Hard to shift when cold

[Specter]

When the car is started, it is very hard to shift, you would have to struggle with the shifter to get the car into any gear, there is no grinding noise, it just does not want to go into gear. When you get it in a gear, drive it around for like 10 minutes or so, the car gets warmed up and it shifts like butter. What could be the problem?

Thanks.

 

[turbowop]

What gear oil are you using in the trans?

 

[Specter]

Its standard gear oil we get around here used in all the cars. You think it might be the gear oil? If it is the gear oil then what could be the issue? Too thick when cold, and gradually gets thinner when the car gets warm?

 

[prove_it]

That's exactly right. When it's cold out the oil gets thicker which keeps it from getting into all the right areas and just makes everything harder. Same thing happens to the transfer case and rear diff. How cold does it get out? I'm using GM syncromesh fluid and it has worked great all the way down to -30 F. Shifts great and I know that it lubes all the parts well when it's cold.

It can also help to get the engine warmed up and use cardboard or such to block the radiator so that it heats up faster and keeps more heat in the engine bay. That will help to heat up the fluid faster too.

 

[Specter]

By saying cold i did not mean that the weather is cold, but i meant that when the car is cold, yes given its winter season but the coldest it gets here is around 10 degree Celsius, so thats not much. So if the gear oil is the culprit, then i would need to change it and get some thinner oil. But, By not going into gear, could it have any relation with the master cylinder and the slave cylinder? It gets perfect when the car is driven around.

 

Your slave and master cylinders shouldn't change as the car warms up so I wouldn't think that as the culprit. The DSM trannies are notoriously picky about what brand and weight gear oil you put in them. Either Syncromesh or redline MTL/MT90 have the best results. You'd be amazed how much of a difference it can make if there was something else in there before.

 

[prove_it]

That maybe true in all but if the coldest it is getting is around 10 degrees Celsius, then I would say check into whether or not your clutch is actually disengaging well enough to allow a smooth shift. I know fluid will make a big difference, but that's still a pretty warm ambient temp.

To the OP, how is it exactly "hard to shift"? Does it feel like the gear is "blocked" like doesn't even want to go into gear, or is it more of an effort to shift gears and just harder to shift? Your cables could also be out of adjustment. I just readjusted mine and it made a noticeable feel in the way my trans shifts.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Specter]

Okay i tested the car and found problems. I must tell you that i did a clutch job like a month ago but did not get to drive the car, now that i am testing it i am facing some problems. The clutch and PP is OEM, but my clutch cylinder rod is changed. I lost the original rod somewhere and have no idea what size it should be so i just made one up. I guess either this is the problem or the adjustment from master cylinder, or both maybe.

The gear shifts fine when the car is turned off, so this means that the cables are adjusted properly, also the gear shifts fine after 10 minutes of drive, this also means that the cables shift properly.

I do not think fluid is the problem as the brand i am using is widely used in all the cars around here.

Yes the clutch disengagement is the issue. During testing the car yesterday,the clutch slipped under acceleration. Also, if i shift into first gear, press the clutch pedal, and then crank the car to start it, the car moves ahead. This means that the clutch is not disengaging properly.

So the clutch neither disengages properly and it slips too under acceleration. What does this suggest? I hope its the adjustment issue from the master and slave cylinder. I rebuilt the master cylinder as it was leaking inside the firewall, i did not do anything to the slave cylinder. What should i do? I also need guidance on how to adjust the master cylinder and the slave cylinder rod if this is the problem.

Thanks for the help!

 

[4thStroke]

There is no adjustment on the slave cylinder.

Get the proper slave rod in there ASAP. Sounds like the current rod is not long enough.

 

[Specter]

I tried a longer rod and the problem remained the same, i also tried shorter rods and still the problem remained the same. Is my slave cylinder at fault here?

 

[prove_it]

An extended rod is about 3 3/4" inch long.

The clutch slipping and the hard shift describe two different symptoms of issues. Hard shifting is caused by lack of clutch disengagment and slipping could be from a lack of engagement. I would say you could have a slave issue, however your clutch pedal bushings could be worn badly. Seems weird that your having two issues in different directions at the same time. Read up on Vfaq.com about the pedal bushings and check that. Either that or change your slave cylinder to try it.

 

[Specter]

The clutch pedal bushings are fine. I opened up the slave cylinder, but i do not know what to look for. The piston itself is clean, it was not leaking any oil so the rubber washer is fine, the cylinder has scratches on it but you cannot feel it but finger nail. So what should i be looking for here to decide if the cylinder is my problem.

Oh and before opening up the cylinder, i shifted the gear in first, pressed the clutch pedal and then cranked the car, it moves forward really bad, same in all the gears. The clutch is not disengaging at all. Please help! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[prove_it]

Was the clutch properly bled?

 

[Specter]

Yes i bled the clutch many times to make sure there is no air in the system. Something is at fault here, either the master cylinder which has a new kit in it, or the slave cylinder, or the clutch fluid line. Should i replace the slave cylinder and hope for the best?