Clunky 1st gear and 2nd gear

[Sleepyyysam]

The other day I was driving around for quite awhile in 100 degree weather. I would say about two hours in traffic and freeway. I noticed the longer I drove the harder it was to engage my first gear almost like I was fighting the trans. I tried blipping the throttle a bit to get it into the gears but wasn't helping. I stopped by my dealership where I bought the car and they said it was just the short shifter that was installed from the person who owned it before me. Told me to take it out right away I'm ruining the syncros. This is what I'm really wondering... Is it my short shifter ? Because it seems unlikely my short shifter only had real problems when my car is very hot. My other theory is my trans temps are too hot and that's why I can't engage into first and second. Let me know what you guys think. Thank you all.

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[highway7]

I would try a trans fluid change, usually shifting gets easier as the fluid warms up

[Stang70Fastback]

Are you properly rev-matching? 1st is notoriously difficult to get into while moving if you DO NOT properly rev match. People tend to underestimate how many RPMs 1st gear requires when downshifting. It's a short gear.

[Sleepyyysam]

Originally Posted by highway7

I would try a trans fluid change, usually shifting gets easier as the fluid warms up

I had just done one about 1000 miles ago with motul. Everything has been fine except for a couple times.

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[Sleepyyysam]

Originally Posted by Stang70Fastback

Are you properly rev-matching? 1st is notoriously difficult to get into while moving if you DO NOT properly rev match. People tend to underestimate how many RPMs 1st gear requires when downshifting. It's a short gear.

I should have been more specific. Sorry, I'm terrible when it comes to this but I'm talking about just leaving from a stop. I can actually get into those gears from a roll with a bit or rev matching.

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[HKz]

yea definitely wouldn't be due to "high" temps, shifting on this box feels the best after it's warmed up...

what about going into 2nd first and then into 1st?

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Sleepyyysam

I should have been more specific. Sorry, I'm terrible when it comes to this but I'm talking about just leaving from a stop. I can actually get into those gears from a roll with a bit or rev matching.

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Well, Sleepyyysam, maybe there is something to blaming the short shifter. I understand that sometimes they get lose and the gate plate thing gets out of line.

That might be worth checking out.

What do you think, there @Ultramaroon …..??


humfrz

[Sleepyyysam]

Originally Posted by HKz

yea definitely wouldn't be due to "high" temps, shifting on this box feels the best after it's warmed up...

what about going into 2nd first and then into 1st?

That's what I thought, at least that's usually the the opposite of the problem. I see a lot of cold problems on the forums. It's tough to get it into second also. I hate saying this but I can pull it hard enough to enter second then push it into first but they're equally tight regardless of which gear I put it into first from a stop.

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[Sleepyyysam]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Well, Sleepyyysam, maybe there is something to blaming the short shifter. I understand that sometimes they get lose and the gate plate thing gets out of line.

That might be worth checking out.

What do you think, there @Ultramaroon …..??


humfrz

Unfortunately I didn't install this short shifter so I'm not quite sure what to look for. I will go through this weekend and try to realign the first and second gear, as well as tighten down the gate plate. I'm really hoping it's just loose but what I don't understand is why it only acts up under heavy temps.

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[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Sleepyyysam

Unfortunately I didn't install this short shifter so I'm not quite sure what to look for. I will go through this weekend and try to realign the first and second gear, as well as tighten down the gate plate. I'm really hoping it's just loose but what I don't understand is why it only acts up under heavy temps.

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I assume you are referring to the TRD short shift adapter and not an actual short shift lever like the Kartboy.


If there is ANY play allowing the shift lever to rotate about the vertical axis, the adapter is loose. If that's the case, I recommend removing and tossing it into the nearest dumpster. I have a deep hatred for that piece of shit.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

I assume you are referring to the TRD short shift adapter and not an actual short shift lever like the Kartboy.


If there is ANY play allowing the shift lever to rotate about the vertical axis, the adapter is loose. If that's the case, I recommend removing and tossing it into the nearest dumpster. I have a deep hatred for that piece of shit.

Well, that's one way of "fixing" it ……..


humfrz

[Sleepyyysam]

Well boys, I ripped everything apart to try and see if something was broken and didn't really see much. I have to drive it to and from work so threw it all back together. Now the car is shifting perfect. As if nothing ever happened... I'm going to drive it harder than usual tomorrow and see if it's still working well. Maybe something wasn't aligned correctly? Either way thank you guys for the replies !

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[humfrz]

Originally Posted by Sleepyyysam

Well boys, I ripped everything apart to try and see if something was broken and didn't really see much. I have to drive it to and from work so threw it all back together. Now the car is shifting perfect. As if nothing ever happened... I'm going to drive it harder than usual tomorrow and see if it's still working well. Maybe something wasn't aligned correctly? Either way thank you guys for the replies !

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Well, let's hope it's "fixed"...…...


humfrz

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Sleepyyysam

Maybe something wasn't aligned correctly? Either way thank you guys for the replies !

You mentioned the top plate alignment earlier so I skipped it. A couple people here ran into issues from neglecting that after installing a short shifter. If the previous owner was sloppy, I can imagine a marginal alignment causing trouble after thermal expansion, blah blah...

There's a procedure in the manual which involves feeler gauges but it's kind of overkill. The middle of the gates are easy enough to feel by hand.