LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

T56 Doesnt like 2nd gear

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Old 01-10-2012, 11:06 AM
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Default T56 Doesnt like 2nd gear

Car starts perfectly fine.

Goes into 1st fine

go to shift into 2nd and grinds and will not go in.

have to skip to 3rd gear.

Does the same thing on the downshift. grinds 2nd and wont go in.

If im at a dead stop it WILL go into 2nd WITH NO grinding and hold no problem and i can take off in 2nd gear no problems and shift to 3rd with no issues.


So, whats the problem here?
Old 01-10-2012, 11:12 AM
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sounds like a bad synchronizer. pull the trans and find a shop to rebuild it, expect more damage to be found once its pulled apart. its cheaper to replace worn parts now than broken parts later
Old 01-10-2012, 11:19 AM
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Any idea of a cost range to have a synchro fixed? Is it safe to drive if i avoid 2nd gear? all other gears are smooth.
Old 01-10-2012, 11:40 AM
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parts are cheap, but you gotta drop the tranny and the labor is where the $$ is. i have a buddy in bel air MD that builds mine, kind of a drive for you, but hes honest, and that makes the difference for me. i drop them myself drop it off and let him tell me what all is worn/ needs to be attended to. remember there are years of abuse on those gears, and its cheaper in the long run to replace things once than to have the tranny dropped a bunch of times. upgrade your clutch while its out. i think i have a centerforce dual friction around here somewhere if your interested
Old 01-10-2012, 11:47 AM
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Stuart, bel air is only like 45 min from me. I need to be able to drive this car down to florida in 2 weeks. About 2500 miles round trip. Do you think, if i avoid 2nd gear, it will be ok?

Any idea what your guy might charge if its just that synchro? I would have to drive the car to him, to have it done. I do not have a way to pull the tranny at home.
Old 01-10-2012, 11:52 AM
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Also, already have a Spec stage 1 clutch. Not looking to upgrade yet
Old 01-10-2012, 12:19 PM
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check your PMs. best of luck!
Old 01-10-2012, 12:43 PM
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I have the same issue with my 3-4 synchro. It has been like this for a couple of years now. If you skip 2nd you should be just fine.
Old 01-10-2012, 12:43 PM
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If you have to pull the trans for bad synchro, then you should also buy a rebuild kit and have it rebuild right the first time....or you may be doing it again sooner than you think. Or have fun with a permanent 2nd gear "skip shift" As mentioned, it's the labor that is expensive, not the parts. You can get a basic rebuild kit for less than $250 on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Borg-Warner-...088#vi-content
Old 01-10-2012, 12:47 PM
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2nd gear blocker ring is damaged and or the syncro ring is damaged as well. 1st/2nd syncro ring runs around $170 shipped IIRC. Blocker rings must be bought as a set IIRC. If interested, I have a full set of blocker rings with hardly any wear to the linings and the dog teeth are perfect that I can let go cheap.
Old 01-10-2012, 12:49 PM
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FWIW...I paid $600 in just labor to rebuild my t56; this was with a "hookup" paying a GM dealership mechanic with 30 years experience working off the clock. Just make sure whoever takes it apart knows what they are doing.
Old 01-10-2012, 12:53 PM
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Man prices are all over the place for labor. I have seen every thing from 250 to 650. That seems odd.
Old 01-10-2012, 12:57 PM
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It is a PITA to drop a trans and take it apart....a rebuild takes several hours and takes specialty tools/knowledge that not every mechanic/shop has. LOL I would not trust ANY $250 trans rebuilds.
Old 01-10-2012, 12:59 PM
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You'll be fine on the Florida trip. Hell GM made the cars skip 2nd and 3rd with that gay *** skip shift so I figure you can skip 2nd and be fine. Plus I'm assuming you'll be on the interstate mostly so 5-6 will be where your at.
Old 01-10-2012, 01:06 PM
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Originally Posted by GreenBlood55
Man prices are all over the place for labor. I have seen every thing from 250 to 650. That seems odd.
Try going to the dealership and see what they quote you $650 will be sounding cheap as hell .....$250 trans rebuild is highly questionable at best.
Old 01-10-2012, 01:06 PM
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The drive will be mostly interstate 5th 6th gear.

Does the fact that i can start out in 2nd gear with no problems, change anything diagnosing wise? It grinds 2nd only when the car is in motion.
Old 01-10-2012, 02:09 PM
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Originally Posted by GreenBlood55
The drive will be mostly interstate 5th 6th gear.

Does the fact that i can start out in 2nd gear with no problems, change anything diagnosing wise? It grinds 2nd only when the car is in motion.
Again it sounds like 2nd blocker ring and 1/2 syncro ring.
Old 01-10-2012, 03:38 PM
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You can rock your road trip with the T55 and turn it back into a T56 later.
Old 01-10-2012, 04:20 PM
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Originally Posted by 05HD
You can rock your road trip with the T55 and turn it back into a T56 later.
haha
Old 01-10-2012, 09:28 PM
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Had the same exact thing happen to me over the summer. Was exactly what wrd1972 said. Chewed up 2nd blacker and 1/2 syncro. Dont make the mistake of forcing it in a lot like I did. Ended up having to get a new 2nd gear set. When I did mine I got the stage 2 rebuild kit from thegearbox.org. Have 2k miles and a track rental on the trans and it holds up great...



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