Why is it so hard to shift into 1st gear from a stop?

2000GT · Aug 31, 2005

My car has the stock clutch and I have changed the transmission fluid once around 42K miles. I am the original owner and the car has 56K miles on it. For whatever reason, it's getting harder and harder to shift the car into first gear from a complete stop. If I am rolling just slightly, it goes into first gear much eaiser. I swear it has become progressively worse over time. Is this a sign of a worn clutch? I don't sense any clutch slipping during normal or hard driving. All other shifting is normal.

Thanks in advance.

mity2 · Aug 31, 2005

subscribing..

Venom_Nitrous · Aug 31, 2005

The reason is the mesh of the gears. Pretent your fingers are the teeth on the gears. Now spread your fingers apart on both hands Now place them flat on a table top with your middle fingers right apart front each other and pointing towards each other. Try to push them together and make them mesh. You can't. Your middle fingers hit each other dead on and you can't push them together to make them mesh. That is what is happening in your tranny when the syncro stops the first gear from spinning, and the input gear is also stopped, but it is moving when you are rolling. The teeth are aimed directly at each other and cannot be forced together. Sometimes they will hit and with some force will slide past each other and engage. The reason it goes together well from a roll is that the teeth are constantly moving on one of the gears off the input of the engine and the mesh can easily be made. It will have a hundred possibilities each second to do so. Do it with your hands again flat on the table but now rotate one of them towards yourself while trying to make them "mesh". Works much better now doesn't it. I don't know why yours would be doing it so badly. Maybe it is too thick of a fluid or something. I don't know much about trannys so maybe someone can chime in and tell you what wears to make this happen. I could only guess that there could be some play in that first gear. I am assuming that the gears don't grind, but it takes alot of effort. I didn't want to be childish, but that was a good way to explain it.

1bad04GT · Sep 1, 2005

try putting it in second and then in first. works for me

mity2 · Sep 1, 2005

1bad04GT said:
try putting it in second and then in first. works for me

i have to put it in 1st first to put it in reverse. Is T3650 have same issues?

timeless2 · Sep 1, 2005

A nice aftermarket quadrant adjuster will do wonders for this problem. If you still have it after that, you've other problems.

CaliLifeStyle · Sep 1, 2005

mity2 said:
i have to put it in 1st first to put it in reverse. Is T3650 have same issues?

Yes it does. To solve the first gear problem, I put it in neutral with the clutch engaged and give it a quick rev to 1500rpm. Then push the clutch in and slide it into first. For reverse, I put it into first gear and then let the clutch out slow so I only move a few inches and then quickly put it in reverse. It all has to deal with the mesh of the gears.

MY QUESTION: Is it true that reverse has no syncros?

timeless2 · Sep 1, 2005

CaliLifeStyle said:
Yes it does. To solve the first gear problem, I put it in neutral with the clutch engaged and give it a quick rev to 1500rpm. Then push the clutch in and slide it into first. For reverse, I put it into first gear and then let the clutch out slow so I only move a few inches and then quickly put it in reverse.

I have no problems at all with my tr3650, including the 1st and Reverse issues you guys mention. I hope I don't develop them....

CaliLifeStyle · Sep 1, 2005

git-it-83 said:
I have no problems at all with my tr3650, including the 1st and Reverse issues you guys mention. I hope I don't develop them....

It only happens to me once in a while. Usually happens during start up.

forpit2000gt · Sep 1, 2005

reverse does not have syncros.

My car di this from day one. I think some have helped this problem by using GM syncromesh fluid. Seem to be a Tremec thing. I have never owned a Ford that did not have grinding reverse and 1st gear hard to go in. This is not a clutch thing and will not be solved by a new quadrant.

2000GT · Sep 1, 2005

I don't ever recall this problem early on when I first bought the car. It has become tougher to put into 1st gear over time. The fact that it's become worse over time leads me to believe something is worn. The clutch? I still run the stock quadrant, do you think that is going to help? I suppose the stock quadrant could weaken over time.

forpit2000gt · Sep 1, 2005

2000GT said:
I don't ever recall this problem early on when I first bought the car. It has become tougher to put into 1st gear over time. The fact that it's become worse over time leads me to believe something is worn. The clutch? I still run the stock quadrant, do you think that is going to help? I suppose the stock quadrant could weaken over time.

it isn't a clutch problem , it is a tranmission problem. It doesn't hurt anything, it is just a PITA

kovacs22 · Sep 1, 2005

So its normal for my car to grind when putting it in reverse? like pulling the shifter real hard and quicka nd managing to get it into reverse with minmal griding...or when i pull slow and gently and listen to the gear slowy grind down to s stop then put it in reverse....is that all normal? and isnt that causing some metal shavings in my tarbs fluid?

-ryan

bunit702 · Sep 1, 2005

mity2 said:
i have to put it in 1st first to put it in reverse. Is T3650 have same issues?

Same here. Always have to put it in neutral let off the clutch then put in first then reverse to get it into reverse gear. I have a 00 GT so i dont know what tranny comes stock in it...

forpit2000gt · Sep 1, 2005

bunit702 said:
Same here. Always have to put it in neutral let off the clutch then put in first then reverse to get it into reverse gear. I have a 00 GT so i dont know what tranny comes stock in it...

you have a T45
Like I said, I've had this since day one. I'm sure there are some metal particles getting into the fluid. I usually shift into first then to reverse or rev a little bit and it goes in.

Stang|ess · Sep 1, 2005

My 04 is the same way. 1st, then reverse. And I have to sometimes shove it into 1st . I have about 22,000 miles on her.

1bad04GT · Sep 1, 2005

TR3650= teh ghey

mity2 · Sep 1, 2005

1bad04GT said:
TR3650= teh ghey

i don't think T-45 is anybetter...

i guess i should look in to TKO500 or T-56 in the future

timeless2 · Sep 1, 2005

mity2 said:
i don't think T-45 is anybetter...

i guess i should look in to TKO500 or T-56 in the future

TKO600

40th GT · Sep 1, 2005

Maybe you 3650 guys should get the TSB done and change to better quality fluid. I have a 3650 myself and hate it..It clunks n grinds pretty much every gear except for 5th and occasional problems going into reverse.

I'm wondering if Royal Purple synchromax + TSB + shifter gasket would eliminate this.

Why is it so hard to shift into 1st gear from a stop?

2000GT

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