Does your Manual Tranny have a Multiple Personality? I've always noticed since I've had this car that it shifts differently day to day. Some days it goes into gear like cutting through butter, and some days it feels wicked notchy. Sorry if this is a repost but this make me "more frustrated than a three legged dog trying to bury a terd on an icy lake." Does your 4th Gen do this at all? If so what do you think it is?

 

i agree 100%, sometimes it has to do with the outside temp. but it usually doesnt

 

I haven't had that problem with my Maxima, but when I had a Saab 9000S I had a similar problem. The car would sometimes be hard to shift into first gear some days and on others it shifted no problem. It happened on muggy days and a lot when it was cold. Finally the car dropped 5th gear altogether and when I got it fixed I changed to Redline trans fluid. The difference was night and day. I put Redline in my Max back in 02 and use it exclusively now.

 

ya mine is like rough when warming up even if its' 70+ outside but after 15 minutes it always shifts the same, I just wish it'd go into first gear when im going faster than 3mph.

 

With regular gl-3 oil, it warms up quick and is smooth. Since switching over to synth, it takes forever to warmup... like it's not properly warmed up till I drive for 45min, or take it into higher rpm. I'm not happy w/synth.

Jae

 

yeah I imagine thats my problem my car sometimes it pretty notchy and makes weird noises before it warms up and then its completely fine. I checked it and had a mechanic get in there and he said no everything was good, checked for signs of wear. He said it was probably tranny fluid temps as well. I also believe Im running synth.

OT but one thing I cant figure out is I get a vibration through the brake pedal when the car is cold until it warms up and I can't figure what it is for the life of me.

 

As for gear oil I'm also running a synthetic lube Redline MT-90, did tranny flush sometime in May. It made a conciderable difference making it easier to shift, but that Dr.Jeckle and Mr.Hide shift is still there. I wonder if it could be my short shifter which is a Pace Setter. Did you notice it's more difficult to shift after installing your Short Shifter?
Someone else had mentioned it could be because it is a hydrolic clutch. The brake fluid will have different viscocity day to day.

 

I usually have rough shifting until engine warms up. But recently I had to down shift (to 4th) and slow down from about 80mph on highway and tried to get into 3rd and it just wouldn't go. I had to go to second (almost redline) and go back into 4th. It got a lil tight for a few seconds, but haven't had the problem since. I would like to figure out what causes these imtermittent problems.

 

well I know one thing once you get SS clutch lines about of things change clutch wise FTW.. but as for actual syncros and things of that nature I think the tranny may just be tempermental, or like you said viscosity at certain temps. I guess we should wait tell winter and see if it gets worse.

 

With a short shifter you have literally shortened the length of your lever therefore you need more force to get the same result.
- Force X Distance = Work performed. -

So say it takes 10 lbs of force with a 1ft lever to shift the gears.
10lb *1ft = 10 lbs/ft of work.

Now take a 0.5 ft lever and the same amount of work is needed so 0.5 ft * Y lbs = 10 lbs/ft of work. Y = 20 lbs of force.

 

I run DOT3 brake fluid and change it every season. I don't have a problem with engagement. It's the shifting that bugs me. I'm on stock shifter right now. I don't wanna do short throw shifter unless it retains stock height, or is angled rear-ward slightly.
Jae

 

Your clutch should have no effect on shifter feel, unless it's doing something wrong.

You probably have some broken bits floating around down in the shifter area. When my speedometer gear and sensor crunched up, the plastic parts would migrate around and block access to a gear or two or all of them. Then things would shift and it would be all different. Anyway, bits of bronze, plastic, or silicone sealant are all possible sources of non-magnetic gunk. If it doesn't come out when the gear oil is drained, I suspect it'll be pretty hard to clean stuff like that out without opening up the whole tranny.

Dave

 

Naw... I didn't use synth till after I took my tranny apart, cleaned, inspected, rebuilt it. Shifting improved, synchros working, but shift feel still not perfect.

Jae

 

The reason why I mentioned the clutch is maybe when I derpess the pedal the pressure plate is not engauged. Not only is it really notchy some days, but somedays I have to persuade it into gear. The biggest trouble maker is 1st gear, here are some symptoms that I notice.
1) When I come to a stop I leave it in neutral position. I push in the clutch, put it into 1st and it will not go in, I re-clutch and usually it will go in.
2) In the morning pulling out of my spot it won't go into Reverse. I will have to put it in 1st and slightly engage or roll forward, and then try reverse and it will go in.
Let me know if this is a common issue with your V speed.

 

Less than once a week I'll have problems getting into 1st at a complete stop. Rare, but often enuf for me to notice. You're right, I usually reclutch and it'll slip right in.

And I rarely ever have problems w/reverse. Less than once a month, and only when tranny is cool, like when first starting up. I just assume cuz there's no synchro.

Jae

 

Our transmissions use GL-4 Only.

 

1) Is a sorta common issue. When re-clutching fixes it, it suggests a worn 1st synchro and/or damaged 1st gear dog teeth. If the tranny were taken apart, changing the synchro alone probably won't fix it.
2) Reverse it's normal, it has no synchros. Put it into neutral, clutch out/in, and try again. 100% normal even with a brand new tranny.

Now I don't know your reason for suspecting the clutch isn't being released, but that is the A number 1 priority. No transmission has a chance when the clutch isn't doing it's job.

Dave

 

the 1st thing is normal as far as im concerned you might just have to push in the clutch again as said to get it in. my dad said it has to do with the gear position on the splines not lining up properly the first time, ipso facto the syncro.

as far as reverse, every nissan and some other cars I've driven have always had that problem.. so you do exactly what you said.. put it in 1st roll up an inch or two then put it into reverse and thats about it.

 

finger slipped
Jae