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

[ColinJL]

For those having the lock out/lock in issue, when locked in and in gear at a stop with the clutch pedal to the floor, does your jeep slowly crawl forward as if it’s not fully disengaging? Happening most when inching forward in traffic or at a stop light. I have had this issue with both ACT and the centerforce with internal hydraulics. ACT happened sooner and had a nasty Chewbacca noise, the lock outs were also much worse with the ACT. With the centerforce, it doesn’t happen as often but after ~10,000 the lock in/ creeping forward symptoms are starting to show again. Both installed at reputable shops.

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[SadRobot]

For those having the lock out/lock in issue, when locked in and in gear at a stop with the clutch pedal to the floor, does your jeep slowly crawl forward as if it’s not fully disengaging? Happening most when inching forward in traffic or at a stop light. I have had this issue with both ACT and the centerforce with internal hydraulics. ACT happened sooner and had a nasty Chewbacca noise, the lock outs were also much worse with the ACT. With the centerforce, it doesn’t happen as often but after ~10,000 the lock in/ creeping forward symptoms are starting to show again. Both installed at reputable shops.

Yeah mine had the creep forward also. At the moment I have a really bad Chewbacca groan and whiff in the clutch pedal but still shifting ok.

 

[OminousSkitter]

For those having the lock out/lock in issue, when locked in and in gear at a stop with the clutch pedal to the floor, does your jeep slowly crawl forward as if it’s not fully disengaging?

No, mine never crept forward even though the clutch was not fully disengaging due to the slave cylinder leaking like a sieve. My pedal never felt spongy, either.

The order of events for me was first Chewy appeared, then I started having occasional rough shifts (lower gears), then frequent to constant rough shifts, then lockout, and finally lock in. At its worst I could wait at a light with my foot off the brake and clutch pedal to the floor—zero movement.

 

[ColinJL]

No, mine never crept forward even though the clutch was not fully disengaging due to the slave cylinder leaking like a sieve. My pedal never felt spongy, either.

The order of events for me was first Chewy appeared, then I started having occasional rough shifts (lower gears), then frequent to constant rough shifts, then lockout, and finally lock in. At its worst I could wait at a light with my foot off the brake and clutch pedal to the floor—zero movement.

It’s hit or miss for me, sometimes I can do the same, sit at a light with my foot off brake and clutch engaged. It’s only after feathering the clutch to inch forward in traffic, or moving up at a stoplight and then pushing it back to the floor that causes it to creep forward . When initially coming to a complete stop from regular speeds it doesn’t creep forward, only when I need to move up or when sitting in stop and go traffic where the clutch isn’t fully engaged. 1st to 2nd is rough half the time. If I fully engage and then disengage the clutch the issue goes away until I have to feather it again. Had this problem amongst others with my ACT and now happening with the centerforce, initially thought it might be a bleeding issue with the internal throw out bearing but not confident after reading this thread . Peddle is still firm.

 

[OminousSkitter]

It’s hit or miss for me, sometimes I can do the same, sit at a light with my foot off brake and clutch engaged. It’s only after feathering the clutch to inch forward in traffic, or moving up at a stoplight and then pushing it back to the floor that causes it to creep forward . When initially coming to a complete stop from regular speeds it doesn’t creep forward, only when I need to move up or when sitting in stop and go traffic where the clutch isn’t fully engaged. 1st to 2nd is rough half the time. If I fully engage and then disengage the clutch the issue goes away until I have to feather it again. Had this problem amongst others with my ACT and now happening with the centerforce, initially thought it might be a bleeding issue with the internal throw out bearing but not confident after reading this thread . Peddle is still firm.

Hmm, can't say I ever tried that—there's a lack of stop and go traffic up here :D

Now I have a new clutch, a new slave cylinder, and craptastic recall software.

 

[gek]

I noticed Chewy before going on a wheeling trip, then on the last day of the trip, on our way back to where we were staying I started getting a first gear lockout at stop lights. I knew where this was heading after following/talking to @SadRobot. So I started looking to trade. It just so happens that a local dealer had a Jeep in a very similar configuration to mine in an auto, so I jumped on it. Most don't even know I got a different Jeep.

I do miss the manual, but I don't miss worrying about when the issues were going to happen to me, or pulling it apart to re-lube it every 10k-15k miles, or hoping it doesn't strand me off road 15-20 hours from home.

 

[SadRobot]

I noticed Chewy before going on a wheeling trip, then on the last day of the trip, on our way back to where we were staying I started getting a first gear lockout at stop lights. I knew where this was heading after following/talking to @SadRobot. So I started looking to trade. It just so happens that a local dealer had a Jeep in a very similar configuration to mine in an auto, so I jumped on it. Most don't even know I got a different Jeep.

I do miss the manual, but I don't miss worrying about when the issues were going to happen to me, or pulling it apart to re-lube it every 10k-15k miles, or hoping it doesn't strand me off road 15-20 hours from home.

So what you're saying is I walked so you could crawl?

 

[gek]

So what you're saying is I walked so you could crawl?

oh ... crawl ...

Haha, that took me far to long to get. Having a slow brain day

 

[SadRobot]

oh ... crawl ...

Haha, that took me far to long to get. Having a slow brain day

 

[Celtics18]

When the stock one dies on mine I was going to go with the Street Mass one. My JK clutch went over 155k miles with no issues before selling it.

I thought ACT was the golden ticket to fixing the clutch, but this thread has murdered that dream haha.

So far though, 24k miles in on a 24MT that came factory with the 'fix' - no Issues.

It's still such a light clutch though- the JK could engage at idle with no gas and not stall, making it engage at like 800rpm vs. the JL requires gas and it at like 1200rpm to not stall. Sounds like not a lot, but I see that as 50% more wear from stops. All for some stupid Stop/Start system I turn off anyway.

What is the your gear ratio? I am on 4.88 and no gas needed at idle.

I am on stock clutch and not going to do the recall (touch wood). 28k km

 

[Fatfreewilly]

What is the your gear ratio? I am on 4.88 and no gas needed at idle.

I am on stock clutch and not going to do the recall (touch wood). 28k km

4.10s on 33s. But putting on 35s literally tomorrow

41k miles now, still really no different clutch wise. I can engage it with very little to no gas, but it stalls SO much easier than the JK clutch. That thing was almost impossible to stall.

Its been a little hard to shift into 1st with the cold at times, but ill be changing the syncro fluid at next oil change in like 4k miles which should take care of that.

 

[Celtics18]

4.10s on 33s. But putting on 35s literally tomorrow

41k miles now, still really no different clutch wise. I can engage it with very little to no gas, but it stalls SO much easier than the JK clutch. That thing was almost impossible to stall.

Its been a little hard to shift into 1st with the cold at times, but ill be changing the syncro fluid at next oil change in like 4k miles which should take care of that.

Nice, enjoy the 35s. Agreed on the extra wear with the blip of gas needed from stop. I never experienced anything lower than 4.88 but given all the accounts I've seen here, I am glad I opted for it.

I am on 37s

 

[Fatfreewilly]

35s installed with the Manual Trans!

255/85/17 Mickey Thompson Baja Boss ATs

Followed this below with OBD JSCAN, and no clutch issues so far. About 30 mins of highway so far:



**PROCEDURE

- Get actual tire measurement.

1. Clear any codes

2. Verify your tire and gear settings
JSCAN > ADAPTATION > TIRES & AXLE SETTINGS > TIRE SIZE > set to ~35"

3. Use Jscan to reset the clutch EEPROM
via > adaptation -> vehicle maintenance -> PCM CLUTCH REPLACEMENT EEPROM RESET

4. Put the key out of range if the vehicle and let all of the modules go to sleep

5. Disconnect the all negative cables - let sit for 10-15 mins

6. Reconnect the negative cables

7. Perform the 6th gear relearn: (Vehicle speed must be between 40-80mph in top gear (6th) b. Accelerator pedal position must be greater than 0.392volts c. Flywheel torque > 75Nm. Once achieving the above conditions, it will take approximately 20 seconds to learn new top gear N/V ratio)

 

[Reflektr]

I’ve posted in a couple other threads touching on what I’ve been experiencing in my 6-speed 2025 Willys. It’s nice knowing you aren’t the only one, stock or not. But at the same time it’s full-on disheartening that there is no solid explanation or solution to our problem. It doesn’t seem to matter if you have the upgraded clutch, recalled clutch or bone stock clutch such as myself - Sooner or later the shift lever is going to feel like rowing a canoe paddle through billiard balls, or worse yet, leave you stranded.



My Willys has a little over 5,800 miles on the odometer right now. I bought it brand new in August as a secondary vehicle to sort of replace my Harley - As it’s more toddler-friendly than a motorcycle Plus the kid actually fits better in the Wrangler than he does in my lifted xtra-cab daily driver. I had around 5,000 peaceful miles on the Willys until I started driving it daily here a little bit ago. We got quite a bit of snow here awhile back and as a precautionary measure, I backed the Jeep in the driveway in front of my wife’s car so I could have more room to get the tractor in and plow if need be. I cleared the main drive but we got some crazy winds and it ended up drifting my truck in before work Monday. So I just ended up taking the Jeep. Aww shucks…



As ironic as it sounds, “It was great until I started driving it” The first couple of weeks driving it daily were fine. Then it would randomly get notchy in first, whether you were moving at a walking pace or not. One stop sign it would float right into first, the next block it would not. I tried changing up my shifting habits thinking maybe it was me and it made no difference. Then a few days later, it started playing the same game when going into second. One shift it would pop right in, the next would be notchy. Reverse followed suit. Then third gear, then fourth gear. One minute it will go into any given gear just fine, and the next minute it’s all notchy.



I thought temperature could be playing a part in the shenanigans until one morning when it was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey and I drove to work with nary a hang-up, then on the way home I experienced the same old erratic shifting. I was reading another thread where someone who was experiencing notchy shifting changed out their transmission fluid and it made a difference. As a mechanic myself and just a generally curious person by nature, this kind of made sense to me. Plus at about 5,600 miles, I was dying to see what that fluid and drain plug magnet looked like.



I dropped the fluid out last week and I guess I expected to see some glitter or something come out with as crappy as it had been shifting, but there was just a little metallic fuzz on the magnet. Nothing that would necessarily put anything in a bind and make it act like it had been. I had made it to page 20 of this thread when I thought “What could it hurt?” to try bleeding some air out at the reservoir. I had the perfect adapter and a hand-vac at the shop so I pulled it to 15” and let it sit for an hour just as an experiment. After only an hour I had gotten bubbles in the reservoir. Granted since this is a shared reservoir, it could have possibly come from the brake system? I don’t know. I know people bleed them overnight and let them sit, but I didn’t want to pull a vac for too long and start sucking air by the seals on the master/slave cylinders and make the problem worse.



The drive after my little bleeding experiment was also inconsistent. One minute it’s good, the next it’s bad. I tried experimenting shifting at different rpm’s and it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. Although you can do like a little wiggle-dance with the stick like another member suggested and it seems to help. I’ve literally climbed under and all around this thing and cannot find a leak in the clutch hydraulics to save my life. Nor do I think it should be leaking bone stock at 5,800 miles either, but stranger things have happened, right?

 

[Reflektr]

This was what I found after just an hour. But there’s not really any way of telling where exactly the bubbles came from. If air is getting in, you would think fluid would be getting out somewhere. Unless the vacuum somehow pulled air beyond a seal at the master or slave cylinder.

As a mechanic, there has to be a rational explanation for this. Nothing just stops working properly for no reason lol. That being said, has anyone else noticed the big curly-Q in the exhaust adjacent to the slave cylinder?

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