All right, here's the deal. The car is a 99 C5. It has 24k miles on it now. The problem is, is that when the car is cold, it will grind 3rd/4th if shifted very fast. This problem started before last winter when it started getting cold out. I noticed it would grind if shifted quickly (not at high rpms or anything, just 'slamming' it into 3rd/4th during everyday driving). However, once the car had warmed up, it would stop doing that. Fast forward to now (car has been stored all winter), it still does it if the car has only been running for less than 5 mins. Once it's warmed up, no problems. I took it out on the highway last night and did some high rpm runs through 4th (shifting at ~6500) and no problem at all. However, as a test, I took it out this morning, drove about 1 min up the street, and coasted around this industrial park at 30mph. I put the clutch in, put the car in 3rd, then slammed it into 4th *grind*. Put it back into 3rd, then slammed it back into 4th *grind*. All with the clutch never being engaged, I kept it to the the floor the whole time.

Car has a cartek clutch, 01+ hydraulics with a Cartek adjustable master, FYI. Stock tranny (and original fluid).

The shift effort is never any more difficult than any other gear, there's no other strange sounds, blah blah blah.

Does this sound like synchros? Bent shift fork? Maybe fluid related? I'm going to swap out the fluid with some GM Synchromesh in a weekend or two, and see if that makes any difference. Barring that, is it definitely time for a rebuild? I am replacing the clutch in a few weeks and it would be much easier to swap the tranny at that point, instead of taking the entire car apart again (swapping clutch or tranny in a C5 involves dropping the entire rear subframe and associated parts, I'd rather do it once!). On the other hand, if it's not the tranny, I'd hate to waste the $$$!

Dope

 

Oh yeah, and is there anything I should look for when I dump the fluid? Will it have bits of synchro material in it or metal or something?

Dope

 

Hey,, its me scott....the guy with the silver camaro you bought.. The camaro did the same thing. It took forever for the dealer to get the thing fixed. There were updated shift forks and synchros ....Im not 100% sure. they put in it. Also they put two throwout bearings in it. It may have been just the throwout bearing. Im not sure what they determined. It stopped doing the grinding in the mornings but them it just stuck in fourth gear and I couldnt get it out. ....Thus the brand new tranny in your car......Good luck....hows the car running ....Any track times with it yet?

 

Holy crap, he's still around. You get a new car?

Car is running great. It hasn't been to the track yet, hell it just started getting warm a week ago. It's getting all new brakes in a week or two. I'd love to do more work on it but between the clutch and now possible tranny problems on the vette, the wallet is hurting!

Btw, did you know the car has 3.73s in it? I don't think you ever mentioned it, but I noticed it a few weeks after I bought it.

Dope

 

Oh yeah, and as a side note to all of this, I took it out tonight and tried to listen very carefully when I shifted (car is rather loud). It seemed like it definitely made a different sound every time I put it in 4th vs any other gear. It was harsher than the normal 'snick' as you put it into gear. Almost a small metallic sound.

I do have a BPP shifter, and it does not have stops (they don't come with them). I wonder if the car was previously overshifted into 4th enough times to dent the casing, and cause problems.

Dope

 

Thats good the cars running great. I didnt know the car had 373 in it. Was it from the slp package?

When you put it in gear is it kinda like slicing through butter. Hard on the top then it goes into gear. That what the camaro felt like. It will only get worse. The camaro got me caught in traffic because of it sticking in 4th. ....kinda hard to take off fast in 4th gear....Hows the camaro tranny working?

I didnt get a new car yet. Im buying a house in the next month or two so I need the money for that. The only car I have is an 03 cavalier base model, auto 4 banger. I planned on getting another camaro so I got the cheapest new car I could get. I only paid like $9000 for it. My next camaro is going to be a stripper so I can do a heads/cam package with the money saved. Good luck with the Vette.

 

Nope, it must have been installed by the previous owner.

Good luck with the house! Make sure it has a big garage

Dope