I just changed my manual tranny fluid and right in the middle of the drain, a small springs and ball-bearing falls out. I'm pretty sure it's not part of the clutch, but it might be a syncro. I was wondering if anyone has had similar problems and know how serious this is.

Side note, I filled with Redline MT-90 and it only took 3.75 bottles. It started to leak out the fill hole and spilled all over the floor. Initially the gearbox was very smooth, I continued to shift around and soon I thought I lost 1st and 2nd gear. The notchiness was gone, but so was the click that you feel when you shift. I decided to fire up the engine and see if there were other problems. After I start the engine, everything is perfect, 1st and 2nd gear comes back and all my gears are much smoother. I'm happy with the MT-90 but still troubled with the springs and ball-bearing that fell out.

 

OMG... that is not a good sign Kevin... You better find out where they came from. I wouldn't even drive the car that way...

 

Hmmm I wonder if the detent springs installed from the inside. I would get this checked out asap.

 

It is the detent ball and spring. You unscrewed the wrong bolt to drain the tranny fluid. The drain plug is on the other side of the tranny, next to the center crossmember. Reinstall it. It keeps whatever gears (1/2, 3/4, 5/R) the detent ball and spring came out of from popping out when you drive!

Edit: By popping out I mean the shifter moving from X gear to neutral.

 

Ahh yes. This is my territory. I know the 5 speed inside and out. Like somebody else posted, you undid the wrong bolt hole. You also most likely didnt drain the entire tranny, seeing how this bolt is in the middle of the transmission and it only took 3.75 bottles. Mine took 5 after it was completely empty. You lost the 1st and 2nd gear "click" because the way the shifter works, you feel that click when the ball engages into a detented area in the shift rod. Put the ball and spring back in the hole where they came. BUT PUT THE BALL IN BEFORE THE SPRING!!!!!!!!!! So now you have a 1/2 mix of whatever was in there before and a 1/2 mix of Redline.

 

Thanks guys for your help. Good thing I only drove the car around the block. This is a little troubling for me, I thought I followed the Chilton and Haynes manual. I can't believe this happened...Oy! Well, live and learn I guess.

So Eric, as far as reinstalling it, do I just put the ball on the spring, spring on the bolt and screw the bolt back in, or do I need to take out the tranny and install it from the inside. I'm hoping for the former.

 

You got it. put the ball in the hole, then put the spring in, and then screw down that bolt.

 

hOW LONG BEFORE YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE TRANNY FLUID??

 

If you do not tow a trailer or spend ALOT of time driving up mountains, then you never have to change the fluid. If you do, then change at 60K miles.

I recently put MT-90 back into my recently replaced 5 speed. It took 4.5 quarts just as it was supposed to.

Kevin Wong, when you fill the tranny fluid, make sure the car is level. That way, you can simply overfill the fluid into the tranny fill hole. The fill hole was placed at the exact spot where 4.5 quarts would fill up to. Anything over just spills out.

HTH

DW