92egcx

Well I swapped my clutch the other day and ever since it dont want to go into 1st gear, reverse ggrinds alot aswell. I bled the clutch fluid and that didnt make a difference. I know Im low on trans fluid as it leaks a bit at the shifter input shaft but it shifted fine when the bad clutch was in there still. I put different shift arms in with a short shifter...could a bent arm cause this or does anybody have any ideas?

Thanks alot, Steve

Bradsma

When I did my motor swap I had the small clip that is supposed to prevent the roll pin from falling out of the linkage get under the rubber boot right by the trans. It was binding up the linkage and preventing it from going into 1st and a few other gears.

It was a completely randon and dumb thing that happened but it had me scratching my head. Maybe it happened to you aswell.

92egcx

What was it binding on? I forgot to put the rubber boot on when I put the linkage together so I dont see what mine could bind on...

Bradsma

the boot was holding the roll pin safty ring inbetween the linkage and the trans, if you don't have that boot on you probably didn't have the problem I had. Sorry.

Did you use a proper clutch alignment tool, tighten things to spec? flywheel, trans housing, etc...

92egcx

Yep, I used an alignment tool. Everythings tightened in...It just seems as the clutch isnt completly engaging for some reason. My buddy had a similar problem before and said his was the shift linkage was bent a little. But I cant see that being my problem because reverse grinds alot...you gotta give it a decent shot to get it into gear. 1st just wont do anything, the odd time it will go in if your rolling a bit but other than that it doesnt grind or anything, its just like when your in a gear (say 1st, 3rd or 5th) and try pushin it up further the shifter is at a dead stop. Is there any other way of adjusting the clutch other than just a basic bleed?

92egcx

2nd through to 5th need to be pretty much rpm matched aswell to go in, but they dont have to be bang on like when clutchless shifting.

Bradsma

Is your short shifter installed properly, if it was put on backwards it may be limiting the throw of your shift and not allowing it to go forward all the way for 1, 3, 5.

92egcx

not 100% sure of that...which way does it go? I have it so it snakes toward the back of the car inside.

D.T.P

Yeah that's fine.

Bent shifter linkage would cause an issue with shifting, though may affect all gears really.

Moreover, why are you bleeding clutch? Did you remove the slave cylinder line when you did the clutch? How much free play do you have in the pedal. It should be somewhere around 3/4"-1/2" which means its where it should be. If its minimal to non, your specs for torque may have been off and there isn't enough pedal travel to fully release the clutch.

Also, its likely that since you tend to run low on transmission fluid (by the sounds of it) you have killed off the synchro for first gear. Try filling up the trans full and making sure its within specs for fluid level, oh and don't forget the clutch master reservoir...make sure your lines have enough fluid

92egcx

Im feeling like it a bent shift arm...I got it from a car at the JY that we flung the car around with the loader a bit lol The pedal is good n firm. But as for the fluid, its been topped up and it shifted perfectly fine before I did the clutch. Onlt reason I replaced the linkage was because the articulation braket thing was completely worn out causing the shifter to be sloppy side to side. And it is all gear that are acting up, just 1st is the worst of em all, including reverse grinding alot.

D.T.P

Do you still have the old shifter linkage you could throw back in and check? it takes 10mins to swap the linkage, give that a try.