I never had any issues with my old 2002 wrx wagon or my 2004 STi.

 

Yea I make sure not to force it in, usuaslly if it won't go in reverse it just feels like its blocked out, but double clutching usually helps or going into another gear. This doesn't happen all the time, maybe like 1 out of every 10 times I drive the car and it does have 125K on the tranny so I can't expect it to be perfect.

 

i have 38k on an 06 and only grinded once trying to bang the 5-4 when i first got it but what kills me is having to fight that ***** into reverse all the time...crappy trannys

 

This is actually a pretty common problem that is easily fixed. Mine started to do all of these things when the synchros wore out(it was not a worn out clutch).

Second gear and reverse share the same synchro, so if you cannot get your car into reverse, put it into second gear for about 5-10 seconds, then try reverse again. That should work, if it doesn't, hold a *little bit* of pressure on your shifter while trying to put it into reverse (do NOT force it, just a slight steady pressure) and SLOWLY let the clutch out until the trans slips into gear. Works like a charm, every time, no grinding.

You said it's done it since it was new, maybe the tranny had defective synchros? It's possible

Anyways, I had my trans rebuilt and everything works great now....except for that stupid "mystery" rattle/vibration that NOBODY seems to be able to figure out. Every time I downshift my car makes this rattle/vibration sound that is so friggin' loud that if there is a car next to me, the driver will actually look over at me to see what is falling off of my car...yet no one has been able to even come close to figuring it out.... JOEBOBBUCKET has the same rattle/vibration in his car.

 

Yeah, good advice... For reverse, I put it into 5th, then neutral, then 5th again, then into reverse.

The car did it since it was new, but it got a lot worse over time.

Oh well, I dont have to worry about it anymore.

 

Once in a while (once every couple of weeks) I get a ggggrr into second. I think its more often a sloppy shift, but reverse is occasionally fussy and has to be caressed into gear.

 

I don't know what you're talking about.

 

When i first got my 04, I would keep it in neutral at a stoplight and when the light turned and I tried to pop it in, I would get some grinding. I now, almost religiously, drop down into 2nd, then straight into 1st. And, not to sound like a broken record, but it 'works like a charm'.

I've never had a problem with reverse.

As for downshifting to first, I avoid any grinding by double clutching.

Interesting thread, I thought everyone with the 5spd tranny had these problems.

 

My 5spd has treated me well.

I change my fluid every 15k.

 

I have a bugeye with the "glass" tranny and I have not had many issues with the tranny. I need to change the fuilds again soon. My car does grind going into first randomly but it only happens once in a blue moon. It usually happens when I am stopped at a light and it turns green and I step on the clutch and shift into first quickly. If I step on the clutch and slowly put it into gear or give it a pause for a second then into gear it doesn't grind. Once in a while I have trouble getting into reverse so I leave it in neutral and step on and off the clutch a few times then try to get it into gear and it slides right in. The only "issue" that I have is the same as GotBoost's car, where it makes a odd noise when I let off the throttle and coast in gear. For the life of me I can not and a number of other people GotBoost and I have talked to can not figure it out. My car is doing it less but still does it.

As for the bugeyes and being able to get into first while moving I can do it at about 10 mph. I don't try and faster then that.

 

No grinds at all in My 02. I've got 158K on the stock tranny with no grinding issues. I change the fluid every 30K or so. I've used nothing but, Redline lightweight shockproof for the past could of changes and it shifts wonderfully. Before that, I was using 75 90NS and it would start to breakdown at about 28K miles in. After the switch, I would never consider using anything else in the 5 Speeds again!

Oh, and I've got all those miles on the stock clutch. It just won't die. So, I'm going for the record of the most miles on the stock clutch.

Cheers!

Bill

 

It's not for whatever reason, it's what happens with transmissions and pretty much all trannies do this. Just, lots of newer boxes have synchros on reverse now to further separate people from skill. My '73 FJ40 had a non-synchro 3spd, and that lil box forced me to learn a LOT about gear engagement and double-clutching, just to get around. You're in reverse and you want 1st now? Work for it. Hahaha...

Non-technical explanation: Basically when you come to a stop and push in the clutch, the gears in the transmission are still spinning. When you try to grab reverse, you are basically trying to stop the spinning gear assembly with a non-synchro'd gear (hence the expensive sounding noises). All you need to do is engage 2nd to stop the tranny and then it usually pops right into reverse. If it does not, then select a gear from a different shaft - if you selected an even gear (2nd) try an odd gear next (say 1st) so you turn the gear on the shaft just a touch so you can easily engage reverse. Another person mentioned slightly engaging the clutch to get into gear, well - yeah this works basically from the other direction using the engine's power to turn the gear slightly and it works well, but if we are already having this discussion you have not mastered your clutch and should not try that method as you can very easily break a gear.

One of my biggest pet-peeves is people mis-using a manual transmission - seriously - this is what automatics are for. The "grinding" that brucelee is mentioning is simply a lack of finesse, lack of skill. I have had this happen before myself, usually after a major change in a car I am used to like going to a super lightweight flywheel and a grippy clutch on my car - I have to relearn how to drive it, and this usually means simply being methodical with my operation and gear selection. Clutch in, select gear, clutch out. Do it S-L-O-W-L-Y about 10 times and what do you know, it's working great now! My wife had problems with my R32 clutch and again, it was simply coordination of the clutch and shifter.

When you have the same thing happening over and over (grinding, lurching, etc) you need to regroup and take from the bottom again. It's sometimes pretty fun. I have 5x 5spd cars right now and they all drive a little different. My Spyder just got a transmission/clutch/flywheel so I am in that "adjustment" period with it again as the ACT is much much grippier than the stock clutch was, and it engages lower.

So, usually grinding gears when shifting is simple - it means the clutch was not fully dis-engaged or not dis-engaged long enough, during a shift. The synchro's cannot keep up. My suggestion would be to drive it methodically and see if it happens, then have someone else drive it. If it looks like a mechanical issue (clutch master pushrod adjustment, pp gone bad, etc) then have it looked at. If not, change the way you drive.

Electra - the Mustang T45 is known for it's notchiness and the "stick in a bucket of rocks" feel. I have an '86 Z28 T-5 in my 240Z and it's a totally different box, very well defined gates and solid, beefy shifts. The T45 on the other hand, as well as some lower spec T5's feel really crappy. Redline MTL helps a ton (they call for ATF in these boxes, some use motor oil) but it is what it is.

 

Are you talking about double-clutching and grabbing 1st or simply mashing it into the synchro? Man I hate that noise, it makes me cringe. I want to get out and walk when people do that. Double-clutching is easy and fun to learn though and I had zero issues with my '03 WRX 5spd. Before the tune, I had to grab 1st to get out of my own way at times... Once you learn where 1st is at road speed, it's easy to get it into gear. The tach helps here. The simple rule with a manual transmission is, if it's difficult to move the shifter or noises happen when you do, you are doing it wrong.

 

I am talking just letting it ease into gear. I hear first is really weak so I don't dare tempt fate with that. I just use second or gently let it slip into first.

 

Ah I get it - that is waaaay better than forcing it into gear. Letting it ease into gear is basically using the synchros to match gear speed for proper gear mesh, essentially the point of synchros.