More T-45 Blues..Any suggestions?

[9646gt]

Well..My tranny acts GREAT in any gear but second..I can normally shift to 2nd when I am up shifting and never have a problem ( every great now and then it won't go). When ever I try and down shift to 2nd I get no grind what soever but it will "pop out" I drained the tranny fluid and removed my shifter and check for any problems..in doing so I did find out someone hand installed a hurst shifter I think ( gold plate ant base had Hurst engraved into it) but I saw no problem so I poured 3 quarts of Penzoil syncromesh into the traynny ..This helped ALL the grind problems I had in a 5 speed Celica that I used to own with the same mileage. I didnt have 5 bucks to buy a fourth bottle for the extra like .6 quarts so I left a small amount of old fluid in the tranny to make up for it. got everything installed and it help a bit but its stll doing it! I have heard people say this fluid is the best for the t45's to help similar problems..if I rev the car and shift to 2nd really fast it helps alot..is there anything I can try to help the problem w/o having to replace the syncros? I don't really have the money for the labor...I heard some ford trannys have adjustable syncros? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[DerekStangGT]

subscribing

 

[9646gt]

subscribing

Huh? Not sure what that meant heh...

 

[stangman]

Huh? Not sure what that meant heh...

that's his way of getting a free post while he tracks this thread



anyway, does your shifter have adjustable stops in it?

 

[9646gt]

that's his way of getting a free post while he tracks this thread



anyway, does your shifter have adjustable stops in it?

Sorry it's late and I didn't cath that lol..I am not sure if it does or not..I dont know a specific model or anything...only that it said hurst on the plate where it attaches to the tranny...I have been doing some reading and they reccomend not using anything but conventional or synthetic ATF fluid...wonder if they syncromesh would even work at all...what is the fill capacity I shouldgo by on the t45? This is really annoying as it makes it look like I have no idea how to drive a 5 speed...not to mention it's just flat out driving me crazy..surely someone has had the same problem and has found a decent fix? I manually adjusted the clutch under the dash by hand and moved it up about 8 clicks with no luck either..

 

[soctty7676]

If it makes you feel any better, my '98 does the same thing. I just don't worry about it. I just rev 'er up in 1st to make a smooth second gear change, and just ease it in to second when downshifting. Just apply pressure until it finally slips in.

 

[9646gt]

Ok I have been doing son EXTENSIVE research..AKA googleing...but any ways..the t45 is NOT reccomended to use Synthetic fluid as its more slippery and the syncros may not engage properly...Texaco dexron 3 I think is what tremec says to use...now question is..I have heard of using friction modifier wich sounds like a really bad idea as it lessens friction..friction is needed for the syncros to engage properly so maybe you could as some lucal ATF treatment that "stops slippage" ? Maybe then the syncros would get a better bite? ..any other additive that may help? Or any other suggestions? I know there is ALOT of us with this problem...

 

[Darkhorse845]

The Steeda Tri Ax shifter will help out
your shifts alot and help avoid tranny
damage from missed shifts.

 

[cavepony]

My 00 has 41k on it and I had the grinding issue with downshifts to 2nd,. I just installed a Steeda triax shifter this weekend and the issues are gone. It is pretty stiff right now and I have been trying to drive it every day to loosen it up before I try some aggressive shifts and it feels much better after only a hundred miles of city driving.

I would recommend getting a Triax or quality shifter (around 180 new) if you can. If not check to see that the stops are adjusted properly on the one you have if it has any. Also, if there are any vibration isolators on the handle/shifter try removing those to give you a tighter shift/ better feel, it is a cheap way to try to fix it until you can afford a decent shifter.

I would not trust anything Tremec says about lubrication. Most of their trannies have improved performance when using Redline or something high quality but they stick to the products made by whoever is buying the trannnies (GM/Ford etc). I had been told that Redline or Mobile one will help the tranny and I was going to put some in my T45. Does anyone have experience using any of these products in a T45?

 

[01BlkGT]

Put in the Tria-ax or MGW shifter and adjust the stops correctly. Also, use GM Synchromesh, it is designed to be used with Tremec trannies, and should help with teh grinding/shifting feel.

 

[Notched]

i have a similar problem.... i have a pro 5-0 shifter, and adjusted the stops, yet the problems still occur.. when shifting fast, going into 3rd.. wel.. it just doesn't go.. when i slam it in and pop the clutch it grinds and doesn't stick, but when i do it normally its fine (with a small shine noise)

and 5th.. i have to double clutch to make it go in.. i have to lock my elbo and push the shifter in, hoping it wont pop out and grind.... double clutching works 50% of the time, and shifting to 5th regularly isn't an option anymore

im thinking the synchro is either shredded and laying in the bottom of the tranny, or is in bad shape.. anything i can do to help fix the problem, or is a rebuild in order?

 

[Mike97gt]

Well..My tranny acts GREAT in any gear but second..I can normally shift to 2nd when I am up shifting and never have a problem ( every great now and then it won't go). When ever I try and down shift to 2nd I get no grind what soever but it will "pop out" I drained the tranny fluid and removed my shifter and check for any problems..in doing so I did find out someone hand installed a hurst shifter I think ( gold plate ant base had Hurst engraved into it) but I saw no problem so I poured 3 quarts of Penzoil syncromesh into the traynny ..This helped ALL the grind problems I had in a 5 speed Celica that I used to own with the same mileage. I didnt have 5 bucks to buy a fourth bottle for the extra like .6 quarts so I left a small amount of old fluid in the tranny to make up for it. got everything installed and it help a bit but its stll doing it! I have heard people say this fluid is the best for the t45's to help similar problems..if I rev the car and shift to 2nd really fast it helps alot..is there anything I can try to help the problem w/o having to replace the syncros? I don't really have the money for the labor...I heard some ford trannys have adjustable syncros? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

ok if your shifter has shift stops built in remove them right away.

tremec has issued a TSB on all t-45 and tr-3650 transmissions. stating that shift stops can cause this pop out too happen and cause severe damage too the transmission.
the T-45 and t-3650 both have built in shift stops too protect from over shifts so these shift stops are redundant anyways.

 

[Mike97gt]

Put in the Tria-ax or MGW shifter and adjust the stops correctly. Also, use GM Synchromesh, it is designed to be used with Tremec trannies, and should help with teh grinding/shifting feel.

do not use the stops. this is what causes the problem. notice nobody in here with the problem has a stock shifter. ( the stock one has no stops in it)

the stops prevent a overshift. the problem when your poping out is a undershift. a undershift is very very very bad.. this can cause severe damage too the shift forks.

to fix this problem remove your shifter and take all the shift stops out. the transmission has it's own shift stops built in.

in fact i think the shifter manufactuers should stop making them with shift stops, 1. they are unnessasary in our transmissions and 2. they cause damage ( undershifts)

 

[Mike97gt]

that's his way of getting a free post while he tracks this thread



anyway, does your shifter have adjustable stops in it?

people really care about post counts that much

 

[stangGT97]

are you sure the T-45 has integrated shift stops? I thought it was just the T-56 and T3650. This would be helpful to know before i install my new shifter

 

[cavepony]

Yeah, what stanggt97 said.

I thought the T45 has a history of forks breaking because it does not have stops.

I had the problems until I put in a Triax. If you follow the instructions properly the stop will prevent you from breaking a fork or a gear and won't cause it to pop out of gear.

 

[Mike97gt]

are you sure the T-45 has integrated shift stops? I thought it was just the T-56 and T3650. This would be helpful to know before i install my new shifter

t-45 has intergrated shift stops. all you will do witht he shifters shift stops is cause undershifts.

Tremec Transmissions
Service Bulletin 03.01


Subject:
Aftermarket Shifter Stops

Transmission Models Affected:
All
Severe damage may be caused by installing an aftermarket shifter with "shift stops" on any TREMEC transmission. All TREMEC transmissions are designed and manufactured with built-in shift stops to prevent over shifting. Therefore; shift stops on aftermarket shifters are totally unnecessary when used on a TREMEC transmission. TREMEC "TR series" transmissions have multiple shift rails with shift stops on the gearing. TREMEC "T series" transmissions have a single shift rail system with stops built into the guide plate.

When installing an aftermarket shifter on a TREMEC transmission it is best to remove the shift stops to avoid miss adjustment, and the potential of the screws vibrating lose. A misadjusted shift stop can cause an under-shift, which may lead to a gear jump-out situation. If the transmission jumps out of gear, the shift fork can be bent causing permanent damage to the transmission. Shift forks can also be damaged by "clash shifting". A clash is caused by a missed shift.

Neither an "under-shift", nor a "clash shift" can be prevented by shift stops. TREMEC shift forks are designed to take loads up to ,000 lbs. However, a gear jump-out may well exceed 1,000 lbs. of force, which may result in a permanently damaged transmission.

we have a T series transmission. both the t and tr series has stops just a slightly different setup.

if you want too be sure contact tremec transmissions.

 

[Mike97gt]

BUMP. i want people to read this one.

 

[2kyellowgt]

I had my T45 rebuilt earlier this year by Hanlon Motorsports, he recommends and uses Mobil 1 sythetic ATF. He has been rebuilding these type of trans for years and has not ran into any problems. So he says

 

[Shiroelex]

I have a 2001 GT, and when I installed my MGW, I was explicitly told to use the bump stops. There were detailed instructions on how to adjust the stops so that your transmission always goes into gear fully when shifted, and it's worked great for me for about 5000 miles already. I don't even hit the bump stops during regular or mildlt hard shifting. Only time I ever touch them is when I am banging gears hard. I've never had any grinding problems, except for when I accidentally hit the power seat button with my leg and slide my seat back, and don't push the clutch in far enough for 4th. That's just my personal experiences; I am happy with the way it works. I don't know if it's bad for the trans or not the way I have it set up right now, but it works for me.

I am going to change the fluid for sure when I do my clutch, and am wondering about the reccomended capacity and fluid type as well. Is there any Lucas or Trans-X type stuff to add? What type of fluid is best? What is the best way to get all of the old fluid out of the trans? I like it to be nice and fresh. Sorry to jack the thread!