well folks, i scrapped my old 89 small cab for a 94 XL supercab 2WD with a 2.3 4cyl... pretty sweet for the price, but alot of trouble finding it around my parts... had to drive over 10 hours away..

anyways, been getting some funk on the shifting. at a stop, the manually 5speed tranny doesn't like to go into almost any gear (except for one or two, usually higher gears like 3rd&4th) unless i roll a little or shift into some other gear it feels like going into (sometimes just OD). Once I shift into the "easier" gears, i hear a "CLTHUMP" and THEN it'll go into 1st.. only when stopped. sometimes i can push it into 1st, but same noise, and its just hard... i shouldn't have to force it that way. Now, this is with the clutch down of course, and it almost seems like it turns over the slop in the driveline when i shift, the thump coming from the rear diff/u-joint. this thing has had 180000 km, since 94 (my 89 had 178, but all short trips), so im curious if this can be corrected via spline regreasing, or ..???? Its a weird thing, as if the synchro mesh doesnt' line up until the drivetrain itself is at a certain position.. then EASY shifting (as it should), yet at other positions, near impossible without hunting the shift map. ne1 got ideas???

lala

 

check the oil to make sure there is atf in it at the proper level. heck, if i were you i would just change it. syncros may be going or gone.

 

I have the same problem with my Ranger. '94, 2.3L 162,000 miles. Problem started about six months ago...I've learned to NOT take my foot off the clutch when stopped in traffic, otherwise, it's hard to get back into gear. No problem whatsoever once the truck is moving - can shift freely. But from a stop, good luck getting it going. Let me know if/when you fix it. I'm at the deciding point of pouring money into my 10 year old beauty, or cheating on her with another vehicle (*gasp*).

 

looks like this might be a job for the shop... unless soeone has a tranny repair manuali'll try swappin the fluid as soon as a get home...

 

Hey lala , just wondering if you had an update on your shifting problem. Mine has since gotten worse, and would like to know if you figured out the problem, and more importantly, how much it cost you to fix it. I look forward to your reply.

 

Here's some food for thought:

Check your clutch fluid reservoir. It's located near the master cylinder. Most likely, it'll take DOT 3 brake fluid. Be sure to check its level.

Change out your gear fluid. I recommend either MOBIL 1 80-90W or REDLINE as synthetic alternatives. The question here is whether or not you've actually had it changed before or not.

After doing these, I would suggest that your gear synchronizers may have expired, or perhaps your driveline (clutch, throw-out bearing, pressure plates) has not been doing its job correctly. In this case, seek a reputable transmission repair shop that has ASE certified technicians (preferably Master Technicians) who are licensed and bonded. Be sure to shop around and get estimates. Most estimates are free.

My dad had an '88 Bronco II with over 100,000 miles on it when he changed out the gear lube and switched to MOBIL-1. He sweared that that truck shifted as good as new if not even better.

Hope that these help...

Shawn

 

i dunno, i dropped 80-90w in my old ranger, and it was so thick, it shifted like the stick was in mollases. Much harder. AS for the atf in my new one, its all there, and a good color, so i havent bothered with it. I just know now that when i slow down, i downshift with the freeweeling. If im stopped, and it dont shift, i make a quick change, and then im off. Yea, the syncros are probably gone, but so's summer, so i don't have time to dropp the tranny and find out exactly why. I just hope it keeps movin till the snow melts (at least)


I've got a funny feeling the clutch isn't bled all the way, but that may only be one factor.

lala

 

Remove the gearbox drain plug when the fluid is warm, then park the truck. Fill the gearbox up with MOBIL 1 80-90W synthetic gear lube.

It's a temporary fix, to get you through the winter, so to speak. I wouldn't hesitate about taking it to a mechanic like what I stated earlier. The longer you wait, the worse the problems will be.

It's like this: taking a leak into the wind is a no no, but if ya gotta go... go. Be careful where you aim!

Shawn

 

hey lala, like stealthmidget, I would like to here any new info about your tranny problem. My 2002 4.0 5speed is doing the exact same thing, and I'm at a loss because I don't know a lot about transmissions. It only has 60k on it, and I bought it used. Thanks for any updates you can give.

 

Dont know much about a 4 cyl but the problems sound like slave and or master cylinder not internal problems. Right now I would suspect a bad master cylinder. Other potential problem area is a bad pilot bearing allowing the mainshaft to wander around instead of remaining steady.

Pull the carpet in the cab and check for leakage around the clutch rod, check outside the cab for leakage off the mastercylinder. Folks claim the slaves go bad but depending on milage it could be the master.

worst case is the slave if it is internal to the transmission like mine is. If it is plan a full clutch R&R while you are at it. Look under the trans for any leakage to show that its the slave if internal, look for leakage around the slave if its external to the tranmission. If its an external slave its a piece of cake to change, master can be a little more work, but it is not all that hard.