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Shifting into 2nd

mikeyfrano

mikeyfrano

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When I shift into 2nd on my 4 speed it shifts fine if I'm just cruising, but if Im pressing the go pedal and shifting fast I almost always miss my 2nd gear. It's like I hit a block on the side. How do I get my Trans to shift into 2nd smoothly? Or am I just a bad shifter?
 
What's the history on the trans?

Newly rebuilt? Etc....
 
moparnation74 said:
What's the history on the trans?

Newly rebuilt? Etc....
Click to expand...
Never rebuilt. I remember my older brother going through the gears back in the early 80s without ever hitting a stop trying to go into 2nd. I do know that the Trans was shifted alot with out clutch when it was in storage by my little brother and his friends.
 
Check the "Z" bar bushings.Have someone step on the clutch and watch the Z bar for flex.Check the clutch pedal mount for flex as well.
 
Examine all pivot points and linkage! Someone stepping on & off the clutch while you look at everything. Is it a stock clutch or an HD unit requiring more pedal effort?
 
HEMI-ITIS said:
Examine all pivot points and linkage! Someone stepping on & off the clutch while you look at everything. Is it a stock clutch or an HD unit requiring more pedal effort?
Click to expand...
It's a HD unit.
 
An HD clutch takes more effort to depress than stock.Go right to the z bar support on the chassis rail and watch it flex.Also the plastic halves to the bushings on the Z wear faster with added pedal effort,make sure the bushing and all moving parts are well lubed as well as the trans linkage.
 
Hemitis and mopar3B are hitting all the good points. The only thing I would add is maybe take a look at the shifter mechanism itself to see if you have a bent separator plate (happened to me) and smear some wheel bearing grease down in there while you're at it. fyi-there's a company called Penray that sells some of it's products online. Their "Inner Slide Lube" is wheel bearing grease in a spray can (but don't use it on wheel bearings).
 
mopar 3 B said:
What shifter? Could be a weak reverse lock out spring.
Make sure you are not pulling the shifter sideways when pulling towards you.
Click to expand...
It's a pistol grip and pullng it sideways a bit may be part of my problem
 
Had a '68 383 4 speed Road Runner I bought new. Always had trouble with the one/two shift. Even had a "drag racer" who ran a Chevy claim he could power shift anything - he couldn't make it shift although I though he was going to blow the motor in the attempt! Finally put a T handle on the shifter - managed to literally pull the hurst handle right out of the shifter body next time (remember, they were held in with spring clips), went right over my shoulder! Drilled a hole though the handle & bolted it in! After that, I had a '68 GTX 440/4 gear, with the old reverse lockout handle on it. Same thing - couldn't get a clean shift to 2nd. On that one, I managed to break the lower shift arm right off where it hooked to the tranny. Had to weld it back up! Supposedly, the "fix" was to take every second tooth off the synchro ring to fix the problem but I never tried it, just got used to granny shifting to 2nd! Don't know if there's any truth to the old rumour that hemi 4 speeds were better.
 
moose1 said:
Had a '68 383 4 speed Road Runner I bought new. Always had trouble with the one/two shift. Even had a "drag racer" who ran a Chevy claim he could power shift anything - he couldn't make it shift although I though he was going to blow the motor in the attempt! Finally put a T handle on the shifter - managed to literally pull the hurst handle right out of the shifter body next time (remember, they were held in with spring clips), went right over my shoulder! Drilled a hole though the handle & bolted it in! After that, I had a '68 GTX 440/4 gear, with the old reverse lockout handle on it. Same thing - couldn't get a clean shift to 2nd. On that one, I managed to break the lower shift arm right off where it hooked to the tranny. Had to weld it back up! Supposedly, the "fix" was to take every second tooth off the synchro ring to fix the problem but I never tried it, just got used to granny shifting to 2nd! Don't know if there's any truth to the old rumour that hemi 4 speeds were better.
Click to expand...
Thats just a rumour. Its a matter of learning to use the pedals and knowing by feel when to drop it in. Time elaped decrees with practice. But everything needs to be in proper working order.
Even tho this trans is lots stronger than the old T10 super shift quality could be better.
 
When driving normal or shifting a little fast and it goes into gear ok do you hear any grinding at all ? If not then it sounds like the sycro may be ok and it may be in the shifter. If you hear any grinding at other times then I would be thinking about the sycro if it only does the grinding in that one gear. If it has grinding in all gears then I would be checking the clutch adjustment. But from what you said it may be in the shifter. Ron
 
383man said:
When driving normal or shifting a little fast and it goes into gear ok do you hear any grinding at all ? If not then it sounds like the sycro may be ok and it may be in the shifter. If you hear any grinding at other times then I would be thinking about the sycro if it only does the grinding in that one gear. If it has grinding in all gears then I would be checking the clutch adjustment. But from what you said it may be in the shifter. Ron
Click to expand...
I think I may be pulling to the side because kit doesn't grind, clunk or anything out of normal. It like I hit the edge of the gear box instead of going into 2nd. When I first started driving it after my GTX rebuild it seemed to shift in to 2nd easy, but now I can't seem to shift into 2nd as smooth as when I'm just cruising. I'm gonna rebuild it before next spring to see if it helps
 
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