So, I just got a new beater, and am going to see if I can fix the only other issue thats bugging me, and thats the tranny. I can be the 1st to admit I know diddly about transmission work, but anyway...

So, the symptoms are this:

1st gear, you MUST be at a complete stop to get it into. As you begin to slip the clutch to take off, if you are NOT actually holding the stick in place, it WILL pop out of 1st gear.

Assuming you hold it in 1st, you cant rev it too high (maybe 1500 RPM? dunno with no tach), you can pop it into 2nd...sometimes. Basically I found today as long as you hesitate maybe a half second to one second after pressing the clutch in, it'll usually pop right into 2nd ok. Otherwise, it will just grind most of the time, or you just gotta shove it in HARD to pop it into gear, obviously not desired. Sometimes if the trucks moving slow enough, you can release the clutch and press it again, and then slowly release while giving gas, kinda like you're taking off from a stop in 1st. That MIGHT work, but most of the time it just likes grinding again...

3rd, 4th and 5th gear's are all just fine to shift into, but nothing is more annoying than being in stop and go traffic and not being able to get the tranny into 2nd or even 1st gear when needed lol...

Oh, also, I was driving today and took a right turn up a hill, and that actually popped it out of 3rd gear.

Any suggestions?
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I'm not really good with transmissions, but it sounds like your syncros are toast. Time to rebuild that tranny I would think.

Ya , sounds like you need to go get a new beater transmission, as your new(old) beater transmission is toast.
Welcome to the board

Mine was the same way when I got it. I should have listened to these guys and rebuilt it right away. Instead, I waited and totally trashed it. I had to hunt down a good used one on short notice.

quote:

Originally posted by Reserector:
Mine was the same way when I got it. I should have listened to these guys and rebuilt it right away. Instead, I waited and totally trashed it. I had to hunt down a good used one on short notice.

How much did it cost ya to rebuild, or did you do it yourself?

I paid $500 for a local mechanic to rebuild one that he had at his shop. Mine had very few usable parts left in it. That one lasted a few days and destroyed itself beyond use. He gave me my money back and I bought a used one from a private party.

So, Im almost wondering if the clutch just isnt disengaging completely, or maybe thats just a seperate issue all together?

From a dead stop in neutral, I found yesterday that as I dropped the clutch to just rest in neutral, the car pulled forward a moment. Not to mention, I found that, in a small incline at a redlight, I could take my foot off the brake (same situation - neutral, clutch released) and the truck wouldnt want to roll back until I actually pressed the clutch in.

Hrmmmm....

The clutch is a separate issue, but will be easy to replace while the transmission is out.

Interesting. Im almost debating on if its worth it in the end to rebuild the tranny on this. From what Im adding up, rebuilding this and getting a new clutch would end up being just as much as I spent on the whole truck that only needs to get me to the May - July time frame! Oh, I spent $575 on it haha...

Just a plain jane clutch will run me $100, the rebuild kit would be around $200 with syncro's, not to mention the on-base hobby shop will charge me close to $40, assuming it'll be a 2-day job MINIMUM. Flywheel resurface is what, 30-40 bucks? And thats assuming nothing ELSE is wrong with it! Gotta love winter beaters...

I'm not found of rebuilt trannys. I would find a good used one before I would rebuild mine. I will be buying a new tranny when the current one totally craps the bed. PO did not know how to drive a stick.

FYI- rebuilding transmissions is not for the novas. You said auto-hobby shop so your military. The auto hobby shop will not even come close to having all the specially tools needed to tear down and rebuild the tranny as per the book. usually upon tear down and inspect ion you find gears bad. Most of the gears inside a Nissan tranny have to be ordered in directly from japan.

I disagree. Parts are readily available. I did a search and came up with a bunch of sources. Here is just the first listing.

Here is another, offering rebuild kits.

quote:

Originally posted by LordBiotre:
I'm not found of rebuilt trannys. I would find a good used one before I would rebuild mine. I will be buying a new tranny when the current one totally craps the bed. PO did not know how to drive a stick.

FYI- rebuilding transmissions is not for the novas. You said auto-hobby shop so your military. The auto hobby show will not even come close to having all the specially tools needed to tear down and rebuild the tranny as per the book. usually upon tear down and inspect ion you find gears bad. Most of the gears inside a Nissan tranny have to be ordered in directly from japan.

Yes, I am military. Although a novice to rebuilding a tranny, Ive done quite a bit of engine, suspension and other work on my other cars (1969 Z28 clone Camaro, 2000 Z28 Camaro). Im good at reading teardown/rebuild sheets heh.

As for our auto hobby shop - you'd be surprised. Its about 24 bays large, with several lifts (drive on, frame, oil change stations) and just about every tool imaginable. What they DONT have though, is some QUALITY tools lol. Some get old that need replacing badly, but...they just dont quite have the income for that heh. It was voted the best A/H shop in the AF, though...

Anyway, thanks for the input on the gears though, that WOULD be a pain.

Buy yourself a a 1990 factory service manual.

There's a lot of tools that are locally manufactured. If you have the tools in the manual and follow the book things will be gravy.

Dealers cant order the p/n of the tool the FSM tells you to use.

I rebuilt the tranny and t-case in 8-10 hours. It doesn't take very long, and it's fairly easy. Just have the FSM, and it'll go well.

You don't need any specialty tools.

A good clutch kit will be closer to $150-200, and it'll be around $600 for bearings/synchros.

When you tear it down, if the reverse fork is pot metal, order a new one. Mine was cracked in 4 pieces, and miraculously stayed together. The new one that came was a steel piece, not pot metal.

A (properly) rebuilt tranny will be as good as new. I say go for it.

its really not that hard.Just take it apart and lay it out in order and when you put it back together just add the new parts.Its nothing like an auto with a 1000 different parts.