Has anyone experienced sometimes hard to shift into reverse? This occurs once in awhile? I was told by dealer tech in my area this is common with the MN12. And I have changed to a synthic trans fluid.
v/r
THE YAV :chevy

 

Yes, but not too hard.

 

If you have trouble getting into reverse when the car is not moving, try engaging the clutch briefly in neutral to get the gears spinning, then try again. A solenoid will lock you out of reverse unless the speedo reads 3mph or below.

 

YAV,
I have to double clutch every time I shift into reverse from a standstill.
Had the same problem with my '99 coupe.

 

I have no problems with reverse but, I do feel 1st gear to be a little hard once in a while.

 

Thanks for the reply's
Thats exactly what is happining when the car is NOT moving. It happened to me again this morning feels like the gears are spinning when I try to go into Reverse/or will grind like its not engauaging only happens in Reverse. I will try to double clutch. The tech I am talking to is very knowlegable with vettes however just wanted a second opion.
v/r
THEYAV :chevy

 

You need to "clear the gears" before shifting to reverse. From neutral with the car stopped and the clutch out, declutch, engage third (or any other forward gear), then move the lever directly to reverse while the clutch is disengaged. "Clearing the gears" causes the synchronizer in the selected forward gear to stop the clutch/gear countershaft, so reverse, which is usually a non-synchronized sliding gear can engage without clash. Once in a while the lever won't want to go into reverse because the opposing tooth crowns are directly in line. In this case, just repeat the procedure.

Now, to earn a Master's in gearbox use, you have to learn how to double clutch into a non-synchronized reverse gear while coasting backwards. ;)

Duke

 

I've had a lot of problems with many gears on the car and then finally it just broke and got stuck in 4th. The dealer fixed it under warranty with upgraded parts and so far it has been pretty smooth shifting except for the occasional cant get it into reverse.

 

DUKE,
Tried your technique worked great. Maybe this should be included in the Z video. I have had lots of stick cars in vettes however the MN12 is sometimes tempermental!!!
v/r
THEYAV
:chevy

 

For those of you having problems be sure to check your clutch hydraulic system. On C4s it's very common for the 6-speeds to prematurely wear out the synchros due to the clutch hydraulic system not performing at 100%.

I spent about $3,000 on my 6-speed in my '95 and it wasn't a great deal better when I got it back. It really needed the master/slave cylinders replaced in the hydraulic clutch system...

 

Working a manual transmission is almost a lost art. If you're an early vintage baby boomer, like me, you probably had a dad, uncle, or neighbor who grew up driving crashboxes and finally three-speed "synchromesh" transmissions (which usually only had synchronizers on two and three) and was able to teach you how to properly drive a manual and double clutch. If you were real lucky maybe he could explain in detail how a transmission worked and maybe even had one around he could take apart to show you.

Transmissions have improved over the years and we've been spoiled by better hardware that will take an amazing amount of abuse and ham-fisted operation. The fact that my dad spent the pre-war years as a field engineer with the Pontiac sales and service organization was a plus. He knew the insides of a car down to the lowest level of detail, and he taught me how to get the most out a car without beating it to death.

A couple of other tips. Say your're approach a stop sign. You slow down and work sequentially down to second gear. As you slow to a stop, declutch, let out the clutch in neutral then declutch and shift to first. It will go in much easier. This is essentially a double clutch, but there's no need to blip the throttle.

While in neutral waiting for a signal to turn green, when you see the other side go yellow, declutch, but wait two to three seconds before shifting to first. This will allow the clutchgear/countershaft to spin down, saving the syncronizer the job of stopping it before first gear can be locked to the mainshaft.

Duke




[Modified by SWCDuke, 11:55 AM 8/21/2003]

 

my car grinds in reverse sometimes, dam car has 3900 miles :mad