I've been thinking about ripping my tranny apart to fix the syncros, but i wanted to get some opinions first.
I have a 99 V6 3.8 5 Speed, when i take off in first gear, the car wont allow me to shift into 2nd fast, it grinds. Also when i'm coming to a stop light or slowing down, i have to hold the shifter at 2nd gear until it slides in by itself or it grinds. It only grinds going from 1st to 2nd or 3rd to 2nd to 1st. Usually i have to come to a complete stop before putting it into 2nd or first, sometimes i'll even have to sit at the light for a minute trying to get it in gear, but now that i put in some tranny lucas it seems like it's a little better. Does this sound like Syncros? Am i better off just swapping the whole tranny or should i try to rebuild?
Please any ideas are greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

Whast's the condition of your clutch? A bad pressure plate can also cause those issues.

Rebuilding the T5 will cost you more than getting a good used one. And, those trannys are fairly easy to swap too.

 

I was just thinking clutch too. If it is dragging a little that could be causing the problems. I had a dragging clutch in my Mustang and it made going between first and second a pain (even lost a race because of it). I had a BW top loader 4speed and I took it out to be rebuilt, took it apart, everything looked good (except a little wear from the minor grinding I did do). I had the Tranny class at Clover Park Tech College look over my work after I got it all put back together and they said it looked great for a 30 year old tranny. Once I got the car put back together I found the clutch was not adjusted properly. I adjusted it and BAM problem solved.

Massey

 

Does it grind when you put it in Reverse?

 

I was thinking it possibly being the clutch also, seems like it's probably not engaging fast enough to allow me to shift into 2nd gear, or downshift into certain gears, but it's weird it only does it in a few gears.
How hard is it to change the pressure plate, or the clutch itself (if needed)?
As for reverse, before i put the Lucas in it was a PAIN to get it in reverse, i would have to hold the shifter like right outside of the reverse slot until it slid in itself or if i tried to jam it in it would grind.
Same thing with downshifting into 2nd, I sometimes have to hold the shifter by the 2nd gear slot until it slides in. Kind of hard to explain.
Since i've had the car i haven't seen how the clutch looks, but seeing as how everything else looked on it when i bought it i wouldnt be surprised if this was the problem.
It could be a coinsidence now that i put Lucas in the tranny, it seems better, with my luck i can see this lol.

 

Reverse is a non synchronized gears. If the car is not moving and you have the clutch pushed NOTHING should be turning. Any time you grind something is turning. This means your clutch is not disengaging. The clutch should be serviced as a unit. Pressure plate, Clutch plate, Fly wheel, throw out bearing and Slave cylinder.

If you have been driving the car like this for awhile there is a good chance you will need to replace the synchronizers in the tranny also.

 

If you got from Neutral to reverse it will grind. All 5-speed Camaros and Firebirds do. You have to go from another gear to Reverse. 1st to Reverse works best for most people. If you never replaced a clutch before then it will be hard to replace.

 

That is because you are not giving the tranny time to spin down. Putting it in a syncro'd gear will produce enough friction to stop the idle spinning. No biggy just wait a few seconds.

Massey

 

This car has been alot of problems, and to fix anything on it is such a pain in the a**, i used to have a honda civic everything was SO much easier lol..
Atleast when i had my first Camaro, my Dad built it and worked on it so i never had to

If i try to go from another gear to reverse it wont let me at all, i have to jus keep trying to get it in, or just hold in near it until it slides in itself.
Lately it has been ALOT better, i mean i still can't shift fast but it seems a little better.


This makes sense now, i guess that explains how my car starts without pushing the clutch in, also if i'm in 4th gear i can pull it out of gear and put it back in without pushing the clutch in just aslong as i do it kind of fast (havent tried it slow, or in any other gears). How hard is it to change the entire clutch out? Also are there any threads on it?

Another question, when i'm driving (or just beginning to accelerate) my car will try to like stall i guess you could say, then it just kicks back on and everythings good. It's really weird and it happens often (but not everyday). The one day i was at a light and went to accelerate (in alot of traffic) and it did it so i figured it stalled, i went to turn the key to start it back up and i just happened to give it gas and i heard it rev up, it's was like it started itself back up or something i dont know it's very hard to explain. Another time it happened i had just gotten off the highway, and was coming up to a light, then i accelerated at the light and it completely stalled so i rolled into a gas station and again went to start it and noticed it was still running. I'm thinking possibly a fuel issue or something? I wish i could explain it better but it's hard.

I have problems with my interior lights also, at first i thought it was my trunk so i unhooked the plug that plugs into the latch, but nope - if i dont pull the fuse they will stay on, sometimes they go off, but eventually they will just stay on and wont go off. My door locks sometimes work and sometimes dont, and when i push the window button - in the dash somewhere makes a weird beeping sound when they dont work, but when they do it doesn't make the sound.
I also pulled apart my center console the other day trying to fix something and i noticed there's a light hidden down in there, so i turned the car on and it lights up and doesn't go off. I just hit it back where it was i'm thinking maybe it's my check engine light seeing as mine has NEVER been on, but then again the harness the wiring comes out of for the light is right next to the shifter so i dont think it would reach up to my gauges.

Thanks for the help, guys.
I really do appreciate it.

 

I would have your local dealer run your VIN for your RPO codes and see if your car was a converted 5sp. That light you speak of should only be in an Auto car. Also the lighting issue sounds like it could be from the BCM. I wrote a thread on how to fix it, just search all threads started by Massey and you will find it. I wish some one would sticky it or add it to the help section (hint hint). Do you still use the factory radio? if so does it decide to turn off on its own and what have you around the same time the door locks do their thing? if so defidently check the BCM thread.

Massey

P.S. Your car should not have pin switches in the door jamb, the curtsey light switches for 98+ are located in the latch mech.