Just looking for some experience/advice before I jerk around with the manual transmission on my 96 Maxima. It has 280K+ miles on it. Started it up to leave work the other day and although it was operating okay, I noticed it sounded a little "grindy" while driving. It makes a noise like that of maybe a worn bearing and has intermittently "grindy" shifting in gears 1-4 and Reverse. And the noise is also apparent whenever the clutch is engaged/in neutral. BUT it sounds and runs perfectly fine in 5th gear. So I had to pretty much start in 1st and get into 5th as soon as possible... and stay in 5th for my whole commute (45 minutes) back home when possible.

I did check the fluid level in the transmission and it did not seem adequate. Is 5th gear the 1:1 gear on this car? Would it be the input shaft going out or a bearing in the clutch assembly or?

 

The clutch still works.

Seems the root cause is low fluid from a leak somewhere.

I've run low on oil myself on an old Volvo.
I ruined the bearings.

So in my opinion, you are going to need another transmission.

Be sure to inspect the condition of the clutch.
You don't want to remove the transmission again any time soon.

 

Yea, I'll definitely replace the clutch assembly at the same time. I had been slipping in 2nd at high RPMs for 18 months.
Anybody have recommendations on a good place to find old JDM parts like a used transmission other than the junkyards?

These manual transmissions seem few and far between these days. I might be better off just junking it (hate to do it!) and getting a 5th Gen 3.0 or 3.5 manual from a cost and time standpoint. This car is my backup/daily driver.

 

What type of transmission lube was used?

 

There was nothing in it. I put some 75/90 in as a last ditch effort.

When I drained the lube out of it tonight as I was pulling the transmission out, a little spring fell out of the drain plug immediately. Something definitely broken.

 

That wasn't the drain plug smh

 

If it's not the drain plug, what is it?

 

That's a detent to the linkage .
Put stuff back where you found it.

Many of us make that mistake.

 

 

It's blocked by the linkage, so most people just pull the reverse light sensor..but that breaks easily so be careful

 

I like to remove the vehicle speed sensor..

it has a wire attached to it. Front side of the trans.
loosen the retaining bolt, then s-l-o-w-l-y pull it out of the trans so that you can control the gusher of fluid.

This method works almost too well.
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Sounds good until it breaks lol

 

Here it is

 

 

No problem

 

 

 

I installed the new transmission and clutch. Got the car back on the road (just needs a proper alignment). Everything is good. At least I have the extra, old transmission and it can be rebuilt should I need another.