FrogmanDave

I've got a 2002 Z06 and am having a problem with 5th gear. It grinds and won't engage most of the time. It started to do it every once in awhile about 1K miles ago. I just figured I was being lazy going from 3rd to 5th which I usually do in town. Anyway it won't hardly go in 5th at all now. If I keep shifting into neutral and back it will sometimes will engage. I can feel it just barely slipping out and grinding. I have read about the bent shift fork problem, but it always seems to be 4th gear. The car only has 13K miles on it and is driven fairly mildly. I recently changed the tranny fluid. I did go for a track day recently, but 5th gear was never involved and I only did about 10 laps on a 1.8 mile circuit. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Dave

RickC5

Do the shifter alignment, same thing happened to me and my 6th gear.. Would ALWAYS grind, aligned the shifter and 6th never grinds now.

Try it out.

FrogmanDave

I just changed the fluid to Mobil1 synthetic about 500 miles ago. I was going to add that once in gear it doesn't pop out and all other gears are fine.

RickC5 what is aligning the shifter and how is it done? I had a Hurst shifter in for awhile, but didn't like it and went back to stock after a couple of days. I don't recall any alignment that could be done.

Thanks,
Dave

RickC5

To align the shifter.

This is a basic run down.

You dont really have to remove the shifter to do this.



Loosen the two bolts that have arrows pointing to them, when these are loosened you have to make sure that the alignment pin (it looks like the rusted thing near the end of the shifter in this pic) fits into the hole thats in the shifter housing (this will lock the shifter into neutral. Now go ahead and tighten those 2 bolts up again and raise the pin to the point where it doesnt stick the car in neutral....

let me know if this helps.


this link explains it alot better but you have to register to view the post.

http://corvettemechanic.com/board/in...ST&f=3&t=3496&


i really think this should fix your problem

FrogmanDave

RickC5,

I checked out the CorvetteMechanic site and I get it now. That is one helpful site. I'm headed out to the garage tomorrow to give it a try. I don't have time tonight. Anyway thanks for the heads up and clean out your PM box. I tried to PM you, but it's full.

Dave

RickC5

the funny thing is that with mine, it was off by a hair, but the point is that it was off.

I put it in and realigned, and it fixed the problem...


good luck!

Mo'Phat

Has anybody done the shift alignment procedure with an aftermarket (Hurst, MTI, etc.) shifter?

Only problem I see is that no aftermarket shifter utilizes the alignment pin, so most of us leave it out.

FrogmanDave

Well the shifter alignment did nothing to help my problem. I am convinced it has something to do with the shift fork although I have never heard of 5th gear being a problem. Especially on a car that has less than 13K on it. I adjusted the shifter to the point that I barely had 2nd and 4th and I still couldn't get 5th. So I put it back where it's supposed to be. When I shift into 5th and let out the clutch that's when it grinds. You can tell that it just isn't quite completely engaged. Every now and then it does engage and stays in gear just fine, but that is happening very seldom now. Does anyone know which gears share what forks? All of the other gears are working fine.

Dave

nwdanner

Unless it's under an extended warranty, it's time to call Rodney at RPM transmission.

MadMaxZ06

I had a similar problem and it turned out to be my "reverse lockout selenoid" The reverse lockout selenoid prevents the transmission from shifting into reverse when it detects wheel movement (e.g. you must come to a complete stop before the selenoid allows shifting into reverse). My selenoid was "lazy" and would sometimes allow my throw to 5th go too far and grind onto reverse. Realize, I wasn't trying to engage reverse and I do know how to shift, it's just that the reverse lockout selenoid wasn't doing it's job. Once it was replaced, 100% cured. This may be your problem as well.

- Max

Dope

Hmph. If it were bad synchros, you would not be able to place the shifter into 5th gear, it would grind in doing so.

Seeing as you can put the shifter into 5th, but it grinds when you let out the clutch, you're simply unable to put the shifter ALL the way into 5th. Have you tried forcing it? It's not a very good idea but seeing as 5th doesn't work as it is, it's really not going to make it any worse.

Curious, can you put it in 5th with the car off? Can you do it with the car stopped, and try to start letting out the clutch a little (to see if it pops out). And like I said, what happens when you try to force it all the way into 5th? If it grinds, then you probably do have toast synchros.

Edit: oh yeah, will rev-matching it into 5th work?

Dope

FrogmanDave

Yea I've tried to force it and it just grinds. Rev matching does no good what-so-ever. I think the syncros are working because it doesn't grind until I let the clutch out a little. And yes I can get it into 5th when sitting still and let it clunk into gear. Of course the clutch would burn up if you really got it going. It does seem to stay in gear though. The reverse solenoid thing is not it, because it is 5th gear I'm going into. Does anyone know which forks control which gears?

Dave

Deadpool87

Hey guys I have a 04 zo6 and it just started to do the same thing. Any one know what it could be thanks.

Cruncher

You're 100% correct. I lived with the grinding/lockout until my Z06 was out of warranty & then Mr. Goodwrench stopped changing the trans fluid and replaced the solenoid & that fixed the problem. I felt like a complete moron that they "found" the problem after the warranty expired.