I have a problem wit my M50d trans not shifting properly. It hangs up in neutral too often and won't go into any gear at all. This is embarrasing not to mention a big PO in parking lots etc. I am running ATF with Moly Slip in it. It is really cold out right now and I thought that the problem would be worse but it is actually better until the trans warms up and then it is hard to change gears again. Perhaps when the gear lube is cold it slows the gears down and lets them sync easier. It has a new clutch and pressure plate in it as well. Another thing is that the shifter has a lot of back and forth movement when in 4 gear only. Any suggestions? What about running multi grade engine oil instead of ATF? If so what grade, and would synthetic be better than dino? Hopefully spring is coming soon and warmer weather along with it but this won't help my shifting problem I fear.

 

I would suspect the clutch. How many miles on it?

I went throught something similar and tried different tranny lubes. Heavy oil (20w50) locked up my Mazda 5 speed, but 10w40 worked fine. Went back to ATF because the 10w40 didn't give any advantage over it and ATF is spec. It was the clutch. Disk was burned and warped. Seems when it warmed up the warpage must have gotten worse, aggravating the problem. Warped disk kept tranny turning some and so would grind gears. If I held clutch and count to three tranny stopped spinning (could hear faint difference in sound, apparently friction in tranny finally would stop it from spinning) and would shift OK (but that technique does not go over too well in traffic--HONK! HONK! "Get out the way")

INLINE SIX POWER!
300 Cubic Inches of Low RPM Truck Torque! And twin-I-beams too!

 

It's hard to believe that the new clutch would be warped already as I drive on flat ground with 3 starts at each end of my trip to work and I don't ride or slip the clutch (no, I don't, really) and when I tow my boat up the launch ramp I use low range so I don't need to slip the clutch. What you describe seems to be what I have though. With the engine off the trans shifts fine but with the engine running there seems to be clutch drag.Sound like I will have to pull the clutch and replace it even though it is 14 months old. Can I do this at home or do I need to spend another 700 bucks and have it done wrong again. What is the best clutch to put in? Stock or aftermarket?

 

Sounds like the clutch is not fully disengageing. If clutch engagement is when the pedal is close to the floor, I would suspect a clutch "travel" problem. If clutch engages when the pedal is near the top of travel, problem may be in the trans. Needless to say, ensure the slave cylinder fluid is topped off.

Good Luck

 

 

The clutch plate and pressure plate are new and the flywheel was turned. The system worked fine for a while then started acting up. I bled the clutch hydraulics till the fluid was clear to try to resolve another problem I have, a squeaky clutch when depressing/releasing. It is not the bushings but appears to be coming from the slave cylinder. I need someone to push the pedal while I crawl under to listen but havn't done this yet. When I bled the system there was a substance in the fluid that esembled lithium grease which I feel does not belong there. I bled until no more came out(Vacuum bled). The clutch engages about half way through the travel. There is no shudder either but sometimes when I come to a stop I cannot get it out if gear either without force which leads me to believe that the clutch plate is the problem. I will have to adress this when it gets warm enough out to ly on the ground for a long enough time to fix the problem. Can this be done without dropping the trans/transfercase? It is not beyond my mechanical capability but may be beyond what I have for tools, ie; trans jack etc. although I suppose I could rent one for the job. What about the pilot bearing? Can this hang up causing the pilot shaft to turn with the clutch disengaged? If I do take it appart I will replace the throw out bearing as well as the slave cylinder and the pilot bearing. I don't have a puller but will try the grease method of removal.

 

Sorry StevieRay, I think I may need to give my self a negative rating, "Needs to more carefully read posts before responding." Hope you get it fixed.

 

My slave cylinder went just recently (truck still sitting in driveway), similar symptoms. Recheck you fluid level, and when you climb back underneath take off the rubber cover and (using a light) look inside and see if it looks like the slave cylinder has been leaking. Mine was.

You can change the clutch without dropping the trans/transfer case (and without removing the transfer case from the trans). Slide it back on the cross member, support it at the rear. To help support the front use two long bolts in place of two of the bell housing bolts, and slide the trans back on the bolts. I am not sure if this will leave enough room to get the slave cylinder out, you may have to remove the long bolts to get it back far enough or swing it to one side. However if you have to remove the bolts, you can cut the heads off the bolts to help guide the transmission when you reinstall.

It will be a while before I get at my slave cylinder, I am trying to find a 351w and auto for it instead...