Tranny keeps popping out of first gear. WTF??

[tsi1991awd]

Been combatting clutch / tranny issues for about a month. 3rd gear was completely out due to a broken shift fork. Everything else checked out fine. All synchro's were good, all gears were good, shift rails, forks, etc.

Got my car back last night, drove it around and it was all good. Drove it today and it was alright then all of a sudden it wants to pop out of first gear!! The clutch is brand new, new flywheel, new master and slave, etc. Bled the shit out of it, adjusted the cables....

It will go into first gear just fine with no grinds. When I try to drive in first, it pops out and goes to Neutral. When I try to put it back into first gear right after it pops out, it grinds. WTF could it be???

 

[90tsiawdturbo]

Sounds like the syncros in the tranny

 

[tsi1991awd]

It wasn't grinding or anything though. That's what's weird.

 

[Careless]

Hold onto the shifter after putting it into first.
Do you feel anything hitting or moving after its already in gear?

 

[tsi1991awd]

No, feels normal. When I give it gas and start to let off the clutch THEN it pops out. It's weird.

**I just went out to do some tests. When I put it into first gear with the car off, I am able to push the car like it is in Neutral. In every other gear, the car won't budge. I can hear the tranny clicking like it's going into gear. And the shift linkage and everything is fine. What could it be all of a sudden like that with no warning? Shift fork?

 

[90tsiawdturbo]

Can you hold it into 1st and drive....like if you just hold it in 1st will it work like it should...I've heard about other people having problems like that and I believe it was either shift fork or syncros but I'm not positive...

 

[bastarddsm]

Make sure your shifter is adjusted fine. If thats not it, time to pull the transmission. It sounds like you might have left the snap ring off the intermediate shaft, this lets the gear work its way off the shaft. Also could be a really worn thrust surface on the gear, or race.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Sounds like the synchros in the tranny or a bad gear.

 

[tsi1991awd]

The tranny was JUST put back together on Thursday and installed on Friday. I picked the car up on Friday around 3:30 in the afternoon. Drove it 10 miles to work and 45 miles home. Then yesterday I drove it 5 miles down to the Mitsubishi dealership and back 5 miles. On the way back home is when the gear started popping out.

I cannot hold it in first and drive that way, it pops out and grinds. The grind sounds like I am trying to push it into gear without the clutch pushed in. There is NO GRIND UNTIL it pops out of gear, let me make that clear.

When the car is OFF, and I put it into first, the car rolls as if it's in Neutral. When I put it into all the other gears, it will not roll whatsoever. I took the cables off of the tranny itself and put the transmission into first....it is NOT the shift linkage that's the problem.

This shit was just put back together Thursday and it pisses me off because the guy completely tore down the tranny and said the only thing wrong was the 3-4 shift fork was broken, which I kept the broken piece. This problem had to be something he did to the tranny while putting it together. Needless to say, I am taking it to someone else tomorrow to have the tranny pulled and looked at....someone that specifically works on trannys alone. Not an all-around DSM shop.

 

[90tsiawdturbo]

Yea I would say that guy screwed somthin up...maybe he didn't put 1st gear back together right...or did he maybe Only replace the one broken fork and another one went out? Let me know what happens I'm curious . Sorry bout the misfourtune tho I'm sittin on a blown piston soi know how ya feel

 

[tsi1991awd]

The 3-4 shift fork was broken in half at the bottom where the circular portion is that slides on the shift rail. He said all the gears and synchro's were good so I don't know how after driving the car for 60 miles or whatever would've messed up the 1-2 shift fork. But we will see. There's a guy that's been doing tranny's for 35 years that lives in my wife's dad's neighborhood. Should've gone to him first. He can have the tranny taken apart in about 15-20 minutes and know exactly what's wrong.

 

[bastarddsm]

The tranny was JUST put back together on Thursday and installed on Friday. I picked the car up on Friday around 3:30 in the afternoon. Drove it 10 miles to work and 45 miles home. Then yesterday I drove it 5 miles down to the Mitsubishi dealership and back 5 miles. On the way back home is when the gear started popping out.

I cannot hold it in first and drive that way, it pops out and grinds. The grind sounds like I am trying to push it into gear without the clutch pushed in. There is NO GRIND UNTIL it pops out of gear, let me make that clear.

When the car is OFF, and I put it into first, the car rolls as if it's in Neutral. When I put it into all the other gears, it will not roll whatsoever. I took the cables off of the tranny itself and put the transmission into first....it is NOT the shift linkage that's the problem.

This shit was just put back together Thursday and it pisses me off because the guy completely tore down the tranny and said the only thing wrong was the 3-4 shift fork was broken, which I kept the broken piece. This problem had to be something he did to the tranny while putting it together. Needless to say, I am taking it to someone else tomorrow to have the tranny pulled and looked at....someone that specifically works on trannys alone. Not an all-around DSM shop.

You can't tell if anything is wore unless you completely press apart both gear clusters. It's doubtful that the guy did. I bet he opened it up, put in a shift fork and closed it up. But it could also be a missing snap ring on the intermediate shaft.

Personally I wouldn't let anyone but a dsm transmission specialist touch these transmissions. They are not that complicated, but they have many quirks that a normal trans tech won't know to do.

 

[Colt4G63 also]

Check your shifter cables where they connect to the bellhousing. It could be as simple as a clip poped off.

 

[90tsiawdturbo]

Hey colt ^^^^^please read everything before you post....if you would have read it all you figure out he already had the shift cables off to check them

 

[Colt4G63 also]

^^^ Oh yeah, good point. I guess he's screwed.

 

[tsi1991awd]

You can't tell if anything is wore unless you completely press apart both gear clusters. It's doubtful that the guy did. I bet he opened it up, put in a shift fork and closed it up. But it could also be a missing snap ring on the intermediate shaft.

Personally I wouldn't let anyone but a dsm transmission specialist touch these transmissions. They are not that complicated, but they have many quirks that a normal trans tech won't know to do.

When I went to the shop to see the tranny disassembled, all the shift forks were off and everything was taken off except the intermediate shaft. I know this because the guy I bought the car from said it had double synchro first and second so I asked Andre and he showed me there is no way to tell unless the gear was taken off. He showed me where first and second gear was (yea I know nothing about the inside of the tranny) and all that shit was still connected to the case. He could have disassembled it further after that, I dont know....but as far as the snap rings, I am going to tell this other guy it could be a possibility.

If he doesnt know wtf he is doing then I will just take everything in pieces back to Andre. Just cant see paying another $800 just to fix it....AGAIN. Yea it was $800 just to change the goddamn 3-4 shift fork, 3 roll pins and 2 end nuts. Just to drive the car less than a day and have the first gear go byebye. What a joke.

***So I just got off the phone with my tranny guy. He said he went out for a drive and every gear works fine. No noises, no grinds, everything works great. I find that very odd that the car was working fine, then popping out of gear and to the point where I could roll the car when it was in first gear with the motor off, and magically it's working again.

What could cause that?????

 

[90tsiawdturbo]

That don't make sense?!???

Possible clutch problem???? Maybe bleed it or replace it?

 

[crusindregs]

Been combatting clutch / tranny issues for about a month. 3rd gear was completely out due to a broken shift fork. Everything else checked out fine. All synchro's were good, all gears were good, shift rails, forks, etc.

Got my car back last night, drove it around and it was all good. Drove it today and it was alright then all of a sudden it wants to pop out of first gear!! The clutch is brand new, new flywheel, new master and slave, etc. Bled the shit out of it, adjusted the cables....

It will go into first gear just fine with no grinds. When I try to drive in first, it pops out and goes to Neutral. When I try to put it back into first gear right after it pops out, it grinds. WTF could it be???

I had this problem too it was when i had it in first and tried to start moving it popped out, i had to take off from 2nd gear for a while because of it. Turns out it was my 1st and 2nd gear hub sleeve was worn. I got a rebuild and is flawless now. Look into a rebuild since your saying your 3rd gear is also not working correctly before you burn up the new clutch by dealing with these dumb tranny issues.

 

[tsi1991awd]

90tsiawdturbo, clutch has nothing to do with it. If youd notice I said when the car was OFF and I put it into first, it would still roll...all other gears, the car wouldnt budge.

Clutch was JUST replaced when tranny was pulled. New EVERYTHING...clutch disc, pressure plate, flywheel, pivot ball, throwout bearing, clutch fork, TOB clip, shimmed pivot ball, new clutch pedal assy. and lever, new OEM master, new OEM slave, SS clutch line....I mean, you name it, it was done. It COULD need bled again BUT it doesnt necessarily need to be because this issue is even with the car OFF.


cruisindregs, no problems in 3rd. Go back and re-read. The 3-4 shift fork was broken...its fixed now. Tranny was already torn apart and that issue was fixed. As for first gear....no idea why all of a sudden its working.

 

[frankenstein406]

were all shift forks checked to be in spec? it might be your shift fork.

 

[JTHustler]

I am having the same problem (grinding and popping out of first), but it is starting to do the same in second. I just spent almost $1,500 on my tranny rebuild. Everything is new, this guy had it apart at least 4 times, and he doesn't know what's wrong. It feels like the clutch isn't engaging all the way. It also grinds a little when it goes into 5th... PLEASE HELP!!

 

[tsi1991awd]

Frankenstein, the shift forks were fine, the bottom circular piece that rides on the rail for the 3-4 fork was cracked off and that was replaced with a brand new fork.

The 1-2 and 5-R forks were still in good shape. The tranny had already been fully rebuilt, the inside is clean, the gears and synchros are all good....everything checks out fine. Just doesn't make sense.

 

[pboglio]

My 2 cents:

Worn 1st/2nd gear shift fork.
Worn dogteeth on 1st gear itself.
Worn dogteeth on 1st gear hubslider.
Insufficient gearstack shim preload or non-existent shims.
Worn hubslider key or toasted hubslider key spring.

The symptoms sound depressingly familiar. I seriously doubt the tranny was looked over thoroughly. What I would call thorough is a complete wet magnaflux. Any visible wear on dogteeth, gear & slider gets pitched.

 

[tsi1991awd]

My 2 cents:

Worn 1st/2nd gear shift fork.
Worn dogteeth on 1st gear itself.
Worn dogteeth on 1st gear hubslider.
Insufficient gearstack shim preload or non-existent shims.
Worn hubslider key or toasted hubslider key spring.

The symptoms sound depressingly familiar. I seriously doubt the tranny was looked over thoroughly. What I would call thorough is a complete wet magnaflux. Any visible wear on dogteeth, gear & slider gets pitched.

Let's assume one or more of those was the cause. Would it only cause the problem intermittently? The car DID NOT do this before the tranny was taken apart and put back together with the new 3rd gear. Then again, I hardly drove the car before all hell broke loose with the drivetrain (worn clutch lever, leaking hydraulic cylinders, 3-4 shift fork broken, clutch drag, etc. etc.)

 

[92AWDHX40]

If all was good before the problem sounds like the transmission.