New Transmission w/ Same Problems! HELP!
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Pasadena, CA
New Transmission w/ Same Problems! HELP! This post is about the Camaro in my signature (Bone stock, 2002 SS 6spd w/ 82,000mi).
About 10,000mi ago (only 72,000 on the car) my old T56 started to get really hard to get into reverse. After a week of that problem I replaced the clutch master cylinder w/ a brand new AC Delco unit and performed the drill mod on the clutch line. The problem stayed exactly the same, but two weeks later my car started popping out of reverse. I toughed it out for a year until last weekend when I replaced the transmission with a used one bought off a friend of a friend. I also dropped in a monster level 2 and new slave cylinder. Now this transmission seems worse than my old one, but has the same problems. It is hard to get into most gears just like the old one, but this one grinds third and sometimes fourth. At least it doesn't jump out of reverse... as often. The new clutch and slave cylinder seem solid. The pedal only has about a 1/2" off play at the top of the swing and the clutch engages about 1/4 of the way from the floor board.
What the hell is going on?!?! Is there something I'm missing?
About 10,000mi ago (only 72,000 on the car) my old T56 started to get really hard to get into reverse. After a week of that problem I replaced the clutch master cylinder w/ a brand new AC Delco unit and performed the drill mod on the clutch line. The problem stayed exactly the same, but two weeks later my car started popping out of reverse. I toughed it out for a year until last weekend when I replaced the transmission with a used one bought off a friend of a friend. I also dropped in a monster level 2 and new slave cylinder. Now this transmission seems worse than my old one, but has the same problems. It is hard to get into most gears just like the old one, but this one grinds third and sometimes fourth. At least it doesn't jump out of reverse... as often. The new clutch and slave cylinder seem solid. The pedal only has about a 1/2" off play at the top of the swing and the clutch engages about 1/4 of the way from the floor board.
What the hell is going on?!?! Is there something I'm missing?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Pasadena, CA
Here's the other piece to the puzzle. The friend of a friend that I bought the new transmission off of says the thing is solid and he just pulled it out of his 55 Bel Air a few months ago.
He's also my dad's boss so I have to be sure that it's messed up before I start throwing around accusations
He's also my dad's boss so I have to be sure that it's messed up before I start throwing around accusations
The issues you are having with grinding gears/ getting into reverse with both transmissions sound like clutch dis-engagement issues, likely related to your hydraulics. Although your parts are new, you may have air in the system.
Also, something to watch for with T56 clutches is some require shimming of the slave cylinder to get proper engagement/ disengagement. Not sure if this is the case with Monster clutches or not, but I would ask them directly.
Was your flywheel machined or replaced at the same time as the clutch replacement? I have had some machine shops add a step or machine to much of a step on flywheels causing a dragging clucth as well.
Also, something to watch for with T56 clutches is some require shimming of the slave cylinder to get proper engagement/ disengagement. Not sure if this is the case with Monster clutches or not, but I would ask them directly.
Was your flywheel machined or replaced at the same time as the clutch replacement? I have had some machine shops add a step or machine to much of a step on flywheels causing a dragging clucth as well.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Pasadena, CA
All the air was completely bled out of the system when I installed the new master cylinder and was bled again when I installed the new transmission with the new slave cylinder. The pedal felt exactly the same when I had the old master in vs when I installed the new master.
Monster clutches do not need shims. It says so in their instructions. The pedal has the perfect amount of play before engagement right now.
I'm pretty sure that all monster clutches come with a matching flywheel (I'm assuming they don't match up to stock flywheels?). I installed the new one with my clutch and cleaned and prepped it per monster's instructions.
Thanks for the help though!
Monster clutches do not need shims. It says so in their instructions. The pedal has the perfect amount of play before engagement right now.
I'm pretty sure that all monster clutches come with a matching flywheel (I'm assuming they don't match up to stock flywheels?). I installed the new one with my clutch and cleaned and prepped it per monster's instructions.
Thanks for the help though!
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Pasadena, CA
It looks like the synchros in my old trans just wore out prematurely b/c they didn't get enough lubrication. I assumed the dealer I bought the car off of checked the fluid before the sale, but after the problems started I had it checked and it was +2qts low (I couldn't check the level when I bought, damn LA apts!). I'm guessing the same thing has happened to the current trans before I bought it... Basically I just got screwed.
I guess its time to learn how to rebuild a T-56!
I guess its time to learn how to rebuild a T-56!
