Manual Transmission - Issues shifting into 1st & Reverse (Compilation thread)

[AVGeek99]

I'm thinking it holds pressure since the system is "static"? but once you actually start actuating it (driving), it leaks air back in somehow? idk trying to think of something

in my case my clutch was having the same issues, it even creeped when it's locked in 1st or reverse with the pedal fully depressed

BUT it started working fine for like the past 2 months or so with the eventual every once in a while hard to shift into 1st or reverse but it was just "harder" as I was always able to either push it or "wiggle" it in

now I started noticing the same symptoms a little more often again SMH

I saw the photos of the guy who replaced his act with the south bend and the pictures of the act didn't give me any hope for mine

Your issues sound a lot like mine. Very occasionally (once or twice every couple months) it will get locked in 1st or Rev and creep with the clutch pedal fully depressed. Difficutly getting it in 1st or Rev is more common, almost daily occurence. But it does come and go as well.

I've never had any pedal feel issues and the clutch engages pretty consistently in the same spot a few inches up from the floor.

Lately, as I've been following this thread, I've been more deliberate about putting it in 2nd (sometimes 4th if 2nd is being a pain) and then it slides right into first. I've also been shifting a little slower as I'm accelerating, which seems to help. Though the 3rd and 5th quite often seem blocked at first, but I release the pressure and retry then it slides right in. 2nd is occasionally difficult when I'm not moving, 4th and 6th never give me any issues.

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[fczabala]

Your issues sound a lot like mine. Very occasionally (once or twice every couple months) it will get locked in 1st or Rev and creep with the clutch pedal fully depressed. Difficutly getting it in 1st or Rev is more common, almost daily occurence. But it does come and go as well.

I've never had any pedal feel issues and the clutch engages pretty consistently in the same spot a few inches up from the floor.

Lately, as I've been following this thread, I've been more deliberate about putting it in 2nd (sometimes 4th if 2nd is being a pain) and then it slides right into first. I've also been shifting a little slower as I'm accelerating, which seems to help. Though the 3rd and 5th quite often seem blocked at first, but I release the pressure and retry then it slides right in. 2nd is occasionally difficult when I'm not moving, 4th and 6th never give me any issues.

yup, that's exactly same as me
clutch engagement always starts grabbing ~midway

only a few times ~3 times (locked in 1st/rev) the clutch started grabbing very close as soon as I started releasing but this happened back in October/November and it hasn't happened since

 

[m3reno]

Maybe it really is the synchro's ??

 

[fczabala]

Maybe it really is the synchro's ??

that's what my thought was but only way to know is to basically rebuild a 36k mile transmission and it ain't cheap lol

 

[roaniecowpony]

Maybe it really is the synchro's ??

"... it will get locked in 1st or Rev and creep with the clutch pedal fully depressed"
How would a synchronizer make it hard to get out of gear and creep with the clutch depressed? The common failure of a transmission synchronizer is thr cone i.d. wears out to where it won't drag and spin with the next gear or the teeth get broken and no longer align the next gear for a smooth shift. Another common failure is a cracked/split synchronizer, which can't lock onto the next gear for a smooth shift. I've never seen a synchronizer problem cause the vehicle to creep with the clutch depressed.

 

[fczabala]

well I just did a test in 4lo

pedal fully depressed, trying to shift into 1st or reverse, feel some resistance (lever not fully in yet but keeping pressure trying to get it into gear), jeep starts moving and then lever goes fully into gear, but it's still moving with pedal fully depressed and then I release the pedal and it somewhat jerks for a second or 2 and then moves smooth

do it 1-3 times and then it stops moving with the pedal fully depressed SMH meaning behaving normal

 

[roaniecowpony]

Clutch seems to be dragging.

 

[fczabala]

Clutch seems to be dragging.

yup, after I did that, now it also happens in 2hi SMH in every gear except 4 and 6

 

[Duece McCracken]

Clutch seems to be dragging.

Yes, thats my thoughts as well.

Shifts dont grind, so synchros are good.

My hydraulics are solid.

It has to be the clutch hanging up here and there. Locking you out, or locking you in gear. Which is upsetting to have on relatively new assemblies.

Now we go down that rabbit hole.

Is it dirty Input shaft splines?

Binding from tight tolerances and thermal expansion?

Is the clutch fork flexing and not transfering enough movement on the pressure plate?

Could the pressure plate have spring issues?

Pretty much any of this requires dropping the trans. Which its too cold for me to want to do it right now, lmfao

 

[OldGuyNewJeep]

Binding from tight tolerances and thermal expansion?

18 months and ~12,000 miles on my ACT and I’ve only experienced the lock out once. My wife says twice for her. All three were over summer on very hot and humid days.

 

[LatteSipper]

Your issues sound a lot like mine. Very occasionally (once or twice every couple months) it will get locked in 1st or Rev and creep with the clutch pedal fully depressed. Difficutly getting it in 1st or Rev is more common, almost daily occurence. But it does come and go as well.

I've never had any pedal feel issues and the clutch engages pretty consistently in the same spot a few inches up from the floor.

Lately, as I've been following this thread, I've been more deliberate about putting it in 2nd (sometimes 4th if 2nd is being a pain) and then it slides right into first. I've also been shifting a little slower as I'm accelerating, which seems to help. Though the 3rd and 5th quite often seem blocked at first, but I release the pressure and retry then it slides right in. 2nd is occasionally difficult when I'm not moving, 4th and 6th never give me any issues.

Which clutch and flywheel?

 

[AVGeek99]

Which clutch and flywheel?

CF II Installed Sept-Oct 2022. About 41k miles on it (the CF clutch) now, 61K total.

I have no idea why it would matter, but the first few times I noticed this behaviour was after prolonged stretches of starting out in 2nd or 3rd gear (both 4-low). Typically after several days in Moab. Once I got back to normal road driving always starting out in 1st the issue would subside after a few hundred miles. Then the next time of prolonged starting out in 2nd or 3rd it would come back.

Then I regeared to 4.88s in Nov 2023. At the time I still had 35s so I was skipping first and starting out in 2nd alot becuase 1st was so short. Then I noticed the issue comming back, so I went back to starting out in 1st, and the issue subsided. But ever since then the issue has come and gone intermittently just with normal driving.

 

[LatteSipper]

CF II Installed Sept-Oct 2022. About 41k miles on it (the CF clutch) now, 61K total.

I have no idea why it would matter, but the first few times I noticed this behaviour was after prolonged stretches of starting out in 2nd or 3rd gear (both 4-low). Typically after several days in Moab. Once I got back to normal road driving always starting out in 1st the issue would subside after a few hundred miles. Then the next time of prolonged starting out in 2nd or 3rd it would come back.

Then I regeared to 4.88s in Nov 2023. At the time I still had 35s so I was skipping first and starting out in 2nd alot becuase 1st was so short. Then I noticed the issue comming back, so I went back to starting out in 1st, and the issue subsided. But ever since then the issue has come and gone intermittently just with normal driving.

Thanks. Was curious because the behavior you describe matches mine, but I have the ACT clutch and pro mass flywheel.

From what I’ve gathered reading a lot of posts, the hanging clutch behavior is observed on all clutch types; OEM, ACT, and CF. Unsure what that means, but it’s data…

 

[fczabala]

CF II Installed Sept-Oct 2022. About 41k miles on it (the CF clutch) now, 61K total.

I have no idea why it would matter, but the first few times I noticed this behaviour was after prolonged stretches of starting out in 2nd or 3rd gear (both 4-low). Typically after several days in Moab. Once I got back to normal road driving always starting out in 1st the issue would subside after a few hundred miles. Then the next time of prolonged starting out in 2nd or 3rd it would come back.

Then I regeared to 4.88s in Nov 2023. At the time I still had 35s so I was skipping first and starting out in 2nd alot becuase 1st was so short. Then I noticed the issue comming back, so I went back to starting out in 1st, and the issue subsided. But ever since then the issue has come and gone intermittently just with normal driving.

this resembles what I did yesterday, I tested it in 4lo a couple of times and it got worse, today it feels like it's getting "better" again SMH

 

[Duece McCracken]

this resembles what I did yesterday, I tested it in 4lo a couple of times and it got worse, today it feels like it's getting "better" again SMH

Yeah, every day is a gamble. Its not undriveable, but its annoying.

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