I've just been grilling everyone who i think knows anything about manual transmissions and coming up with different things every time. I talked to someone today who suggested it might be a synchro whatever that is... I just keep getting different opinions on what people think it is and their all different. I still think its a good idea to replace the slave though. I'm just trying to narrow it down before tearing it apart. I still am confused as to what would make it or why it would be difficult to put in gear when its stopped or why its easier to put into first when i run it though the gears and then into first or if there's any significance in when it won't go into first that by putting it in 4th or i should say forcing it into 4th it'll go back into first, or any of the other things like why if i turn the engine off i can go through all the gears just fine but when its acting up i can't when its running.

 

I will try my best to help with the understanding of that. The inside of the trans is fine. The clutch and pressure plate are bolted to the flywheel, which is bolted to the crank. As long as the motor is running, everything is turning. The input shaft of the transmission is splined into the clutch, so with the trans in nuetral and the motor running, the clutch is turn, which is turning the input shaft, which is turning every gear inside the trans. Ok, with the motor running and the trans still in nuetral, if you push the clutch peddle down, after a few minutes, everything inside the trans will stop turning. This is how you can select any gear with the motor off, nothing is turning. If your slave cylinder is leaking or bad, it will not release the clutch enough or at all to stop the gears from turning to select a gear. It's like trying to change gears without pushing the peddle at all. Ok, on an upshift it's not much of a problem, but when you try to down shift, road speed is too great. Because, rolling down the road with the clutch peddle pushed, all the gears are still turning because of the back tires and drive shaft. Hope this gives a better understanding.

 

i understand the basic concept of manualtransmissions, i'm an auto mechanic so i kind of have to. what i'm trying to say is i don't know how my specific symptoms equate the slave cylinder being bad. How does having a difficult time getting it in gear mean the slave cylinder is bad? I would think that if the input shaft was still spinning it would grind or clunk going in, i'm just having a hard time getting it in gear but there's no grind or clunk. I've also been hearing a strange whining sound coming from the transmission when in neutral with the clutch out. And what is a synchro and what does it do?

 

Everyone here as gone to great lengths to explain how to fix the problem. You need to stop fussing over the expense and the approach to the problem. There is no quick fix, and no easy out. This is what I would do. Go get a refund from that mechanics class you paid for - (Just Joking!)

Check the fluid level in the master cylinder of the clutch under the hood - Is there fluid in it? If there is then there's a high probability that the clutch master or slave is not the problem. Are you with me so far? If the resivour is empty then you have found the problem because regadless of what is blown it will dump all the fluid from somewhere leaving you with no clutch. That illiminates that problem.

Drop the tranny. Take a rag and turn the spline while shifting the gears. Does the tranny shift smoothly? If it does then that is probably not the problem. Ford manuel transmissions are practically "bullit proof" unless there is something your not telling us like how you did those whole shots or were drag racing, etc. IF YOU ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE ABOUT HOW TO FIX A TRANNY - DON'T! Take it to a shop and let the pros do it. It will save you much hassle and expense or go get one out of a scrap yard.

If the box is OK - then you are running out of places to look. The only other thing can be the clutch. Take off the bell housing and inspect the clutch assembly, throw-out bearing, throw-out bearing armature, (is the bearing in the clips?, is the bearing armature mounting clip broken?) Now you can check that clutch slave cylinder too!

As I said before - Once you get to this point you might as well replace everything on the clutch while you have it apart regardless of whether it needs it or not. Your going to have to spend the money either way.

Your not going to know until you take it apart, so you can stop asking questions untill you have started the process. When you start finding issues then I will answer, but the speculation of what might be wrong is not fixing the problem. The purpose of this site is to fix problems.

 

The reason it doesn't grind when trying to put it in gear is because everything is spinning with the motor and the syncho can't grab the gear to let the ring get close to it to grind. The snchro can be brass or paper clutch type. It is cone shaped in the middle and the part it slide on, on the gear matches it. The way a synchro works is that, when you go to shift, the slider ring starts puching the synchro against the gear, the synchro grab the gear and speeds it up to the same speed of the shaft that's turning, because of the cone shape. When the gear speed matches the shaft speed, the slider ring is able to lock into the gear, giving you the gear you select. Hope this helps.

 

thanks. is there any connection between my symptoms and the synchro being bad? i'm just trying to weigh out my options to see whether i should fix this transmission or just get a different one or even convert over to automatic because that's looking like a viable option.

 

Swapping to an automatic will set you back some serious bucks. It depends on what you want to do with the vehicle, and what you have to spend. I think you stated you were limited on funds so you are trying to zero in on the exact problem.

What I have told you so far cost nothing more then sweat and tears, not much money. If you have to figure the problem from here on the net, it can't be done. You have to get the truck up on ramps or stands (unless you have a friend with a garage) and start wrenching. It's the only way you will find out what is really wrong because up to now you really don't sound so sure to me.

To save money and heartache - LISTEN!
If you are 100% sure that the tranny is blown, go shop around at some scrap yards or junkers on ebay and carigslist, etc. and buy another tranny. Put the new (scrap) tranny in then you can focus on the rebuild of the old one (and take your time). Tranny swaps are easy SO LONG AS YOU ARE USING THE EXACT SAME THING!

Everything you have suggested till now will cost serious money!