5 speed problems... same problems? advice?

[96camarov6]

96 5 speed camaro
alright heres the list:
1. sometimes while sitting at a light it wont go into 1st. i push as hard as i can and it wont go in. i figured out if i move the clutch pedal a little bit itll just slide in.
2. sometimes shifting into 2nd itll pop back out and then ill try to put it back in and it grinds. i have to let the clutch completly out then push it back in before i can shift.
3. almost every time going into reverse it grinds. if i move it from 1st to reverse quickly (while stopped obviously) itll go right in. otherwise it will grind.

is any of that normal or do i have problems? ive read about other people with the 5 speeds having similar problems but i wanna see what the actual owners have to say.

[Ian]

i have a 95, 5 speed, hurst shifter on it, and it does the same thing to a point. i dont have a problem with 2nd at all. but here are some things to keep in mind:

1) thing with going into first at a light or whatever. sometimes mine does it. pull the shifter down to 2nd and just bring it back into first. this will mess with the synchros and it should go right in.


2) as far as grinding while going into reverse, this was a problem for me a lot. it didnt worry me, just sounded like my car was a POS. basically, if you put it in 5th before reverse it will never, ever, do it again. i started doing this, and have made it a habit, and now i do it without even thinking about it. if i go to back in somewhere, i go first gear to pull up, then 5th, then reverse. if i go to back out from a stop, 5th, then reverse. i always do it, and in the 6 months i learned about it, never had a grind.

good luck, and yes, they are common problems.

[Dojo2000]

1. Normal - try throwing into another gear then first, or you can let out the clutch like you did before.

2. Your second gear syncro is going out. Replace the tranny--cheaper than a rebuild. It's only going to get worse. Should be around $500 + core charge at a local junkyard. If this isn't an option then learn to double-clutch.

3. Normal - reverse has no syncro. Come to a full stop before throwing it into reverse.

[GhostRunner]

Sounds like your synchro gears are going.

Also: Shifting to reverse: shift into fifth gear first, then down into reverse. It helps.

[hockeyman]

Before you go ripping the trans out, try bleeding the system and change the fluid.

I had the EXACT problem when my trans didn't want to go into 1st at a light. I changed the fluid, and the problem "completely" disappeared. It was like a new trans again.

The gear popping could *I say again...COULD* be air in the hydraulic lines. If you are applying pressure to the pedal and there is excessive air in the lines, the gear(s) may partially engage, thus making them pop out of gear. Or, your synchro's are gone.

I still have a problem with the grinding when shifting into reverse. I just put it in 5th, then quickly into reverse, problem solved.

This topic is just a suggestion to your problem(s). I have no way of fully diagnosing the trans over this website, but I have had similar problems and posted a possible solution. This is also the cheapest route first.

[ June 16, 2004, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: hockeyman ]