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Hard to shift into 1st gear


BobLoblaw
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My Pathy is pretty hard to shift into first gear (e.g. at stop lights), even when it's warm. The rest of the gears are fine. What could be causing this specifically (syncros?)

Edited by BobLoblaw
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mini me has always been like that........ specially when cold........ she's ok warmed up............ i have checked her trans n everything is fine. think this is just a "thing" these kids have........... does it shift easier if you take yer foot off the clutch n "do it again" to get 1st?

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yep, mine is the same way. Sometimes stubborn to get into 1st gear (well so is my wife sometimes but thats another issue....) and like slick said, sometimes just playing with the clutch a bit helps.

 

Most of the time my tranny with 240,000 miles on it (I use REDLINE too) works just fine, but sometimes she just-a-dont-a-wanna-go-into-da-first-gear when at a dead stop..... But I train at Golds Gym

so I always win the fight LOL.

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My Pathy is pretty hard to shift into first gear (e.g. at stop lights), even when it's warm. The rest of the gears are fine. What could be causing this specifically (syncros?)

 

 

My Brand new old stock transmission was like that when I put it in. I pulled all the nissan wrap off this transmission when I installed it, so I know it was never used. Must be a common defect. like the fill level hole being to low.

 

BTW mine only is a little stiff when cold, when she warms up no problems at all. Using Red line MT90 as well

 

Mark

Edited by msavides
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I have seen this in different transmissions... sometimes the gears just don't line up - try shifting it into 3rd then back into 1st. If that doesn't help, you may need to adjust something, perhpas the throwout bearing isn't fully releasing?

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i sometimes had to push my clutch in twice to get my old miata into reverse or first. somtimes it would go really smooth if i shifted to reverse, and then first gear

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Mine has done this since I bought the truck at 100K miles (now up to 165K miles, 6 years, and a clutch later now). Sometimes its just a stubborn bitch, but I can usually back it toward 2nd gear, then slide right into first, or it will just take a little *extra* push and go in. I never really thought about it too much, since my 720 pickup did the same thing every once in a while. Must be another Nissan thang. :shrug:

Edited by Mr. Pickles
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I'm thinking that its just a 'typical thing' with manual transmissions in vehicles that dont cost 50 or 100 thousand bucks or anything like that.....its a basic truck, not a high end Lexus or Ferrari.

 

Given the nature of what they do, and how they are built just "stock"....they will not always operate smooth as warm butter. Im not going to worry about mine....its just life with an older vehicle :)

 

mine operates just fine once warmed up or 90% of the time otherwise...so why go through all the headache of a rebuild or replacing them....these things are tough and I would just

drive them until the gears or bearings just fall apart :)

 

as long as you dont abuse it and keep top grade lube in it....they should last a loooooooooong time. If you are a hardcore 4x4 offroader...expect rebuilds more often.

 

I cant afford another tranny or vechicle for that matter, so mine gets pampered, except for an occasional muddy trail or snowy field (but hell this is south carolina....snow???? pretty rare.)

Edited by Chriskaw440
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I'm thinking that its just a 'typical thing' with manual transmissions in vehicles that dont cost 50 or 100 thousand bucks or anything like that.....its a basic truck, not a high end Lexus or Ferrari.

 

Given the nature of what they do, and how they are built just "stock"....they will not always operate smooth as warm butter. Im not going to worry about mine....its just life with an older vehicle :)

 

mine operates just fine once warmed up or 90% of the time otherwise...so why go through all the headache of a rebuild or replacing them....these things are tough and I would just

drive them until the gears or bearings just fall apart :)

 

as long as you dont abuse it and keep top grade lube in it....they should last a loooooooooong time. If you are a hardcore 4x4 offroader...expect rebuilds more often.

 

I cant afford another tranny or vechicle for that matter, so mine gets pampered, except for an occasional muddy trail or snowy field (but hell this is south carolina....snow???? pretty rare.)

 

Exactly... minus the pampered part. ;)

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its not a bad syncro, there are no syncro's for the first gear. its your shifter fork becoming worn. The roll pin that holds the fork to the shifter rail has wallowed out the hole in the aluminum fork. very common problem in all older manuals. i would suggest good fluid such as redline mtl.

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i do the same thing as 87 or down shift into 1st as I'm coming to a stop while still rolling and keep the clutch in

 

my 87 is 2nd gear and my 95 is 1st and I know the syncro's are going in my 95...but they've been going for the last 5 or 6 years with no worsening

Edited by unccpathfinder
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LOL sometimes I have to goto 2nd b4 hitting reverse.

anyway I think because stock 1st gen 5spd pathys were geared rediculously low it makes it hard to get into first unless @ a completed dead stop (no creeping) I usually tap the gas just a hair(with clutch in) going into first and it seems to slide right in no prob on my 89.

Edited by MY1PATH
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The dealer ship mechanic told my dad when he bought the 2000 pathy that if he just does a rolling stop, not that they condone them, but say like you had to slow down, enough to need first, they told him to just start in 2nd. Because on his 1st was to start from a DEAD stop.

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  • 1 month later...

my mechanic said that is a problem of worn tops, when you try to find the first gear to your left the top prevents you to overpass the gear so if you try to reach the third then a little bit left you have the first its easy just has to get used to. the same with second gear...

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