Finding it hard to shift into first

[littlemantke]

Hey guys,<BR> Here's the deal. My Shifter is having problems going in to first and reverse while idling whats the deal and how do I fix it thanks.<P>Oh something you probably need to know is that it started about 3weeks after I installed my Dual Center force clutch into my car.

[TedLeeper]

ive had the same problem with reverse, but i dont think it's the clutch beacuse i got a new one and it didn't really change the shifting. [img]shrug.gif"%20border="0[/img]

[tinkertank]

I have the same problem with my 5 speed RS... My mechanic said I would have to have a tranny shop look at it.... $$$$ He said not to worry about it... Hmmmmm... I'm not sure how to fix it, but I do have a work around... I find that with reverse and first. Double clutching, or just letting the clutch completly out and trying again, seems to work. Usually works great on the second try.

[tinkertank]

I have the same problem with my 5 speed RS... My mechanic said I would have to have a tranny shop look at it.... $$$$ He said not to worry about it... Hmmmmm... I'm not sure how to fix it, but I do have a work around... I find that with reverse and first. Double clutching, or just letting the clutch completly out and trying again, seems to work. Usually works great on the second try.

[tk1138]

kinda like tinkertank said, you should let the clutch out (engage) then push the clutch in (disengage) so that the preasure plate is spinning and the synchros in the transmision can do their job. This is not double clutching, it's just what you do with a manual. <P>If you only have this problem imidiatly after starting your car, or idling with the clutch in for a long time, then this is the 'fix', and your symptoms are not indicative of a real problem.<P>I don't think their are any production cars that use double clutching. Double clutching a car that doesn't require double clutching does almost nothing except increase wear on your clutch. Check out <BR> <A HREF="http://www.howstuffworks.com/" TARGET=_blank>How stuff works</A> in the automotive section for more info.

[Guest]

I have the exact some problem with my 5 speed, its only in reverse and only does it when I start the car first thing in the morning and try to reverse out of my drive way. Its really hard to put in or wont go in it feels like there is something stopping it. All you have to do, like everyone else said, just release the clutch, then step on it again and it'll slip in just fine. I dont think its a problem cause its been like that with my car for YEARS now and I've even put a new clutch in and it still does it.

[ikedasquid]

most new cars do this as well. the intermediate shaft in the transmission is not spinning and the dogs on the gears you are trying to shift into are aligned (they need to be misaligned to engage). spinning the intermediate shaft by engaging the clutch will allow the synchros to misalign them for you. also shifting into another gear (like 2nd or something) also often works depending because when the gear engages it will rotate the intermediate shaft ever so slightly, which is often enough. This is a normal problem on manual cars.

[tinkertank]

Sorry,<BR>I know that you don't need to double clutch with modern trannys. I've just noticed that it sometimes helps with old stubborn transmissions. Esp old trucks.

[ProtegeSTS]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tk1138:<BR><STRONG>kinda like tinkertank said, you should let the clutch out (engage) then push the clutch in (disengage) so that the preasure plate is spinning and the synchros in the transmision can do their job. This is not double clutching, it's just what you do with a manual. <P>If you only have this problem imidiatly after starting your car, or idling with the clutch in for a long time, then this is the 'fix', and your symptoms are not indicative of a real problem.<P>I don't think their are any production cars that use double clutching. Double clutching a car that doesn't require double clutching does almost nothing except increase wear on your clutch. Check out <BR> <A HREF="http://www.howstuffworks.com/" TARGET=_blank>How stuff works</A> in the automotive section for more info.</STRONG><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I disagree that double clutching causes mmore wear. If done properly, it reduces wear on the synchros.

[tk1138]

I agree that it will (if done correctly) reduce wear on the synchros. It will however increase wear on the flywheel/pressure plate assembly. <P>Although this wear is pretty much insignificant, most of the wear issues that people report between the above two assemblies are with the flywheel/clutch. I don't think it will make a difference in most cases.<P>That said it's probably cheaper/easier to replace clutch components than transmission components. <P>Still, I would think double clutching takes longer than clutching normally. Maybe with practice....