Used 2005 C6. 25000 miles. Has a B&M short shifter that I really like. Sometimes at a long light if I put it in nuetral and take my foot off the clutch, when the light turns green it doesn't want to go back into first. Have to triple clutch or let the car roll a bit before it goes in. Anybody know whats going on?

 

have you changed your clutch fluid in awhile?? Mine does the same thing and I have the factory shifter. Even after I put a stage 3 monster clutch in I still get clutch dust particles in the fluid. Read up on the Ranger Method on clutch fluid and changing. I usually change mine at least every 3,000 miles sometimes sooner.

 

Mine does this also. Might be the shifter bushings torn apart. I keep my clutch fluid like new.

 

It's a common problem with 05's. The newer transmissions don't have this problem. When I blew my rear and had my trans rebuilt, the new one goes into first every time. My original trans locked me out half the time or more. I got used to taking off in 2nd (with 3:90's it's easy) or letting the clutch out in neutral sitting at the light then pushing it back in and putting it in first and sitting there with the clutch in for a short while.

 

Don't think I've ever had the problem with the Vette but with other cars while stepping on the clutch if it won't go into first, try any other gear and once it goes into another gear then it should easily go into first.

 

I have to pull mine in 2nd then back to 1st while messing with the clutch. You get used to it.

 

I used to have this problem when I first bought the car. I took it to the dealership and they changed the syncros and got me a new shifter.. no more problem... personally i think it was the shifter bushings, but i got new syncros out of the deal

 

It's a known issue but curiously not experienced by everyone. The design of the gear teeth in the T-56 has a flat spot between the teeth that contributed to first gear block out. The design was fixed in the '08+ TR6060. Just for info here's a post by Talon90 3 years ago that explains:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1562288138-post3.html

 

I had this problem with my '07 M6. Dealer said it was because the clutch pedal was not returning to the top of its travel, so the next time you step on it, the hydraulic cylinder does not get filled, and not enough travel left to disengage clutch. They kep it for 2 days but could not determine why this was happening. According to them the problem just went away by itself. It did happen one more time, I just pulled the pedal up, and all was ok, never happened again.

Try pulling the pedal up next time it happens.

 

I had this problem with my '07 M6. Dealer said it was because the clutch pedal was not returning to the top of its travel, so the next time you step on it not enough travel left to disengage clutch. They kept it for 2 days but could not determine why this was happening. According to them the problem just went away by itself. It did happen one more time, I just pulled the pedal up, and all was ok, never happened again.

Try pulling the pedal up next time it happens.

 

Normally this is caused by sitting with the clutch disengaged (pedal on floor) at the light for too long.

When you do this the "front" of the transmission "spins down" and when you try to engage first, if the cog teeth are not lined up, you will be locked out since the front of the transmission is not spinning and there's not way for it to line up using the synchros.

You saying the letting the car roll back lets you get in gear indicates this might be the problem even though you say you sit at the light with the clutch engaged.

You can fix it by putting the car in neutral, letting the clutch out and revving the engine a bit, then clutching and engaging first.

 

This problem used to happen to me on occasion. All I did was shift into 2nd then I could engage 1st again.

 

Thank you gentlemen. Great info

 

Similar Experience here on my stock clutch (getting an LS9 clutch for my stroker build ) and just like the rest you get used to it. Try 2nd and then 1st should be easy to get into or just full clutch in back to neutral and back to 1st. Becomes 2nd natues after a while.

 

Now when this happens on a C-5, I always suggest doing the shifter alignment procedure which is an easy thing to do. That shifter has an alignment pin on the forward edge of the shifter allowing you to pin the shifter in the middle, neutral position, then losening the shaft clamp right there. The shaft will center itself, re-tighten, pull the alignment pin back up and put her together...all done. I don't know if the C-6 has this same pin or not but if it does, the procedure would be the same. Although, getting that center console out is a lot harder on the C-6.

 

It's normal for that transmission.

 

Had this issue in my 07 Z06. Dealer insisted it was the clutch. I argued with the service director for over an hour about it informing him that it was the synchros in the trans causing the problems. He insisted it was the clutch (guy was a real a** driving a Cobalt with very little knowledge of anything Corvette).

So I made him a deal:

Tear it apart and install a new clutch, slave and pilot bearing, if the problem is corrected I will pay you for the parts an labor (big $$$ for the dealership), if its still there you eat the install and parts then rebuild mine for me under my warranty like I asked him to in the beginning. Now for those of you that do not know, your clutch is not a covered warranty item in almost all cases.

In the end the problem was still there and they ended up rebuilding the transmission which cost them more shop time on their dime because the whole drivetrain had to be uninstalled again. I did end up with a complete new clutch out of the deal but I would have been happier with the job being done correctly the first time and my Z not sitting at the dealership for a total of nearly 2.5 weeks after all was said and done.

FYI, if your in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area it was Maher Chevrolet on 34th Street that caused me all of the headaches. I would stray away from them at all costs as they destroyed my leather on the steering wheel (tech got in the car with a screwdriver in his pocket and gashed it real bad). They tried to cover it up when I picked the car up by turning the wheel to the left so it was on the bottom when I got in the car hoping I would not see it, yeah that cost them a free steering wheel and a call to GM for being so sneaky and underhanded.

 

It happens to my 05 Z51 as well. I follow the same process.

 

Is there any more insight into this? I am having the same problem, it is very intermittent, and I'm wondering if its cause for issue.

 

I've never owned a manual transmission car that hasn't had this issue from time to time. My multiple RX7s, 82 911, 2010 GT500, and C6 all had the issue. Go to 2nd, then first. Don't force it. Now if it's doing it all the time in all conditions you might have a problem.