

Also once it heats up... if i go form 1st to 4th it doesn't grind? Any other gear changes it seems to grind randomly. Some times it doesn't , but most of the time it does grind.

Thanks for the help,
Chris

WIPLSH

Today I noticed that it did grind 2 times on the 1st to 4th shift out of probably 20 shifts....

could a bad/leaky slave cly cause this?

Thanks,
chris

OMGWTFBODY

iTrader: (5)

That sounds EXACTLY like my dead slave.

It was like that, and it only did it occasionally, then I got locked in or out of a gear, and I said F*** it.

Car sat for 3 weeks before I got it in.

Good luck.

WIPLSH

LOL,
ok thanks... I'm gonna try to replace the slave cyl first. If that doesn't work I'll take the transmission to AAMCO and let them replace the syncros.

OMGWTFFBODY, did yours only grind once it got warmed up?

Thanks!

dummer

Sounds like hydraulic issues such as slave cyl. to me, especially since you mentioned the low fluid, it had to have gone somewhere. I doubt it is the synchros.
One other thing I though worth mentioning, also a bad pilot bearing can cause issue like that, since it can cause the tranny shaft to spin when it should not be. I have had that cause intermittent issues of grinding before.
So if you go in to replace the slave, might as well make sure to check pilot bearing as well. First time I did a clutch job on my car, the pilot bearing rollers all just came falling out and the bearing cage was busted all to hell and rusted even!

WIPLSH

ok thanks!

I'll check the pilot bearing while im in there.


Thank you all for the help.
I'll post up the resluts after this weekend

WIPLSH

It was the slave cyl!

Once I had the transmission off, I could see that the slave cyl was leaking.
Took about 5.5 hours all together, thats the hardest slave cylinder I have ever replaced... lol

Thanks for all the help!

Viper

iTrader: (6)

Thanks for writing back the fix and glad it worked out for you!

WIPLSH

well....

The problem is back. Its just not near as bad.

I went for a long drive last week. Everything was good till about 40 miles down the road once the car was good and warm. It started grinding sometimes when id put it into gear.

It only does it some times, once it gets warm.

You guys think the new slave is crapping out on me?
Maybe does it need another shim behind it?

The thing that gets me... why does it only do it when it gets warmed up?!?! it shifts perfect when its cold....

Any advice?

Thanks for your time.

Jonathan@Tick

iTrader: (5)

Where does the clutch engage in relation to the pedal? Close to the floor, or more toward the top? If it engages really close to the floor the problem may be in the clutch hydrolics. If the pedal feels right and the clutch engages toward the middle or top of the pedals travel the the problem could be the syncros. Does it grind in all gears? If it grinds going to third for example, what does it do if you shift from second into neutral, wait a few seconds, then engage third?

WIPLSH

The clutch engages between the middle and the floor. (closer to the middle).

Once it is hot, It starts grinding in 5th and 6th first. It hardly ever grinds 4th. 3rd will grind sometimes. If I shift slowly then it won't grind when the gear engages but it may grind when I let the clutch out. (more of a growl sound). It will grind into 2nd and growl sometimes when the clutch is let out.

If i put it in a gear, it grinds, if i pull it out and put it back in it won't grind most of the time. Some times it will growl when the clutch engauges.

Yesterday, i was rolling and put it into first when the clutch engaged (clutch pedal about 1/2 way out) it sounded like i was trying to jam the car into gear with out using the clutch. I held my foot where it was, pulled it out of gear. It continued to make the grinding sound. (about 2 or 3 seconds) i mashed the clutch in all the way and it went away. I put it back in 1st and it ground again.

Jonathan@Tick

iTrader: (5)

If the clutch always engages close to the middle then I would rule out the hydrolics. If the pedal was inconsistent or very low that would be a hydrolic problem. It really sounds like the syncro's are just worn if it doesn't grind when shifted slow and easy.

The growling may be a different problem all together. Does it make the growling sound with the car sitting still in neutral with the clutch pedal all the way out? That could be a bearing problem inside the transmission but I'm not sure if thats what you are hearing because you say it does it when the clutch is engaging. I've heard a few spec 3 or 3+ clutches make a squeal when the clutch engages but not really a growl..

The grinding it did when the clutch was half way out is normal, especially if the syncros are worn. The clutch probably wasn't fully released making the already worn out syncro rings job almost imposible trying to stop a gear that was still turning under power.

WIPLSH

It doesn't make any sounds while sitting still. I can go into any gear, clutch in or out with no sounds.

my clutch fluid keeps turning black. I have flushed it a few times.

I am confused to why the its not making any noise when its cold. It shifts perfect untill it gets hot.

Thanks for your time!