hard to shift in to 1st and reverse only

[jacobzking]

my sr20det tranny occasionally has a hard time shifting in to first and reverse (all others are fine). sometimes it goes in to gear easy, sometimes i just have to grind it in.

FWIW... I also have an issue where my idle won't go under about 2000 rpm (maybe timing, boost leak or IACV I know)... but could that cause the shifting issue? I know the car should generally only be idling around 750-1000 when shifting in to first or reverse.

any help would be appreciated.

[zooopreme]

my sr20det tranny occasionally has a hard time shifting in to first and reverse (all others are fine). sometimes it goes in to gear easy, sometimes i just have to grind it in.

There can be several aspects as to why this happens:

Transmission oil temperature
Bad transmission components
Leaking clutch line (highly doubt it but it doesn't hurt to check)


Used to have the same problem, flush/replace your transmission fluid; that fixed it 90% for me. The next 5% was letting the car warm up before I drove it. It helped remedy the problem but it still happens from time to time.

When I first got my S13, it was hard to get into 1st & reverse. At times, it was hard to get into 3rd also: as if it had the 1st gear lock.

After replacing the fluid, the car got better about going into 1st & reverse. Til this day there are certain times when getting into reverse doesn't happen on the first try but nothing that a double pump on the clutch didn't fix.

If all else fails, you could get a KA/SR tranny or rebuild your own.

[KendallH]

Are you at a complete stop when trying to shift into first and reverse?

[jacobzking]

Are you at a complete stop when trying to shift into first and reverse?

lol, definitely a complete stop

[dawagarage]

difficulty shifting into gear, ESPECIALLY 1st & reverse is a common problem with Z32s and the usual problem is the hydraulic system.
-1st, how old is your hydraulic fluid (the system uses brake fluid if you didnt know) if you can afford it, change the fluid, i suggest DOT 4.
-whether you change the fluid or not, the next step is to thoroughly bleed the system.
-if that doesnt work, you might have to rebuild/replace your cylinders. i dont suggest replacing the entire cylinders because the entire parts do not wear, only the internals, so i suggest rebuilding with new software components.

-there could be a leak in the system.
-also, the majority of the system is made up of hard lines but if there is a rubber section. the rubber can flex under pressure reducing feedback.

-also also, on z32s you can adjust the clutch pedal. not sure about on 240s. look into that

[jacobzking]

difficulty shifting into gear, ESPECIALLY 1st & reverse is a common problem with Z32s and the usual problem is the hydraulic system.
-1st, how old is your hydraulic fluid (the system uses brake fluid if you didnt know) if you can afford it, change the fluid, i suggest DOT 4.
-whether you change the fluid or not, the next step is to thoroughly bleed the system.
-if that doesnt work, you might have to rebuild/replace your cylinders. i dont suggest replacing the entire cylinders because the entire parts do not wear, only the internals, so i suggest rebuilding with new software components.

-there could be a leak in the system.
-also, the majority of the system is made up of hard lines but if there is a rubber section. the rubber can flex under pressure reducing feedback.

-also also, on z32s you can adjust the clutch pedal. not sure about on 240s. look into that


fluid is full and no signs of leaks, but it is dirty. i have some good DOT 4 (GTR) brake fluid laying around, so I'll do a flush.

[zerodameaon]

I have the same problem. If i let the car roll a tiny bit or shift into another gear then back I have no issues. To me it kind of feels like a syncro issue. Nothing to do with my clutch system because it would do it for every gear at a stop if it was that. Plus all my stuff is only a few months old from when I did my swap.

I have also been told to check my bushing at the end of the shifter, if its worn out or gone you may be pushing the shifter far enough but the little arm you push around isnt going far enough over to slide into gear easy.
I havent gotten around to fully checking it out yet.