Manual Shifting issues

[mattster8]

Hello, New guy here so sorry if this is in the wrong place or something.

I have a 97 Mazda b4000, 4.0 ford v6 obviously with a 5spd manual tranny.
The problem i have is that sometimes it does not want to go into gear, it doesnt grind its just like im pushing against a wall, or like im not in the right place even though i am. Sometimes i have to push forward and backward (usually between 1st and 2nd) till finally i shove it in or else i get it into 2nd and then it slides into first. I have the same issue with reverse. I will stop and try to shift it and it will just feel like theres no opening for the gear. Sometimes i can lightly heard a noise like the transmission is going clunk clunk clunk but i never grind any gears. The other gears arent as bad but still are not smooth shifting whenever im having this problem. 3rd and 4th will usually go in if push forward on the shifter and wiggle it back and forth till it slides in. 5th is usually not very problematic.
This is a very annoying issue that is also random. One day i will hop in and go and everything will shift smooth and fine, other times (like today) i get in and its a ******* to shift. Any advice would be helpful!

Also, as i have read im sure that its time to change the fluid in my transmission. I have put 53,000 miles on it and have no changed the fluid. I think i know how to do it from reading other forums but, where do i buy and what kind of oil should i get? I work my truck pretty hard sometimes so im not afraid to pay a little more for better oil/atf.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[RangerX]

Welcome to the forum!
The manual trans takes Mercon ATF, but that won't help your shifting problem.
The hard shifting is most likely a slave cylinder on its way out. I'd say 90% probability. The other possibilities would be a a worn or cracked brake/clutch pedal brackets, and worn bushings at the base of the stick shift.

 

[rb142]

Yes, very common problem with these. I have it now too.

Most likely it is the clutch not completely disengaging, and is probably due to a failing clutch slave cylinder. It could be the clutch master cylinder, pilot bearing, etc. The transmission has to come out to replace the slave cylinder, so all of the clutch components should be replaced at that point anyway. It's unlikely that you have a problem with the synchronizer. The shifter bushings may or may not be worn, but won't cause this problem. That is a simple and cheap repair from in the cab.

Are you losing any fluid from the clutch resevoir?

The problem will only get worse over time. Don't drive it too long with the problem or you could create problems with the synchronizers.

 

[mattster8]

Thanks for the responses. Someone has once told me before that i may have a slave cylinder going bad. If the clutch was not completely disengaging the tranny, wouldnt the gears grind as they are going in? I assumed because of this that it was a problem in the shifter or something of that sort.

What other clutch components would it be "good" to replace if i had the transmission out to do the slave cylinder? And by the way, im not losing any fluid from the slave cylinder...that im aware of anyway, im pretty sure that im not. Just checked the level last week and it hasnt gone down at all since i put some in months ago.

 

[JK080]

The synchronizers keep the gears from grinding, this transmission even has a synchronized reverse.

I agree that its not a transmission problem, something is still turning the input shaft of the transmission. The most common failure is a slave cylinder that is leaking and not allowing the clutch to fully disengage, other things that I have seen are a dry or bad pilot bearing and the clutch disk itself come apart.

I would replace the clutch, pressure plate, slave with release bearing and pilot bearing and have the flywheel resurfaced.

 

[mattster8]

Sounds like quite a chunk of change. When i bought the truck the transmission had just been worked on, i dont think they replaced the clutch but the flywheel was resurfaced, and im thinking the bearings were replaced inside. Could be wrong though.

 

[acschilling]

Since it doesn't sound like your under the hood very often, so you might wanna check the fluid level in your clutch master cylinder. Before I was hip with my truck and servicing the tranny my master cylinder had leaked (maybe from a slave going bad) but I had trouble shifting. Like needing to start in reverse trouble. Filled it up and lasted a couple years till the clutch finally needed replacing. I tried seeing if you had mentioned inspecting this part since it's quite an easy place to start.

 

[mattster8]

I have filled the master cylinder reservoir before and it did not help. Right now it is just below the Max Fill line.

 

[jd4242]

Try bleeding it..if you have filled it before then you probably have a leak or air in the slave..it shouldnt lose fluid..

 

[mattster8]

never knew i could bleed the cylinder, how is it you do that?

 

[RangerX]

There's a bleeder screw poking out of the side of the trans, you bleed it similar to brakes. But search and read up, it's hard to do it well.

 

[jd4242]

Ill tell you how I do it and it has worked EVERY time so far..it also bleeds the master and slave at same time..I literally just melted my line with my new dual exhaust so air got everywhere.I replaced the line with a SS line and new master and bleed first time in minutes. .


I use a syringe, I picked it up at walmart in the party favor section but any will work as long as it fits the line to the reservoir. .

First run a hose from the bleeder on the trans UP through the shifter boot to a bottle fill about a 1/4 way with fluid, I put it in the cup holder..
next take the syringe and suck the fluid out the reservoir under the hood, discard.
Pull the rubber hose off the reservoir and attach the syringe filled with fresh fluid. Once attached pull the syringe handle causing a quick vacuum to clear any bubbles out from attaching it..dont pull vacuum for long..

Next open the bleeder and push fluid through the line with the syringe, do not pump clutch or anything. .once fluid in syringe gets low close bleeder, pull syringe off refill and attach again pulling a quick vacuum again to get any bubbles out the syringe from attaching it..open bleeder and push fluid through again..

After the second or third time depending on amount of bubbles coming up through the line attached to bleeder, stop before all the fluid is gone in syringe. .now close the bleeder and pull a vacuum for about a minute with the syringe. .if no bubbles suck up into the syringe your good to go..

This bleeds the slave first without sucking bubbles up into the master, then once none comes out the bleeder line the vacuum pulls any air out the master..you do it any other way it can pull bubbles up into the master and its very hard to bleed the funny shaped line or the upside down master..

If you cant find the syringe you can always wing it and just try to bleed it like brakes..attach a line to bleeder, up through the floor into a container in the cup holder and pump the clutch and hope for the best...


Picture of syringe. .

 

[RangerX]

jd, you should make a video of that!

 

[jd4242]

jd, you should make a video of that!

I really should.I know its hard to understand or explain for that matter.lol just dont know how I would film it, would take two people and I dont have any air in my lines.would explain or show much better if there was air in it.

It works great though, ive done it a couple time and couple others on rps has too once they understood it.

 

[mattster8]

i will have to try something. Will successful bleeding possibly get rid of my issue?

 

[jd4242]

It could but honestly it sounds like the synchronizers are bad..definitely worth a shot because if you have added fluid before then its leaked out and air im sure has got in.fluid doesnt burn up or get used or anything. .if air has got in its trapped somewhere and will make for bad shifts or wear synchronizers out MUCH faster and or make a bad/worn synchronizer much more noticeable causing bad shifts..

 

[jd4242]

Like also suggested check the fluid in the trans..if its a stock unit it should have three rubber plugs that have the tendency to leak.once you get low on fluid things go south FAST!!! They make metal plugs to replace those also fyi..

 

[rb142]

JD, where did you get the SS line with the right fittings?

 

[jd4242]

JD, where did you get the SS line with the right fittings?

I had it made out of the stock line.the end that plugs into the slave is not available anywhere but the end that plugs into the master is.Russell(640281) makes it but kind of pointless unless you plan on making a line for a different trans swap, otherwise its cheaper just to have one made.

Costed me $50, also had one made for my T5 swap

 

[rb142]

That's cool. I didn't know they could successfully reuse those connectors on a new line.