T-5 all of a sudden got extremely HARD to shift!

[stang8urimport]

wtf?? On the way to work, it was fine... It was POURING here.. went through many many huge puddles.... Leave to go home, and I kept missing shifts.... not shifting fast, just regularly... I was like wtf... So I kept rowing it through the gears, and it was extremely hard to get into gear.... Do you think somehow water got into the tranny? Thats the ONLY thing I can think is the problem... I already checked the clutch cable, and it's fully engauging.... Any input would be welcome.

 

[jammer84_03]

sounds like syncro's to me

 

[stang8urimport]

Thanks for the input, but I highly doubt 5 syncros went bad at once, but thanks.

 

[2000xp8]

I've had it happen twice, one time it was the clutch cable melting on a header, but you already checked that.

The second, the trans landed up trashed after 2 more weeks of driving, whined so bad i didn't bother rebuilding it.
So whatever it is, don't drive more than absolutely necessary until you find the problem. I learned that the hard way.

Try changing the fluid if you think water got in there.

 

[stang8urimport]

First thing I thought was the clutch cable... But it's engauging fully... No whineing yet... But I remember 2 or 3 t-5s (of 7) in my 83 whined real bad before they grenaded. Thanks.

 

[craigwhite89gt]

mine did that before all the gears go hard to shift after i missed a shift and then a few weeks later i lost the tranny ... but the problem worked itself out on my tranny... it was a internal problem for me... cable and everything was good... good luck

 

[stang8urimport]

Yep, I've done that before...

Just not in this case... I don't power shift or speed shift this thing... I know how brittle a T-5 is... It just started doing this after driving through huge puddles of water. You wouldn't believe how hard it rained and how huge the puddles were.

 

[Daggar]

Mine will get extremely hard to shift when it's time to readjust the cable. Here's hoping that's all it is in your case as well.

 

[Mike92GT]

Hard shifting is often a clutch related problem. What kind of clutch do you have? How old is it? Adjustable cable / quadrant , or stock? If you have the stock cable / quadrant, try pulling up on the clutch, this will allow the stock mechanism to adjust itself.

 

[HISSIN50]

Nick, do you have the inspection cover on the clutch fork?

 

[IntenseBlue]

Got a question. What causes them to whine?

 

[HISSIN50]

Got a question. What causes them to whine?

Simply being low on fluid can do it. The other causes are a little more involved and specific to what the trans is doing.

 

[87_stang]

Make sure your shifter is tight. The 2 bolts that has the rubber piece in between them that holds the shifter to the plate that bolts to the tranny. I've had them loosen just slightly and it feels like its going into gear but its hard. Just an idea. Could be that if you hit enough puddles and water got in around that rubber piece and is allowing it to slide.

 

[Black1987Stang]

Nick, do you have the inspection cover on the clutch fork?

Hissin beat me to it

 

[stang8urimport]

Yes, I do have the inspection plate on. I took it off and the clutch is working properly. I replaced the fluid and it was still a little notchy at first, but now seems to be fine. I couldn't see if the fluid had water in it... (No flash light, in the parking lot of my apt lol), but I put my hand in it and it def felt likt it had water in it... No idea how it got in there, the tranny doesn't leak... I dunno... But it seems to be ok now. Thanks for the help.

 

[FastDriver]

Easy diagnosis. This is a clutch problem. Somehow the pressure plate is not disengaging from the clutch disk and and flywheel.

Most likely something to do with the clutch cable. It may work, but if it's strectched out, then it isn't fully depressing the fingers on the pressure plate and disengaging it from the clutch disk.

Chris

 

[stang8urimport]

Easy diagnosis...? lol. The problem is fixed, and like I said 4 times already, it's not and wasn't a clutch problem... Thanks

 

[FastDriver]

You're saying that water magically leapt into your transmission? Sounds like you have another problem.

The only way that water was getting into a good tranny is if it somehow got in through the shifter. There're no other openings, and even that doesn't make sense, because it's not like water splashes up and over your tranny to the point that it would get into the shifter.

Well, if you fixed it by replacing the tranny fluid, good on ya! I'll be more careful about trying to help you in the future.

Chris

Ps... Got a tranny fluid leak? maybe it was running low on fluid. In that case it shouldn't have changed drastically, though.

 

[stang8urimport]

Nope, no tranny leak. And there is a vent in the top of the trans where water could get in, soooooooooo thanks.

 

[Daggar]

Following along with this topic.....

Does anyone have any experience with some brand of synthetic tranny fluid that works BETTER than regular ole Mercon in a T5? What I mean is: Is there a product out there that someone has used that made a significant difference in the way it shifts and acts? If so, what differences did you notice and how noticable was the change?