sc0tty8

iTrader: (1)

Ok, I bought my max last spring. The trans was sorta notchy, and from searching the forums, the fix seemed to be new fluid.

I shortly thereafter, replaced the fluid with some Redline MTL (I think thats what it was, its redline). Just about a month ago, I replaced my shifter bushings with some energy suspension pieces.

Now, its really bad. At times, it will not go into 3rd, and now 2nd gear is getting like this. When its warmed up, its not so bad, but this is very bad. Its not a slight scratch or grind, its full all out grind like the clutch is not in.

I am at ends with this. What else should I be checking? The car has about 60k on the clock, never raced. Stock clutch, etc. I know it needs motor mounts, and I have them, but being I am injured, makes it hard to do them.

What else should I be looking at? Its embarrassing to drive it like this...

Feldman

iTrader: (1)

first thing you might want to do is check your clutch travel, it probably isn't your problem since you seem to be getting into first ok but that would be the first thing i checked

mist max2000

iTrader: (16)

your not alone.. my car wont go into 6th...no matter what it do.. it used to be like shifting into concrete and it would go into it and not grind..now it just flat doesnt go.. no grind no nothing.. like someone put a wall into front of the gear... but i still am under warrenty

kcxd35

iTrader: (2)

Your not supposed to use MTL u should be using MT-90 first off and secondly if that don't work put back in the stock fluid...

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

I tried redline and amsoil and I preferred the amsoil, especially in colder weather. With my new tranny I am using motul, so far I am loving it

pbn85

iTrader: (8)

http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...ar-crunch.html

sc0tty8

iTrader: (1)

I have one of those 2 fluids, I do not remember which...


Its past the crunch and is now "I am not letting you into 3rd without grinding a few pounds..." and now its a 2nd gear crunch.

pbn85

iTrader: (8)

60k miles...somethings not right and I doubt its your tranny. Strong feeling its clutch related. 2nd gear hardly ever goes bad for the 5.5 gen trannies

Feldman

iTrader: (1)

does it help if you sync up your rpm with with the tranny between shifts? (I hope that made sense)

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

I had a little of 3rd gear crunch. My tranny finally died at 170000km but I could still shift into all the gears. Most of the bearings in mine were toast though, the synchros were fried. the clutch had .005" of material left on it and the flywheel was a mess as well.

sc0tty8

iTrader: (1)

Not really. Its more hit or miss when its cold. When its warm, hardly any issues...

Like I said before, it got worse when I put in the shifter bushings, but the stockers where cracked/torn. If I had the money, I'd just trade it off for an 09 max

kcxd35

iTrader: (2)

I have no grind, I love my 6spd...

Derrick2k2SE

iTrader: (3)

The 3rd gear crunch is very common in the 02/03 cars. It can happen with cars with lower mileage too.

The (somewhat) easy fix is to replace it with a tranny from an 04/05 Maxima. Those trannys had much better syncros and don't get the crunch. They seem to shift better through all the gears. They're a direct swap.

I found an 04 HLSD tranny with 40k on it in Canada for $850 shipped. I sold mine to a rebuild shop for $150. Stepping up to the better shifting tranny with HLSD was worth the $700 even without the grind in the old one.

You can find trannys here. http://car-part.com/ Don't be afraid to ship one from Canada. The shipping was reasonable and I live in Florida. Nearly all the manual Maximas in Canada have LSD.

pbn85

iTrader: (8)

theres never a guarantee that youll be getting a good tranny though. thats the big risk with these things. The places will give you a 30-day warranty but who knows how long that tranny will hold after the warranty time is up. Personally, Im convinced this problem is just "there" and doesnt really get worse for the most part. Its always just "there". Bought my max at 48k miles and it did it and now with 66k miles it does it the same amount which is once in a blue moon

Ive spoken with people who have bought their 5.5s new and these cars currently have over 100k miles. They said from day 1 there was a crunch and to this day its still the case - didnt get worse

edit: Also, is there really nothing in addition to the actual tranny needed for the swap? Sometimes there are small parts here and there needed. Nice to know its a 100% direct swap

nismomaxx

if its a direct tranny swap, couldnt we just buy the syncros and swap them to ours?

boondoxmax

iTrader: (1)

+1 no grind here either......I've always keep the stock fluid and the my tranny shifts smooth......

sc0tty8

iTrader: (1)

Is there a sure-fire way to determine weather or not the unit has an LSD? While I am not shy about replacing the trans myself, I do owe like 12k on this car, and that's sort of a kick in the nuts when you need to replace a trans, catch my drift?

I went out to the garage today, to see what fluid I have in the trans, I had bought 2 bottles, and have left overs, it is MTL in the trans, iirc, this was the stuff for northern climates? When its cold out, like, under 40 degrees, the grinding is the worst. Double clutching, and granny shifting does not help when its cold.

I am hoping after I do the motor mounts, its better, hopefully, its just a cable at the end of its reach or something The mounts are fu><0rd.

I'll prob put it on the back burner to find a new trans as money is tight these days. If I was to do the trans, any aftermarket clutches/flywheels to look at or avoid? If I am in there and all...

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

I just realized something that may help you. When I got my 06 tranny installed in my 03 the mechanic forgot to put the hitch pin clip which holds the shifter linkage to the tranny shift mechanism. I had a ***** of a time shifting the car because the shift rods were not attached properly causing them to want to lift off the transmission linkage pin. Look under your hood and make sure there is a hitch pin holding everything together.


http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...tkins-sts.html

look through this thread and you will see puppetmasters setup with the sts. You will see the hitch pin I am talking about in post number 2 of the thread.

sc0tty8

iTrader: (1)

I was very positive to make sure that pin was put back on, but I will check tomorrow.

sc0tty8

iTrader: (1)

A quick read of that thread....the nut on the shifter in the cabin, he states if its too tight, it makes it harder to go in gear, I am going to look at that. I remember it was very stiff compared to stock, I wonder if the cable might be binding? Sometimes I do over-tighten things

Derrick2k2SE

iTrader: (3)

Thre's a code in the VIN and the tranny has a code stamped on it too. I don't remember them but a seach will turn then up here.

The clutch from a 350Z woks really well and only costs around $250 from Dave B.. He knows all about it. It's stronger than the Maxima clutch with a better feel IMO. The Fidanza flywheel is great but expensive. If your clutch hasn't been slipping you can probably get away with reusing the flywheel. Just scuff it up a little.

The motor mounts wont help with going into gear and the cables don't run anywhere near them. New motor mounts do, of course, make the car drive a lot nicer. The Energy Suspension solid mounts are a nice upgrade.

I've messed with several clutch/flywhel combinations in this car. I'll help with any questions if I can.

Derrick2k2SE

iTrader: (3)

The gearbox is a direct swap into our cars. I don't know if the internal parts are interchangeable between the two transmissions. Replacing the syncros means completely tearing down the transmission. That's a lot more complex than a tranny swap.

sc0tty8

iTrader: (1)

I've noticed, when in 3rd and I have my hand on the shifter, when the motor bucks from the shot mounts, the shifter jumps with it Mounts, from what I read, are, jack up the car, support motor with board/jack on oil pan, remove the cross member that has the mounts/brackets on it. Then, burn out old mounts, and use a vise to push in the old mounts? I have the energy suspension mounts. I just hope they are not filling-rattling like they where in my focus

I am going to try the cheap stuff first and take it from there. The clutch does not slip at all, but, it does engage a lot higher then it used to, to the point where it needs to be nearly out.

I am interested in knowing more about clutches/flywheels. Is there a middle-weight unit avail? I like the idea of the Z clutch as an upgrade, as its OEM so it should not be a bad upgrade in regards to aftermarket clutches and materials. I do not need a ceramic or Kevlar, and most OEM's are organic. This is not a race car, but an enthusiast daily driver

kcxd35

iTrader: (2)

My shifter moves when i come off the gas and step on it again, It's normal and i like it...

Decoy036SPD

iTrader: (1)

I don't grind in third... and you know why? Because I know how to shift into third properly. My friend drove my car and was like why does your third gear grind? I said that's because you don't know how to shift properly into third. You go from second gear almost like a slight backwards Z into third and it goes in like butter.

pbn85

iTrader: (8)

+1!!!!!! finally...

You cant move the shifter straight up from 2nd to 3rd. You need to move the shifter out of 2nd, slightly move it to the right and then straight into 3rd. Your shifts will be 100x smoother. I noticed this by myself a very long time ago

Derrick2k2SE

iTrader: (3)

The reason can shift into third with out grinding has nothing to do with your great skill. Your tranny just isn't as bad as some others and you have learned to work around it. It's not a matter of shifting "properly". A proper shift is straight from 2nd to 3rd with no dancing around.

You should be able to shift straight and fast wth no gind. It's not the "Z" you're doing that makes it go in but the time it takes you to do it that lets the syncros work.

When I swapped gearboxes the grind went away completely. I no longer have to slow down my shift into third to avoid a grind. I can shift from second into third as fast and straight as I want with no hint of a grind. That's a proper shift with a transmission that's working like it should.

boris

When in rush, i do it extremely fast (clutch - change a gear at the same brief moment) and it gets in very smoothly (strange, but truth).
Edit: I analyzed the process and found to be the main condition zero time in neutral (not so clutch -related)

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

ummm... It isn't normal.

ghostrider17

iTrader: (6)

agreed.
Been driving a stick all my life - and my 02 has the 3rd gear crunch since it left the lot brand new.
You CAN mitigate the crunch by slowing your 2-3 upshift, but it IS a synchro issue, and alot of cars have this issue.
You can probably drive the car till it drops with this, and never have more than the annoyance of the crunch...but it will get worse over time.

Mmmmm....HLSD would be niiiiiice!

gr

pbn85

iTrader: (8)

GR how many miles on your car now? Has the problem gotten worse? My mechanic who swapped an 03 tranny (brand new) into his 4th gen said he had the 3rd gear problem from day 1 and it never got worse but the problem was always just there. Im convinced the problem doesnt get worse but it just stays the same and reminds you its there from time to time

ghostrider17

iTrader: (6)

65k now.
I switched my t-lube to Amsoil mt-90 a few yrs. back, and then again to the proper type (forget the type) just this past yr.
Don't know if it damaged the synchros - but I doubt it. It shifts smoothly other than the third gear crunch, so I'm not unhappy.

Just given the nature of the synchros & normal wear and tear, I'd say it has no CHOICE but to get worse over time.
I don't think it's catastrophic, though.
i complained to nissan several times @ various dealers, but they'd always give me the std. "couldn't replicate" response.
I've been fighting them for years on the oil burning issue - so instead of going after both...I just decided to lv. the tranny issue alone & deal with the BIGGER issue.

Hopefully - it'll last for as long as I choose to own the car....I plan to drive this car until at least 100k. Just depends on how soon i get there, and how much it costs me!
So far, so good.

gr

kcxd35

iTrader: (2)

Then what's wrong??

knight_yyz

iTrader: (40)

not sure what is wrong, but the shifter isn't supposed to move when you step on the gas or let off. My new 06 MT doesn't do that. My old one did. It died a horrible painful death. The synchros were toast, the input shaft bearing was toast, most of the internal bearings were toast as well. I thought when I had the original tranny that perhaps the mounts were on the way out, but now that I have the 06 there is zero movement.

ypl102

mine doesn't grind, I never shift from gear to gear as fast as possible forcing the stick, I let it out of 2nd and the shifter mechanism automatically centers itself in the neutral position which sits directly between 3rd and 4th gear and I simple move it up and down and never have to move it rightwards, now from 2nd to 5th a different story. I jump shift a lot and would do 1st to 3rd to 6th or 2nd to 4th so never notice any grind in 3rd in 120K miles.

pbn85

iTrader: (8)

but Gr, did the crunch get worse over time or did it just stay the same? And I wonder what the % of 5.5 6mt cars affected by this is

Derrick2k2SE

iTrader: (3)

I can tell you that mine never seemed to get worse. I could shift fine just cruising around taking it easy. When I would really get on it it would grind. I got the car with about 70,000 miles and did the swap at around 100,000. It had the grind when I bought it but I wasn't too concerned. I bought it at the dealership where I was selling cars and got a great deal.

I honestly did the swap more to get the HLSD than to fix the grind. This car with HLSD is so much better and faster in all condtions. The grind helped me sell the idea to my wife

pbn85

iTrader: (8)

hmm...

For those of you who have/had a horrible 3rd gear grind/crunch, how OFTEN did it happen when you drove hard? I know the problem is virtually nonexistant when driving normally but when you redlined 2nd or drove 2nd hard into 3rd, how often did the problem occur? And was it more common downshifting INTO 3rd?

Knock on wood mine is pretty rare and even redlining 2nd into 3rd it doesnt happen...So if I need to replace the tranny down the line how much am I looking at total including tranny and labor? Im guessing somewhere around $1500?

shysmax

Approx. 5 years ago, I posted here stating that after 5K miles, I too was exp. the 3rd gear grinding. Many people here were switching fluids, claiming better shifting. Others said the switch did nothing.

I did what I think was common sense - took the car back to the dealer. I bel. in that post I listed all the items the dealer changed. The car was with them for a few days, and they had a Nissan master tech come in to change "needles, syncro" etc. I stressed in that post to owners to take the car back, and do not switch fluids. To me switching fluids is a band aid placed over a leaking lifeboat. If the car has a mech. problem, then it needs to be rectified. With only 5K on it, they fixed the tranny, and since then the car has been buttery smooth. (The posts about "shifting a special way to get into 3rd" is BS, and is insulting anyone's intelligence by telling them "they don't know how to shift".)

Granted, today I only have 34K, but ever since the dealer changed out those parts, the tranny has been mint.

Since then, lots of info/exp. has been gained in this community. I guess you can swap trannys with the 6th gen. looking from the above posts. My point is if u're exp. grinding, you shouldn't be, and switching fluids is not the way to fix it. (Although here some claim the fluid switch did fix the issue - good for them). But I feel owners back then should have simply taken the car to the dealer while she was under warranty, for a mechanical repair/replacement of defective parts. Now today, IF owners have an ext. warranty that covers this, I recommend get it done, and don't wish that a diff. premium fluid will magically fix the famous 3rd gear grinding.

pbn85

iTrader: (8)

ok so...

I parked the car, revved it up to 5k and put it in 3rd and guess what? grinddddd...did it again, grinnnnddd...2x in a row

So im going to look for a new tranny, preferably an 05-06. Do you guys recommend car-part.com? I want to be as safe as possible when getting a used tranny. In what ways can I safeguard myself from getting a crappy tranny? Im guessing its all luck