Can't seem to get rid of this notchy shifting

[jakk220]

I have been fighting this notchy shifting for some time now, and can't seem to figure out what is causing it. Also about 15% of the time i will get blocked out of first because it will only go half into gear. I have to go to 2nd gear first or let the clutch out and push it again, or let the car roll back a bit and it will fall into gear. Literally everything has been replaced with new parts that I could think of. I know there is a ton of threads on here about this but nothing seems to be helping.

Here is everything I have tried.

Shep stage 3 trans with about 6000 miles, new master/slave cylinders, new Fidanza 6 puck with light weight flywheel (3000 miles), OEM throwout bearing, clutch fork and pivot ball are new and shimmed, shift cables were taken off a parts car, solid shifter bushings and under hood skateboard bearings, clutch adjusted properly following the jacks transmission video, clutch has been bled a million times, new braided stainless steel line, all bell housing bolts are in and tightened, and I've tried the clutch drag test with all 4 tires in the air and they do not spin, and the trans has Redline MT90 in it.

Could anyone please try and shine some light on this for me? I really don't want to mess up this transmission because it was not at all cheap to have rebuilt by Shep and this worries me. Mostly it feels like 1,2, and 3rd gear have the most notchy shifting issues. Sometimes they will all go in smooth like butter, the next stoplight they wont. Any opinions help. Thanks guys.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Do they go into gear fine while the vehicle is just sitting without running? I would take the linkage off at the transmission and try to put it in gear there manually. If you have problems there you know it's going to be a transmission issue. If it goes into gear perfectly fine with the vehicle sitting, that will tell you it's a linkage or hydraulic problem.

 

[jakk220]

When the engine is off and the clutch is in it goes into gear fine. It might be a little notchy the first time I cycle through all the gears, then if I go through them again it shifts 100% smoothly. Kind of noticed it does this too with the car on and not moving.

I feel like it is linkage/hydraulic related too, but i couldn't for the life of me figure it out.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

These problems to occur when you start to remove all of the slack from the linkage by replacing all of the bushings with bearings and solid bushings. Everything has to be perfect of it won't line up right. The only other thing to check is to start the car and have someone sit in it with the clutch down and try to go into gear, if it doesn't go in try to move the linkage on the transmission to see if can you get it to go in that way to ensure it's not a internal issue.

 

[jakk220]

Ok, I'll try to give that a shot and see what it does. Its just that it is so random when it wants to block me out of gear so it will be tricky to replicate it when I want it to. I did just however notice that the where the shift linkage goes through the firewall there appears to be a spot for some bolts to hold it in place, which are not there. Maybe this could cause an issue? I don't think it had any bolts there when i replaced the linkage so I never put any back in. Couldn't imagine it would cause all these issues though.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

It definitely could, any movement by the linkage will cause it to move around instead of all of the movement going to the transmission.

 

[jakk220]

Huh, Okay well ill replace those bolts as well and then see where it sits. Hopefully it will fix it but I guess well see. The only other thing I haven't replaced is the shifter itself, but it does not seem to have any slop in it. Maybe getting a short throw will help a bit.

 

[curt-s]

I have been fighting this notchy shifting for some time now, and can't seem to figure out what is causing it. Also about 15% of the time i will get blocked out of first because it will only go half into gear. I have to go to 2nd gear first or let the clutch out and push it again, or let the car roll back a bit and it will fall into gear. Literally everything has been replaced with new parts that I could think of. I know there is a ton of threads on here about this but nothing seems to be helping.

Here is everything I have tried.

Shep stage 3 trans with about 6000 miles, new master/slave cylinders, new Fidanza 6 puck with light weight flywheel (3000 miles), OEM throwout bearing, clutch fork and pivot ball are new and shimmed, shift cables were taken off a parts car, solid shifter bushings and under hood skateboard bearings, clutch adjusted properly following the jacks transmission video, clutch has been bled a million times, new braided stainless steel line, all bell housing bolts are in and tightened, and I've tried the clutch drag test with all 4 tires in the air and they do not spin, and the trans has Redline MT90 in it.

Could anyone please try and shine some light on this for me? I really don't want to mess up this transmission because it was not at all cheap to have rebuilt by Shep and this worries me. Mostly it feels like 1,2, and 3rd gear have the most notchy shifting issues. Sometimes they will all go in smooth like butter, the next stoplight they wont. Any opinions help. Thanks guys.

What led to you needing to shim the pivot ball?

 

[jakk220]

When I went to Fidanza to pick up my new clutch the guy suggested that I shim it to be safe when I asked him. I figured it couldn't hurt because I could just adjust it out if it didn't need the shims

 

[dsmTripp]

I haven't replaced all the parts as the op but I'm having the same problem as well. Also when car is off I can cycle through the gears without pressing the clutch in but not with the car running. So I'm definitely wondering what would cause this.

 

[jakk220]

Well I tried replacing that rubber cover on the firewall with no change in shifting. The cables move freely with no play even when disconnected. I did get a grind while trying to go into first gear for the first time today while slightly rolling forward and clutch all the way in. I'm so lost

 

[jakk220]

Bit of an update: I tried bleeding the clutch again but no change in smoothness. However, the fluid was extremely dirty looking for how new it is. Every time I change the fluid, it seems a few thousand miles later, if that, its getting black again and the reservoir has build up in it. Why would this be happening so frequently and could this have something to do with my issue?

 

[jakk220]

Another update if anyone has any input: It seems to help when I double clutch (Going to neutral before the next gear and letting the clutch out then pushing it in again and going to second). Any idea why this might be helping the notchiness? Also I noticed the first few minutes of driving when the car is cold the shifting is also much much smoother.

 

[twicks69]

That is all hydraulics related. Either a damaged inner piston seal on the master or a flaw in the cylinder bore or else you are bleeding off pressure at the slave or at a connection, or you are not fully filling the fluid volume of the master and it is bypassing fluid. Otherwise your brake fluid is moisture contaminated and needs fllushing with fresh fluid.

Specifically, what brake fluid are you using? Was it a brand new unopened bottle? From the quick discoloration it is a strong indicator of moisture contamination, you will likely need to tear down and clean / inspect the cylinder bores and pistons and seals in the clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder for damage or wear patterns.

 

[jakk220]

That is all hydraulics related. Either a damaged inner piston seal on the master or a flaw in the cylinder bore or else you are bleeding off pressure at the slave or at a connection, or you are not fully filling the fluid volume of the master and it is bypassing fluid. Otherwise your brake fluid is moisture contaminated and needs fllushing with fresh fluid.

Specifically, what brake fluid are you using? Was it a brand new unopened bottle? From the quick discoloration it is a strong indicator of moisture contamination, you will likely need to tear down and clean / inspect the cylinder bores and pistons and seals in the clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder for damage or wear patterns.

Well the thing is that it I do not see any fluid leaking for either the master cylinder or the slave. The master cylinder is brand new from oreileys and the slave is maybe 2 years old or so. The fluid level does not go down. The fluid has been changes a number of times recently and the fluid I am using is DOT 3. I believe the brand was Prestone. I guess I could try to replace the slave again if you think that would help?

 

[curt-s]

Well the thing is that it I do not see any fluid leaking for either the master cylinder or the slave. The master cylinder is brand new from oreileys and the slave is maybe 2 years old or so. The fluid level does not go down. The fluid has been changes a number of times recently and the fluid I am using is DOT 3. I believe the brand was Prestone. I guess I could try to replace the slave again if you think that would help?

Mine didn't leak at the beginning either, but it turned black regardless. I personally believe it started with the reservoir cap not creating a proper seal, and over the course of the summer, I even had to completely flush it because it was starting to look like coffee. I checked the boot a couple times, never to find any fluid in it.

At the end of the season, the piston seal went and I had fluid in the boot. Contaminated fluid killed my cylinder, and now I have to buy a new one.

I'm not convinced an aftermarket cylinder is anywhere near the same quality as OEM, in more aspects than just the bore.

If you can shift when the car is off, but can't when the car is on, the clutch is dragging. This could very well be because a ballooned line, bad master or slave cylinder, bad adjustment, incorrect step height, or improper geometry.

 

[jakk220]

Mine didn't leak at the beginning either, but it turned black regardless. I personally believe it started with the reservoir cap not creating a proper seal, and over the course of the summer, I even had to completely flush it because it was starting to look like coffee. I checked the boot a couple times, never to find any fluid in it.

At the end of the season, the piston seal went and I had fluid in the boot. Contaminated fluid killed my cylinder, and now I have to buy a new one.

I'm not convinced an aftermarket cylinder is anywhere near the same quality as OEM, in more aspects than just the bore.

If you can shift when the car is off, but can't when the car is on, the clutch is dragging. This could very well be because a ballooned line, bad master or slave cylinder, bad adjustment, incorrect step height, or improper geometry.

Well I guess I might just have to change the slave cylinder again because I know that its not the step height or geometry with the actual clutch. Everything is brand new in that sense. I might as well try and replace the slave cylinder as it has a lifetime warranty so I can see if that at least makes a difference. I know the adjustment is right also, I did it according to the jacks transmission video. Thanks for the info.

 

[bryanwheat]

What brand is the master cylinder that you got from oreillies? I have had problems with their house brand ones. The piston is a different length and the seal sits further into the cylinder. This allows less fluid to be pulled into the master, so less fluid is transferred to the slave when you push the clutch.

 

[jakk220]

I'm not sure on that one I would have to check and get back to you. I do know the last one I got from them I had issues with running out of adjustment on the rod and the seals went bad on it. When I went and got it warrantied they gave me one that had a significantly longer rod on it by about an inch or so. But I will see if there is a stamp on it with the name and see which one it is when I get home.

 

[Artago]

I'm having the same problem. New everything (clutch pp/disk, Jack's tranny, slave, master, solid shifter bushings) except shifter cables and clutch line. If you figure it out please post back.

 

[curt-s]

Well I guess I might just have to change the slave cylinder again because I know that its not the step height or geometry with the actual clutch. Everything is brand new in that sense. I might as well try and replace the slave cylinder as it has a lifetime warranty so I can see if that at least makes a difference. I know the adjustment is right also, I did it according to the jacks transmission video. Thanks for the info.

Word, good luck!

FYI, know that just because it's a new component doesn't necessarily mean it's not out of spec. This goes for everything, OEM or not, unfortunately. That's why spec-critical pieces should be checked. Sometimes they're out.

For instance, Clevite. Great bearings, right? Industry staple for decades.
An entire run of their 0.01" oversized 4g63 mains was problematic almost 2 years ago. I was the lucky customer to find out. The thrust bearing wouldn't even fit on the journal, you couldn't get it past the thrust surfaces. Clevite checked at random off their shelves and found them out of spec. The entire run was pulled.

So, if you have problems, it's time to check things you haven't been able to control from the beginning.

 

[jakk220]

Wow that's horrible. At least they corrected it though. Also I just found this out: when the car only let me go half into first at a stoplight, I shut the car of while keeping slight pressure on the shifter towards first and clutch in....still wouldn't let me in gear with car off. I have to try to put it into gear like 4 times and then it went after going to a notchy second gear prior to first gear. Still think it's hydraulic related? I guess it still could be IMO because the car won't let me into gear with the clutch out when the car is off which I think is normal. Btw thanks for all the help guys. Couldn't figure this problem out alone for some reason .

I will definitely keep you updated man. I know how annoying this is.