Hey guys as some of you may know i've been through hell with tranny issues on my car...I replaced almost everything and for some reason im still having issues.

My issue now is that when its warm out or after I drive for about 30-40 mins or so my the interior of my car by the shifter starts to get noticeably hot.(pretty much all the plastic interior by the shifter and hand brake) Which in turn always makes my shifting notchy.

My shiftings fine when its really cold out or the first 30 mins of driving or so. I'm thinking I possibly could have damaged my striking rod in a way or possibly other shifting components when I drove around for a week or so without a heatshield over my cat =/. My interior was getting scorching before I decided to immidiatly put it back.

But even when I did put the heat shield back It would still get hot in my interior...I dont rememeber that ever happening before this whole ordeal. any help is apprecited thanks guys.

 

Sell yours and buy mine...just kidding . I have the opposite problem in that I have to wait for the old cast iron block to warm up my interior.

 

lol your selling yours? Sorry man she dies when I die . That's strange..I dont think this has anything to do with the tranny fluid tho..if that's what your implying.

I'm topped off with redline gear oil..I just changed my shifter bushing..I bought a genuine nissan shifter w/ball..I personally greased it with high temp grease. rewelded my clutch etc etc.......everything but adjusting my clutch(excessive freeplay)..and touching my master slave at all.

The issue is only when the car is on..when I run through the gears with the car off(hot or cold) its smooth. But when the car is on its notchy..or a lil grindy a time.. only in hot temps, otherwise it's fine..I just came back from a drive its pretty cold at night my whole drive was smooth shifting. I feel the cat is really heating up my car inside around that area by the shifter even though the heat shield is on underneith tightly .

It's really strange for me..I dont recall the inside of my car ever getting so hot from the cat everything seems on securely underneith.

 

Naw man he was talking about his engine block. (concept of heater for the car) It was kind of a joke. I still can't get reverse. I swapped out the shifter, shifter bushing and bought a new return spring from Courtesy. Now I gotta to check that support bracket at the tranny and then the check *****.

 

The cab heat thing you are on your own - if its abnormal, then there are airflow/deflector problems - missing/misaligned etc.

The notchy gear-shift thing when hot ............... syncros worn/wrong oil/maladjusted clutch/worn main or lay-shaft bearings. If you know the clutch is fine then .............. well you know.

 

I would agree with the syncro's being the problem. How many miles on the transmission?

 

i didnt pick that up lol...hmm you cant get into reverse is what ur saying? Hm thats wierd man those return springs go bad? At first i thought you were talking about that spring thats in that piece that the shifter goes through..cause i actually greased that spring..idk if thats causing any trouble..ill show a pic that'll clear the confusion.

hmm so this is a unique problem to me? ( about the cat issue ) You know its funny you say that because i think that could be the problem the airflow part except that specific heatshield is on right i think on the side of it theres a tinyy gap.

You see the thing is when I say it gets hot what i mean is this. My theory is that when the cat gets hot enough after excessive driving OR when it's already hot out and the cat doesnt even get a chance to cool down, i'd get notchy shifting. what im implying is like what you said. After driving awhile, i get all this hot air deflected around my heat shield and hits those shifting components..ball..strik rod etc..which results to the notchy shifting.

I dont believe its a synchro issue because my tranny has like 90k? regular fluid swaps of redline mt 90 also when i shift when the cars off it shifts fine but im not sure if even with bad synchros when the car is off itl shift fine.

Honestly i been driving the past two days here in nyc its been pretty dam cold at night and this problem doeant even exist...my shifting is smooth as hell even after like 2 hrs of driving but i know once the mornig comes and its like 50 degrees out ill have shifting issues after lets say 30 mins.

like 90k...i think it may be the clutch tho but im not certain ill have to adjust it and see if it helps whether or not the heat is deflecting toward my shifter components.

thanks guys

 

The heat shield/cat thing would definitely not cause shifting issues. I had NO heat shield on my old black VE for 7+ years with no issue at all other than the center console was warmer from radiant heat. Really, this isn't hardly your issue so I wouldn't waste any time on it.

Anyway, your issue could be because you've used the wrong synthetic fluid. You say you "topped it off" with Redline - what was in there before? Did you "top off" Redline on top of some other brand/viscosity? What type of Redline is it? Improper synthetic fluid can cause notchiness because the syncros "like" it better when the fluid is cold and thick. As the (wrong) fluid warms up it thins out and there's not enough friction for the syncros.

If you're absolutely certain you have only the correct synthetic fluid in it (and only synthetic, not mixed with anything else), try this:

Next time your car warms up and you get the notchy shifting, in neutral, pump your clutch several times in a row, THEN put it into gear. If it's smooth immediately after the several pumps you now know you have a hydraulic and/or pedal adjustment issue. How positive are you that your clutch system is properly 100% bled?

 

ah your always a life saver james I was just worried about the whole cat issue cause it was around the same time i coincidentally got shifting issues..anyway glad to move on ..

Okay to start off theres no way I used the wrong gear oil i used red line mt 75w-90 everyone on the org says to use that...its only gl-4 im super **** when it comes to tranny issues and yes i drained the old gear oil and then topped off with redline. I did that about a year ago it was a shop by me they lifted it up not much drained out tho but thats because i already had reason to believe i was low.. Anyway they used about 4 qts of the redline i had so maybe not all of it was drained? unless 4 qts is acurate.

Thing is for like 6-7 months striaght after that my shifting was smoooooooth as hell freezing or scorching it was smooth so I assumed it was the redline i also heard good things about it shifting smooth even in the winter which it proved to be right.

Anyway i definitly do think its a hydraulic issue im sorry if i didnt mention that already thought i did but no im absolutely not sure if my clutch is a 100% bled I dont even think ive ever changed my clutch fluid or bled it for the matter. When it is notchy my friend i do recall pumping the clutch smoothing it out i will def try again tonight.

So pretty much adjust clutch,bleed clutch,change fluid? maybe these will help

 

Well when I pilot this black behemoth, and it won't go into gear, I just "pump it" once or twice and it slides into 1st. So it may very well be a hydraulic issue. And who really knows if your tranny had 60k on it and grade A inspected. Those junkyard moguls could have wrote anything on it

 

Well I wish my issue was as simple. With the car off I still can't get into reverse. I know I have it cuz I had it before and haven't driven it since to lose reverse. Its like something is blocking it from going all the way into reverse. Oh and the original return spring (what brings the shifter to back to nuetral from whatever gear it comes out of) I left off when doing the diy short shifter which has now been replaced. So I got a new one.

 

Ding ding ding. This seems to be a tell-tale sign of hydraulic issues. You guys really just ought to bleed the **** out of it. Remember, it has that cluster of lines and goofy distribution block which makes it pretty tedious to bleed properly (i.e., even when you first get fluid coming out and assume its bled it's probably not).

Are you guys also certain there's no leaks in the hydraulic system anywhere? I've had issues in the past with increasing notchiness as hydraulic leaks get worse and worse.

Ideally just bypass that distribution block and hook the slave cylinder soft line right up to the hard line coming from the master cylinder, this makes it infinitely easier to bleed. Problem is being a NY car it might be nearly impossible to remove that block. It's darn hard even on my Texas cars.

And the tranny mileage is going on the word of a junkyard? Oh hell in that case multiply the listed mileage times 4 or 5 then you're probably closer to the real mileage

 

"not much"? .............
"they used 4 qts ............. not all of it was drained"...........


I don't understand this at all.

You remove the plug and surely everything falls out of the hole!?

You keep adding oil till it starts spilling from that filler hole after you replaced the drain plug!?

What did I miss?

 

He's saying that when the first drained the old fluid hardly anything drained out (meaning it was nearly bone dry). Then they out 4 quarts of Redline in it.

The tranny could very well have suffered some damage being driven around with little to no fluid previously.

 

That was my take yes ................ here's hoping all the efforts on the other less serious possibilities now is the solution

 

Yeah starting to sound more and more like a hydraulic issue. My ex had a Tiburon and when her slave cylinder was leaking, the transmission began to feel extremely notchy until it got to the point that it was no longer drive-able.

 

hmm yeah your def right cause I was experimented with that lil trick you told me about and It def feels like a hydralic issue. I never thought about pumping it consecutively a couple of times thought it was pointless...what am I doing there anyway relieving pressure?

Leaks like puddles or spots underneith the car? nah..leaks like from the slave? nah..either..from what I can see.

Im not exactly on the same page as you on the bleeding part...could you clarify that a lil. Ideally you would bypass the dist block...problem im a nyc car its nearly impossibly to remove the block...? which block is this..lol

and oh yeah i already know that lol I just didnt wana do the math for anyone

yeaa what james said heh sry for the confusion and thanks i hope so too..I hope this isn't going to be a big process for me. James scared me into thinking ill always have air in my system .


did you or she ever get it running again? thanks for the feed back def going to check for a leaky slave.

 

Thankfully my black VE is still all apart so I can get a good picture of the distribution block setup:



Now here's a picture of the distribution block setup circled:



So, you want to bypass all the stuff circled and hook the master cylinder hard line right to the slave cylinder soft line. The reason I say you may have trouble is because even on my Texas cars it's nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get those hardlines unscrewed from the distribution block. If you do it, be very careful and make sure to use a proper size flare wrench so that you don't round the fittings off. If you don't have a flare wrench you can use a vice-grip but make sure you clamp down like a **** on it so that, again, that you don't round the fittings off.

That all make sense? Doing this makes it infinitely easier to bleed.

If you decide not to try to bypass the distribution block, if you'll notice there's actually a bleeder valve on the distribution block facing the firewall. So, you really should bleed it there AND at the slave cylinder when you bleed your system for best results - but I've found that even doing it "right" the stock setup is rather hard to bleed and takes a long time to get ALL the air out.

 

yeah im def thankful too that definitly saved a lot of time and confusion .I'm totally following you with the procedure of all this..tho it's going to be the first time for me dont know if im that mechanically inclined. Only way ill know is if i try..how long did it take you to bleed ur clutch doing the bypass? Like the whole workout of attaching the hardline to the soft one.

A couple of questions.. if I do decide to go for the by-pass and I get the hardline onto the soft line what exactly is the procedure from there am I hooking up any bleeder kits? Just wondering if I should follow normal clutch bleeding procedures. Also is there anything I should remove thats in the way that would make the job easier?

2) Let's say I want to avoid the bypass and bleed it solely from the bleeder valve, even though I know it will take a lot longer do you recommend it to a newb like me so I dont round the fittings trying to save me time?

I noticed today in both the master and slave fluid's were a tad lower then max. I guess I may have a leak somewhere...

 

I actually took a look and noticed that dist block is right out ther ein the open heh mine doesnt look all that rusted tho I can seen the bleeder in the back.

My issue is getting worse =/ I would really like to get on bleeding this asap..any tips or advice? I dont think i'm going to do the by pass should I just follow regular bleeding procedure when useing the bleeder valve behind the block? I know it will take a lot lot longer but im a lil intimidated by the by pass procedure you told me about..what I have to remove anything in the way to connect the hardline to the soft line? thanks

I was searching old thread and seen that bleeding the master cyl helps sometimes...or in my paticular case this wont do anything for me. I've never touched my master cylinder before or even done a flush ever since i've owned it maybe its due for a bleed?

**edit** hate to write so much but the master & slave have never been replaced ever. I have 200k on the car and I plan to keep it for a long time should I replace those first then work from there?

 

Brake-fluid is hygroscopic - iow it attracts and absorbs water. If the fluid has never been changed in the vehicle, chances are there is a lot of water in the fluid ................. read local rust manufacturing plant. Given that, I would say both the master and slave cylinders are rusty/pitted on the inside and this is the cause of your problems - the seals have effectively been chewed from inside the cylinders and are no longer sealing properly.

I vote remove/strip both cylinders - inspect hone/replace and then also fit new rubber washers/seals - assemble fill/bleed properly and you should be ok

 

"Brake-fluid is hygroscopic - iow it attracts and absorbs water. If the fluid has never been changed in the vehicle, chances are there is a lot of water in the fluid ................. read local rust manufacturing plant. Given that, I would say both the master and slave cylinders are rusty/pitted on the inside and this is the cause of your problems - the seals have effectively been chewed from inside the cylinders and are no longer sealing properly.

I vote remove/strip both cylinders - inspect hone/replace and then also fit new rubber washers/seals - assemble fill/bleed properly and you should be ok"

Wow thanks a lot Lvr I definitly appreciate the sceintific explanation no sarcasm lol, very well put.

Well I plan to just buy a new mc and sc...so i'll just swap those two new ones in then fill and bleed. Question tho if I purchased news ones from nissanpartsasap or rockauto would they come with new washers/seals or is that something seperate that I would have to order?

thanks pal... also HAppy thanks giving to all!

 

Usually the new cylinders will come complete with plungers/seals etc all pre-assembled and ready for fitting/use. Just make sure you specify complete cylinder assemblies when ordering

 

sure did. new mc and sc on route now excited to see if just bleeding that will make the world of difference .

 

If you ordered a new master cylinder you will definitely want to bench bleed it first. If its an aftermarket unit it should include instructions on how to bench bleed it and usually will include little rubber tubes to do the bench bleeding. Not sure about OEM units.

As far as the "official" bleeding procedure for the distribution black crap I'm not sure offhand but it should be listed in the FSM.. Do you have that '94 PDF version that's been floating around?

 

Yeah unfortunately only had the funds for the aftermarket it will have to do for now and Yeah I was reading somthing about that, thanks for the heads up.

I have a fsm itself but i'll look around for that I recall seeing it around somewhere.

Just an estimate james with the bench bleeding and "official" bleeding combined how long you think im looking at best cast scenrio 2-3 hrs?

 

It shouldn't take that long. Bench bleeding it only takes 10 minutes or so. Actually, the hardest part is getting the rod properly adjusted length-wise to the pedal. Make sure you measure the old rod/distance and then adjust your new rod to the approximate length before installing otherwise you'll be putting it in/taking it out over and over and over.

Best case? Maybe half an hour or so. Worst case? Maybe one and a half. I don't see any reason why you couldn't do it in an hour or so.

You'll need a helper to help you bleed, but they'll only need to push/hold the pedal as needed so it can be anybody (mom, girlfriend, old bag lady you find on the street, etc.)

 

Old Bag Lady... LMAO

 

Alright cool I was just wondering..and I didnt know that, ( im sort of a newb on this ) but im putting the pieces together myself and im guessing when doing the slave/master that you have to readjust the clutch.

lolll @ the "old bag lady" i was already aware I needed a helper thanks for the humorous commentary though. If I cant find an old bag lady i might use august' trick with the stick wedged against the seat/clutch.

 

I got an old bag lady just for you

 

hahah hey man quit trolling, my thread wont be taken seriously anymore. and where do you get these smileys hah

 

lol i dig them out from the org archives.. yea ur right, no more thread jacking. back to the pursuit of shifting perfection

 

So I bench bled the master cylinder. Threw in the new slave. Did all nessecary procedures with the bleeding and all... Started the car..same problem lol.

I figured before I blow a head gasket , let me try adjusting the clutch. Something I should have done a long long time ago. What do you know..I've never felt such smooth shifting in my entire manual life. Not even when I just got my new 60k A certified tranny from the jy last year . No but really tho my bro's camaro with 70k on it has some seriously smooth shifting almost effortless and mine now blows his smoothness away.

I dont know if its the new shifter/ball with excess grease+new shifter bushing+redline gearoil+welded clutch assembly combo that did the job or the adjustment itself but I guess that doesnt matter now does it?

I didnt have to touch the dist block and I didnt have to bleed the clutch for long at all..this process took about an hour. I appreciate the help guys. The pursuit of perfect shifting will continue, sts here I come.

 

Finally got it, good stuff.

 

I commend your love for the VE

 

thanks man I appreciate it couldnt have done it without the combined support!

yo where do you find these smileys lol. The love for the VE was born with me lol.