notchy shifter when WARM

[AlphaAssault]

ive been fighting this issue for a while now. when i first get in my car and drive, the shifting is fine. as things warm up the shifting gets worse. after driving for 15 minutes or so, it takes me forever to get into 2nd gear. the transmission only has 35k mikes on it, and despite the notchy shifting at times, this trans has never even thought about grinding. it just wont let me shift right away, like theres something blocking me from shifting.

in the past, ive always used thinner fluids, like syncromesh. would switching to a heavier fluid help any? if so, what heavier fluid do yall recommend? or does it sound more like a clutch-adjustment issue? or does it sound like something else entirely? a little input would be appreciated.

Sitrep: today i stopped at a stoplight, and when i put it into first (completely stopped) the car jumped a little. also, shifting into 2nd is much easier if i shift while turning left. shifting at high rpms is much smoother than at lower rpms. im still thinking the trans fluid is too light. after that, it might be the clutch. can anyone shed some light on this situation?

 

[xioca]

Yeah try changing out your fluid. My auto tranny used to work fine, but as it warmed up it started to grind/slip slightly and it turned out to be the fluid. So I am asuming as it heated up it thinned out slightly, causing my problem.

 

[AlphaAssault]

I think ive found the problem: the clutch isnt disengaging properly. the other day i put it into first, clutch all the way in, and revved the engine up to 7k rpms. the car moved forward. not much at all, but it still moved. it didnt start rolling until 6.5k rpms or so.

heres something else interesting i noticed: if you read above i said it wouldnt let me shift right away; it was like something was blocking the shifter. if i try and force the shifter in while its resisting, then it will slip into gear, but the car will shudder slightly. if i wait a second though, the shifter will go into gear no problem. has anyone had this issue before? does it sound like i need to adjust my clutch?

 

[blcknspo0ln]

Adjust your master cylinder clutch rod, rebleed the system. If that doesn't help, replace the fluids if you haven't done so recently.

 

[Defiant]

Bleed it ten more times. Then:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/dri...ch-killing-pump-up.html?highlight=pump+clutch

 

[AlphaAssault]

I was reading in another post that the bell housing bolts can come loose. how would i check for this? while i was under my car, i do remember that i could see part of the flywheel. is this normal, or are the bolts something to look into? thing is though, i dont know what to look for when someone says "your bell housing bolts might have backed out."

 

[turbosax2]

Take a wrench and try to tighten the bolts holding the transmission to the block, that's how you check if they came loose. You shouldn't be able to see the flywheel at all. Are you missing the flywheel inspection cover?

 

[99RedGs]

I think ive found the problem: the clutch isnt disengaging properly. the other day i put it into first, clutch all the way in, and revved the engine up to 7k rpms. the car moved forward. not much at all, but it still moved. it didnt start rolling until 6.5k rpms or so.

heres something else interesting i noticed: if you read above i said it wouldnt let me shift right away; it was like something was blocking the shifter. if i try and force the shifter in while its resisting, then it will slip into gear, but the car will shudder slightly. if i wait a second though, the shifter will go into gear no problem. has anyone had this issue before? does it sound like i need to adjust my clutch?

I think I seriously love you (hetero way since this is the internet and people can be dumb) for asking this question. This is the EXACT same thing mine does and I wasn't sure how to phrase it for asking. I haven't tried revving it in gear, but everything else is the same.

(except for the fact our shifting is f***ed)

 

[AlphaAssault]

Take a wrench and try to tighten the bolts holding the transmission to the block, that's how you check if they came loose. You shouldn't be able to see the flywheel at all. Are you missing the flywheel inspection cover?

transmission is snug against the block. i guess i can scratch that off my list.

i searched for the flywheel cover, and i guess mine is missing. i didnt even know anything was supposed to go there! i havnt messed with the trans at all, so it must have been like that when i bought it. oh well.

i have adjusted my clutch 3 full revolutions on the master cylinder rod, with little noticeable difference. what does this mean? is it time to bleed the system?

 

[cano86]

Here is something you might want to consider and Good Luck
Step
1
Check the level of the clutch fluid in the Mitsubishi Eclipse's reservoir. Top it off if necessary, and pump the clutch pedal a few times in order to restore the pressure in the hydraulic lines.
Step
2
Bleed the system if the clutch adjustment is unchanged after filling the reservoir. You might also want to check for cracks or leaks in the reservoir as well.
Step
3
Test the Mitsubishi Eclipse to see whether the clutch is dragging. Put the car in first gear on a flat surface, step on the clutch and rev up the engine to about 74,000 RPM. If the vehicle stays put, you're good. If it creeps forward, however, you must go on to the next step.
Step
4
Loosen the nut on the master cylinder at the top of the clutch pedal assembly, and turn the rod clockwise a full turn. Have someone lie beneath the can and push on the rod of the slave cylinder. Keep on turning the rod until the person cannot push the slave cylinder's rod any more.
Step
5
Reverse the rod of the master cylinder 1/2 turn, and have the person push on the rod of the slave cylinder again. Keep on reversing 1/2 turn to the left until the person can successfully push the slave cylinder's rod. This should be the adjustment Mitsubishi Eclipse's clutch needed.
Step
6
Replace the clutch assembly if nothing else works.

 

[cano86]

I think ive found the problem: the clutch isnt disengaging properly. the other day i put it into first, clutch all the way in, and revved the engine up to 7k rpms. the car moved forward. not much at all, but it still moved. it didnt start rolling until 6.5k rpms or so.

This ain't the problem though my car does this and it moves at even lower rpm's its starts to move slowly when it reaches 6k but it always shift fine and they are not hard at all.

 

[luv2rallye]

transmission is snug against the block. i guess i can scratch that off my list.

i searched for the flywheel cover, and i guess mine is missing. i didnt even know anything was supposed to go there! i havnt messed with the trans at all, so it must have been like that when i bought it. oh well.

If you're missing the flywheel inspection cover that would allow anything in the air (dust, water, pebbles) to reach the clutch disc and pressure plate which could play havoc on it. But do cano86's "clutch adjustment" stuff first. And get a flywheel inspection cover!

 

[tkelly27]

How did you bleed the system? I had a guy tell me that he had been bleeding brakes for ten years and he just waited until it no longer popped. You need a clear cup full of fluid to bleed into. You are done four or five times after you no longer see bubbles coming out of the line. EVEN TINY BUBBLES. P*V=nRT : )

Once you've made sure your clutch is all good (do these next things no matter what) adjust your shifter cables. You'll find this in the VFAQ. That it's first and second could also be your shifter bushings. Do the rollerblade mod.

Then change your transmission fluid. I followed the advice from these guys
WELCOME TO TRE   WE SPECIALIZE IN MANUAL TRANSMISSION REPAIR
it cost me $50 but I immediately noticed a difference. Unless you know you've got the right stuff in there and you replaced it a reasonable amount of time ago, change it. I could see not spending the $$ if you think your synchros are trashed and will need a rebuild, but it was night and day for me.

That's all the goodies I've figured out.

 

[AlphaAssault]

Ok, ive read all through the clutch adjustment info. i inspected the clutch pedal assembly, and it was good. i also pushed the clutch to the floor, then let it come up, then tried to pull it up more, but i couldnt; i.e. it came up to the proper height by itself. so, i decided to do Steps 4 and 5 first:

"Step 4
Loosen the nut on the master cylinder at the top of the clutch pedal assembly, and turn the rod clockwise a full turn. Have someone lie beneath the can and push on the rod of the slave cylinder. Keep on turning the rod until the person cannot push the slave cylinder's rod any more.

Step 5
Reverse the rod of the master cylinder 1/2 turn, and have the person push on the rod of the slave cylinder again. Keep on reversing 1/2 turn to the left until the person can successfully push the slave cylinder's rod. This should be the adjustment Mitsubishi Eclipse's clutch needed."

i left the master cylinder rod where it was (adjusted to its maximum length. heres a quick diagram: I-----------[lllll] ) and went to make sure i couldnt push in the slave cylinder. to my surprise, i could push in the slave cylinder. i pull back the boot on the slave cylinder to inspect for fluid, but i find none. correct me if im wrong, but with the master cylinder rod adjusted all the way out, i shouldnt be able to push in the slave cylinder. this might be my issue.

also, ive got a picture that should help: this shows how wide the range is for the clutch to do its thing. it will engage at one end of the rod, then disengage at the other end. everything between those 2 green marks is what it takes for the clutch to fully engage or disengage, depending on if the pedal is going down or coming up. even then, i can push the clutch in and rev the engine, and the car will still move some. so i still dont think its fully disengaging. a little insight would be nice.

 

[Evil_speedracer]

The master or slave cylinder could be going out, which will be evident when you bleed it real good. If the issue still persists then I would think about replacing those parts for sure. Another thing that comes to mind is the ball that the shift fork sits on...mine broke once and acted similar. Someone was telling me at the time that it was possible that the flywheel was not machined properly, but that was not the case when the little ball came tumbling out when I got it all apart. I see that the trans does not have a lot of miles, was it a recent replacement?

Also, please tell me that the trans does not have GL5 gear oil in it....

 

[AlphaAssault]

nope, runnin strait syncromesh.

the reason i dont think its the syncros is because the car shifts smoothly at high RPMs. its the low RPM stuff (daily driving) when the shifter becomes notchy.

 

[AlphaAssault]

this is the link to another thread i made about a different issue, but its sorta merged into the same topic as this thread. the last post of this thread illustrates what might be the toot of the issue. http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/dri...-have-choice-where-engages.html#post151643393