Problem with shifter or tranny?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,454
Likes: 1
From: Port Charlotte FL
Problem with shifter or tranny?
Since my car has been to the chevy dealer the shifter has always felt a little loose, but lately as well it would barely grind when going into gears.
I thought for sure it was the master cyl as we replaced the clutch/slave last year. Yesterday when I was driving it the shifter basically locked up, and i can't get it to move out of 3rd gear. On the way to the dealer I was messing with it trying to get out of third and into another gear and it worked, but when i went to shift again at the next light same problem. I thought it was somethin in the linkage causing it to happen, but the dealer said it seems to be the t56 tranny. Has anyone heard of one just blowing out of nowhere? I always change the fluid at least once a year, so im hoping thats not the problem and it is something simple. Any idea guys? I'm going crazy right now as I'm only 22 and invested alot into this car aready.
I thought for sure it was the master cyl as we replaced the clutch/slave last year. Yesterday when I was driving it the shifter basically locked up, and i can't get it to move out of 3rd gear. On the way to the dealer I was messing with it trying to get out of third and into another gear and it worked, but when i went to shift again at the next light same problem. I thought it was somethin in the linkage causing it to happen, but the dealer said it seems to be the t56 tranny. Has anyone heard of one just blowing out of nowhere? I always change the fluid at least once a year, so im hoping thats not the problem and it is something simple. Any idea guys? I'm going crazy right now as I'm only 22 and invested alot into this car aready.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
What fluid have you been putting into it? Hopefully the normal GM rated ATF. Your car has a Borg Warner in it and if you used Mobil1 ATF, you are hosed. Good fluid for Tremecs but the worst for BW's.
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From: Manassas Park VA
St. Jude Donor '07-'08,-'13-'14, '16-'17
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Race Director
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Haymarket VA
I think Rodney at RPM Transmissions might disagree with this statement...I've been running RP in mine for 3 years with no problems at all.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
The BW transmissions have paper blocker rings inside. Mobil1 ATF doesn't get along well with those rings and they will come apart or break down...whatever happens with them, the transmission gets trashed. I know, it happened to me. I hear the RP fluid is Ok, its just something in the Mobil1 fluid that is the issue and only on BW transmissions. A trans shop can be talk about this better than I.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Dripping fluid won't have anything to do with it failing unless it was out of fluid totally. My only concerns for you were having to do with the fluid type you put back into it. Your problem sounds more like the shift linkage has let loose out of its clamp. Maybe you bent a shift rod? Possibly the alignment pin has dropped down into the shaft hole and locked it up?
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,454
Likes: 1
From: Port Charlotte FL
The shop said the linkage "looked" okay, but they are really a bunch of idiots. My car has been in and out of there about 7 times, they couldnt even put a fuel filter in right! The stealership wants to pull the tranny and tear it apart when they aren't even sure what the problem is... If I drain the fluid and the tranny was bad, would there be metal flakes in it?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
I think I remember someone saying there is a magnet in there to grab particles but I could be wrong. I suggest you PM Bill Dearborn here in the forum as ask him. He's the mechanical guru or even Bill Curlee as he's more into the electrical but sure knows what he's doing.
You might want to check that alignment pin yourself though and see if its in its normal stowed position. Takes all of 10 minutes to find out. Remove the center console and open the shifter cover and look at the front of it and see if the pin is all the way up. While there, do the shifter alignment which take another 2 or 3 minutes.
You might want to check that alignment pin yourself though and see if its in its normal stowed position. Takes all of 10 minutes to find out. Remove the center console and open the shifter cover and look at the front of it and see if the pin is all the way up. While there, do the shifter alignment which take another 2 or 3 minutes.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
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I would confirm there is nothing at all wrong with the shifter linkage or the shifter base itself first, because you should always start with the easiest/cheapest solution, however that does sound like an internal trans issue I'm sorry to say.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,454
Likes: 1
From: Port Charlotte FL
This might turn into a for sale thread lol...
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Manassas Park VA
St. Jude Donor '07-'08,-'13-'14, '16-'17
If your C5 is an MN6 and a '99 or earlier, then the blockers in the MN6 transmission are made up of a celulose based material(paper like).
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Chip