It seems like every week we have people saying they have to force their trannies into 1st from a slow roll (below 5mph) or getting into reverse. I'm it's been posted before, but here's a remedy that may work for your manual tranny car regardless of make.

Trouble getting in reverse:
Put the car in 1st, roll forward a couple inches, then move the lever into reverse. The shifter should happily slide into reverse now. I believe this disengages the reverse lockout.

Trouble shifting to 1st from a slow roll:

Push the clutch in, move the shifter to neutral, release the clutch, push the clutch in, put the shifter into first and blip the throttle a little, and release the clutch and go. Do all of this a smooth motion and it should work every time. I have no trouble getting into 1st from 10-15mph roll. The double clutching does something to the way the tranny/clutch are working together. I don't know the exact term or why it works, but it does Someone like Jeff would know why.

Trouble shifting to 1st from a stop (usually on a slight incline):

Push the clutch in, move shifter to neutral, release the clutch, push the clutch in, put shifter into 1st and go. Rolling backwards a couple inches seems too if you're on an incline.


Never ever force the car into gear. If the shifter feels remotely resistent, do the double clutch or rolling methods to get the car into gear. Everytime I come to a stop now, I double pump the clutch like I've stated below and have no problems getting into gears. I've been doing this for 3 years now. This is with a 103K tranny, original clutch, and OEM tranny fluid too.



Dave

 

Talk about PITA.

Yes, I do ALL OF THE ABOVE on a daily basis.

Only MT car I know that's so picky.

 

You could do all that or just rebuild the trans and go back to driving like normal.

 

My tranny is completely fine. It doesn't grind regardless of how quick I shift, the clutch grabs hard everytime, and this sucker has been abused over 150 times at the track. I bought my car 5 years ago and with 30K miles. It did everything I described above when I got it. My 90 CRX Si was the same way and the same goes for my buddy's 02 WRX.


Dave

 

I can verify that this method also works from a "fast roll" of about 25 mph which had the revs up in the 4k range, although I didn't do the double-clutch. I was in 2nd gear, hit clutch, revved to the 4k range, and it went right into 1st.

Won't say why I did that either.

 

so wait, do you rev first or put the gear in first before reving?

I get everything else...
-R

 

rev first then down shift. thats called rev-matching.

 

Reving first will make it much easier to put into gear. It's the same as downshifting from 3-2, 4-3, etc. downshifting from 2-1 is the only gear you should doubleclutch to get it into gear, although I don't know why you would want to do such a thing. 1st gear winds so fast even from a stop, why start at anything above 4krpm?? My car would probably just spin if I mash the gas in 1st anything above 4krpm. I'd just leave it in 2nd if I want power.
-Paul

 

Thanks you so much Dave! I have been learning stick, its been a little over a month and I thought my tranny was about to die. Going into first at a roll usually works fine but it doesnt go into reverse, I would just shift it around for a while until it goes in. I was worry about that tranny going soon, thanks for clearing that up. Im such a

 

I have to use the 1st gear at a stop method at least a few times a day.

 

I sometimes have trouble putting it into first while rolling. I'll usually just come to a stop first, and it'll go right in. I did try the whole double clutching a few times today. Just seemed weird. I kept thinking i was gonna burn up my clutch twice as fast from having to push the pedal twice instead of once. LOL.

If i have trouble putting the car in reverse, i'll put it into first and usually that'll line everything up and it'll slide right in. If not i'll lift the pedal a little bit and it'll go in. Dont know why that is. It worked in my last car too.

 

I only have to double clutch when reversing....other then that things are fine.

 

When you are rolling gears are spining and they will mesh.
But going into R or first from a stop some times it happens that the gear teeth
line up and cant mesh, sort of butting heads.
Pretty common on m cycles. What you do there is to put foot pressure on the shifter while you slowly let out the clutch harmlessly finding the mesh.

 

Dave, Thanks for tips about going into first at a roll. That reminds me about old crappy busses back in Russia where those dudes would sometimes pump the clutch for like five times at least, lol, no kidding.

Also I changed gear oil few days ago (original tranny 103K) with Redline MT-90 and shifting did get noticably easier. Easier to get into reverse but still have sometimes getting into first issue.

 

Every 5sp Nissan I've driven has to be driven the same way that Dave said. Its just a Nissan thing.

 

is it just me or the Reverse gear grinds so very easily if the car is moving ever so slightly? I've done it twice so far ever since getting the car. I thought the car was completely stopped, but it was moving a little when I put it in reverse with the terrible grinding noise

 

happened to me too a few times by mistake. Don't know why tho. I have to come to a 100% complete stop to put it in reverse and most of the time it doesn't go right in the first time. So then I pump the clutch once more and it goes in smoothly.
-Paul

 

i found when ever i can't get into first from a stop or roll. i usually press teh clutch in shift to 2nd and then go into first has not failed me yet.

 

Sometimes reverse is tricky, but rarely is first a problem....



Eric

 

double clutching usually solves all those annoyances.