Hard to shift into 1st gear, any ideas?

[Spoolin98]

Im having problems getting my new transmission into 1st gear.
Im not sure what the problem is...
A little background info.
I had a stage 1 shep trans with a ACT flywheel and act 2100 pp with street disk.
The new setup is a stage 2 shep trans with LSD, ACT flywheel, new SB kevlar clutch and pp. Used the same TOB and clutch fork as the last transmission, worked fine before...
I installed the transmission and I started the car and I couldnt get it in a gear at all. The flywheel step height is correct.
I read a little and decided to adjust the clutch pedal, this partially solved my issue. I could now get it into gear but its very difficult in 1st gear. All the other gears shift fine while driving. I come to complete stop and try and put it into first and it wont go in like it used to. I have to push to the left really hard and then push up, I feel like im forcing it into gear. Every once and awhile it shifts into first fine, but for the most part I have to fight to get it into gear.
The clutch fork is centered in the rubber boot on the transmission, so it doesnt need to be shimmed. It wasnt shimmed before either and worked fine.
Neither cylinders are leaking and worked fine before, they were not touched during this upgrade besides adjusting the rod.
The clutch pedal is adjusted, I did it how the video on jacks transmissions says to.
The only other thing I can think of is the shift cables are a little out of wack. I noticed that the bracket that holds the shifter cables to the transmission can be shifted a little before tightening it down. Oh and the cables are fairly new.
Any ideas on what could be causing this?

 

[lil corb]

Mike, have you tried manually shifting through shifter lever assembly on top of trans? Sounds like a worn shifter assembly or bad cables.

 

[GST-1997]

Ive always been told that even from the factory new they were always a little tougher going into first gear. He told me that when im slowing down to put it into first when I'm coming to a stop and if you get it right it will slide right in. no pun intended

 

[Spoolin98]

The cables are fairly new.
It shifts fine when the car is not running so its not the shifter assembly.

 

[donniekak]

Your clutch is dragging. Stop driving the car until its fixed, or you'll ruin the transmission.

 

[Spoolin98]

Your clutch is dragging. Stop driving the car until its fixed, or you'll ruin the transmission.

That's exactly what I was thinking...
My only issue is what's causing it?
The shift fork is in the middle of the boot coming out of the transmission, actually a tiny bit more to the right, where it should be...
And I adjusted the clutch pedal per jacks transmissions video.
The TOB and fork are used but worked perfectly fine before.

 

[donniekak]

I have heard a lot of people complain about the sb Kevlar disks being to thick, causing engagement issues. I would rule everything else out first, but you may want a thinner disk.

 

[Spoolin98]

So after reading about this, I came up with a few possible reasons:

Bad Synchros - Impossible because they are new
Bad shifter cable - these are also new
Bent TOB fork - worked fine before so I dont see how it could be bent out of no where
Fork needs to be shimmed - mine is past half way to the right of the opening, doesnt need shimming
Pedal needs adjustment - Did this and it didnt help
Clutch line needs to be bled - this is my last option to try, but i dont see it working because it worked fine before all these new parts

Im going to adjust the master cylinder rod all the way out, bleed the system, and then adjust to rod back in as far as I can go without blocking the bleeder valve inside the master cylinder.

I have heard a lot of people complain about the sb Kevlar disks being to thick, causing engagement issues. I would rule everything else out first, but you may want a thinner disk.

All signs are pointing towards a dragging clutch.
I really hope its not the kevlar disk.
I researched it before buying it and I didnt see one thing about them being too think or causing drag.

Hopefully my friend will show up tom. to bleed the system...

 

[Spoolin98]

The problem was a bad SBC setup, put in a new ACT 2600 and everything is working properly.