Hi All...

I just bought a 2001 Z06 with 77,000 miles on it. The gentleman I bought the car from failed to mention that you cannot put the car in first gear unless you are at a complete stop. ( Gotta love the Internet sight unseen buying experience, you would think I would know better by now!! ) Anyway, I'm guessing it's the first gear synchronizer. How hard is it to remove the tranny and what is my best bet for fixing it? Buy a used tranny, send it to someone to get fixed, or if it's to complicated, fix it myself. I'm sure some of you have been to this party before, so there is no need for me to reinvent the wheel.

p.s It's got a blown head gasket too....fixing that as we speak.

Thanks, Tyler

 

My 02Z has had a slight "grind" downshifting into 1st and 2nd since I bought it... always figured it was synchros as well. My theory was drive it until it gave out then rebuild the tranny with all high perf. parts. The only problem with my theory was that 3 years and almost 40,000 miles later it is still going strong.

Does yours just grind a little or does it not go into first at all?

Did you know about the head gasket ahead of time?!?!?

 

It grinds bad going into first. I have to be stopped. If I'm just sitting there it helps to put the car in second gear before first. It shifts great between all the other gears.

No, he didn't tell me about either problem. I sent him an email to let him know. I'll have to wait and see if he is going to offer up any compensation.

 

Don't count on it. What a jerk.

 

Got the heads off. There was a ground wire pinched between the head and the block at the rear of the left head. How in the H@@L did it ever seal? Patriot heads by the way with some Auto Zone looking cheap @ss head gaskets.

 

That sucks, i don't know how people can sell a car or anything for that matter and live with themselves knowing there is something wrong with it and not tell the buyer. Some messed up people in this world...

Good luck with the repairs, looks like you got the head gasket issue figured out. Sounds like someone didn't take there time with the install and threw it together quick. It's a good thing the labor is free.

 

I would call six speed inc. Sounds as if you are needing some billet guides. Mine was not shifting into second or first. Also your shift fork may be bent. That is worth looking into.

 

I would keep driving it as is. 2nd gear is fine if you are moving at all and even if you are stopped. If you really need to get it into first just use the ole double clutch method.

 

It gets better. Took both heads off to the put metal gaskets on and discovered some major wear on the tips of several valves, some chewed up rockers and push rods. Took the heads to the machine shop. Both warped one .005 and the other .006 not too bad. Some small pits in a couple of the valves like something bounced around in the cylinder a bit. Pistons looked good. Cam looks good. Lifters looked good. Checked all the springs they are good. Valve guides are good. Needs valves, seals, rockers, push rods, and rocker rails. Put an ad here on the forum and I can get it all except the valves for $125.00 for some good used ones. Some new Ferrea valves are $200.00 so hopefully that will fix the top end. The tranny is next. I will call the six speed guys and discuss my options.

 

I wouldnt call them.....last I heard they had really screwed some people and the doors were shut. Try Tick Performance...just had my MN6 reworked and they did a great job.

 

Is one of the mid teens z06's that everyone swears they can get on fleabay? I am not to ignorant that my 03 34k miles with some aftermarket parts that I paid 34k for out the door (tradein tax title) isnt going to be worth in the 30's but some people buying z06's for extremely low prices from the internet makes me wonder

Nuff of that! Sorry for the troubles and hope you didnt pay to much! I have had troubles shifting into reverse at times but never 1st but if you have the means rebuild it with some kick **** parts.

 

Don't assume the syncro's are shot. You could have a clutch problem that may be causing the grinding. I had a pilot bearing that was pushed in way too far and I had a grinding issue too. I went to the extreme to fix it since I track the car. I replaced the tranny with a Level V from RPM and fixed the clutch since I was in to the car.

 

from the sounds of the car, heads, etc...my money is on bad clutch. stock clutch sucks!

 

Well, I talked to original owner of the car. He owned from 2002 to this summer. Cool guy...he told me all about what he had done to the car. New stage 3 clutch, had the tranny rebuilt, rear end gone through, and new alum flywheel all about 2500 miles ago. The heads, cam, headers, and vararam were done about 4000 miles ago. All decent brand name stuff. He said when he sold the car to the guy I bought it from, it was mechanically great. He said it needed new tires, which it still does. (I just ordered some from Tomz...Veresteins). I got all the stuff, minus the valves, from a guy here on the forum and as soon as I get the valves I will put it back together and see how she runs.

I will definitely check out the clutch master, slave, and clutch itself before I go tearing into the tranny, but I will do whatever it takes to make it correct.

I did buy the car for a cheap price $17000.00 so if I need to spend a couple of grand on it, so be it. I was not looking for a perfect low mile car, and I have the means to buy whatever I wanted. I am going to have fun with the car around town and take it to a small track we have here in Southern New Mexico. ( Arroyo Seco...can rent the whole track with me and some buddies to screw around on for $500 for the day...not each person...$500 total). So I wanted something that would be fun to drive without the worries of balling it up.

I think this is a great forum, and everybody has been super helpful. I've bought a few cars off the Internet and most of them have been as described...not all of them. The best advice I can give is go look at the car yourself or have a PPI done. This car was such a good price I figured I would fix whatever was wrong with it and learn a lot about the car in the process. It's nice to know whats inside!!!

 

Hmmm... having a similar issue, but the car doesn't find 1st... are these guides a "DIY" thing??

 

I have a 01 Z06 and mine does the same. One thing you can try is to change the master clutch fluid, it has to be clean and clear. I do that to mine and it helps alot. Let me know what you think.

 

I was thinking that maybe the system needed bled or something to that nature... my car hadn't done that before it sat for a few weeks.

 

I will try changing and bleeding the clutch fluid first and see what happens, thanks for the tip.

 

While my issue isn't 100% gone, freshing up the fluid was a BIG improvment... only didn't want to go into gear once and a while now... and only in first.

Flushed it out 6 times.... doing it more this week...

 

Had the same problem and it turned out to be the main shaft was out of tolerance. Put all of the new upgrades in billet keys, bronze fork pads, steel fork, triple carbon blockers. Wish I had put the 4340 output shaft in, but I didn't plan on making this kinda power at the time.