SOHC_civic_si

Hey guys, I believe my car has some sort of problem related to the transmission/clutch/shift-linkage or possibly other things.

So I get up in the morning to go to class, I get in my car, start it, and when i put it into reverse I notice a problem. It has become physically harder to put my car in reverse. I back up and when I put it into 1st, the same thing. To maybe give you better idea, I can sorta compare the problem to a car with and without power steering. Before the problem it is like a car WITH power steering meaning it is easy to turn the wheel. With this problem however it is like driving a car WITHOUT power steering. I have to physically use muscle to turn the wheel, etc. That is what it feels like with my shifter. The transmission does not at all grind gears, and it still shifts smoothly, yet it is hard to move my shifter through the gears. What on earth could this be? Any help would be great.

z6hatchboy

Check fluid

SOHC_civic_si

which my tranny fluid or the clutch fluid?

SOHC_civic_si

bump..i need help. to further discuss the problem: it doesnt matter if the car is on or not the clutch is in or out or anything, its still super stiff

redline870

could be the synchronizers in the transmission. i just swapped my sohc engine and tranny out of my del sol. transmission was rebuilt less than 5000 miles ago if u want to buy it. let me know

redline870

now that i think of it i will bet u anything u have a bad master cylinder or slave cylinder for your clutch. they r easy to change and if ones bad chances r the other is not far behind so it would be a good idea to do both.

SOHC_civic_si

about how much do those two usually run you? and you say there easy to replace? how much do you want for your tranny? is it an ex/si or a dx/cx/lx? well the thing is that its really hard to move even when the car is off. so how could that have anything to do with the clutch? my friend was suggesting something to do with the shift linkage

JohnnyWash1

Check your clutch fluid. It's in the little clear plastic resevoir closest to the driver's door. If that is low or empty, you have found your issue. As for your linkage, unless you bent it, I doubt that is the issue. To make sure, hop under your car and take a look at the two rods above the exhaust pipe.

TeamNIR

+1 look at the linkage.

SOHC_civic_si

I've checked my clutch fluid and its full. I work at an oil change shop so I have mechanical knowledge. So as I said the reservoir is full, but the fluid is pretty dirty. Could that affect anything? My buddy who works with me is suggesting I bleed my slave cylinder but I'm just not sure. I've looked under my car as well and everything looks fine to me. The thing that gets me is that it's stiff even when the car is off. My boss thinks something could have stiffened up or be to stiff on the linkage but I only started getting this problem one morning I started up my car, not after I was bagging through a field or something that could knock it around, etc.

JohnnyWash1

If it is still shifting I doubt it is fluid related. When doing my swap, I had to bleed my clutch line and when I didn't do it properly, the transmission wouldn't shift because the clutch wouldn't engage/disengage. If you had a faulty cylinder I think the situation would be the same for you.


You may need to change your tranny fluid (get a nice 5W-30 or 10W30 synthetic) or your linkage could be bent.

SOHC_civic_si

Yeah it shifts fine completely no grind or anything. I have amsoil synchro in the tranny so that possibility is out. I inspected my linkage really well and it looks fine. I think I'm going to bleed my slave cylinder. I just dont see how that could have anything to do with it when the cars off. this is a pickle i tell ya

obuhmyuh

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SOHC_civic_si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I've checked my clutch fluid and its full. I work at an oil change shop so I have mechanical knowledge. So as I said the reservoir is full, but the fluid is pretty dirty. Could that affect anything? My buddy who works with me is suggesting I bleed my slave cylinder but I'm just not sure. I've looked under my car as well and everything looks fine to me. The thing that gets me is that it's stiff even when the car is off. My boss thinks something could have stiffened up or be to stiff on the linkage but I only started getting this problem one morning I started up my car, not after I was bagging through a field or something that could knock it around, etc.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i havent really read that much of this thread, but it sure sounds like a clutch slave/MC problem. it could help and should probably be done if you have never changed it... i good sign that the slave is bad is "dirty"/ dark clutch fluid.

SOHC_civic_si

Thats really what I've been getting told. I just don't see how it is super stiff even when the car is off. I think I'm going to replace it since it hasn't ever been done

illinoishondaboy

I'm new to the site but I've been a mechanic for quite a few years and by the sounds of your problem does not sound like it is fluid/master or slave cylinder related. i know your in the civic area of the forum but what kind of car do you have? does your car have the solid shift arms or is it cable? Have you put a short throw shifter in? If you have the solid bars check to see if there is a problem at any of the bushings if you can see if there is rust coming from the pins inside the rubber. if its cable sounds like your shift cable is rusted internally and you need a new cable or lube the **** out of it and work it free. if you have a short throw in did you change the shifter mount bushing around the ball on the shifter? if so did you grease it before installing the new one? also that might be a good place to check if there is rust present. when you have time try dropping the bars loose see if one bushing is stiffer than the rest. if everything still looks good then you might have a problem inside the trans with something gummed up and sticking in there check all that and let us know what you find.

illinoishondaboy

also just another though ive come across with a 95 civic the part where the linkage goes into the trans there is a joint it pivots on 2 pins each way i have seen these get egged out a lil cause of the pin moving over time wearing the metal out see if there is a problem there


i can't post again today but yours does have the shift arms(bars) not a shift cable just check the bushings and the linkage under the car you might have to drop the exhaust of the hangers to take the shift linkage loose check to see if anything is binding under there


Modified by illinoishondaboy at 6:30 PM 5/3/2008

SOHC_civic_si

My car is a 99 civic dx with the d16y7. the car does have a short shifter but i bought it with one and I bought it like 3 months ago and the problem started showing up like a couple of days ago. I don't know what you mean when you ask if it has solid shift arms or cable so please explain? Are these parts on the shift linkage like all these bushings and pins?

SOHC_civic_si

bump

obuhmyuh

itll be stiff no matter what, it doesnt matter if the car is on or off, if its not getting lunbricated properly it wont be smooth and easy.

SOHC_civic_si

So you think that it has something to do with the bushings not being lubricated properly? Ok thanks. Where would be an ideal place to get that done? How much would that sorta thing cost

obuhmyuh

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SOHC_civic_si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So you think that it has something to do with the bushings not being lubricated properly? Ok thanks. Where would be an ideal place to get that done? How much would that sorta thing cost</TD></TR></TABLE>

i just did mine last wknd and it took me like an hour and a half, wouldve been shorter but i kept stripping the clutch line bolts. the MC and Slave ran me $99.91, so factor in some markup and labor, if you were gonna take it somewhere.

SOHC_civic_si

So it's not all that hard to do? Why did you replace your MC and slave too? Should I replace them as well?

obuhmyuh

if ur slave is going, then ur MC will go soon is the general school of thought. it makes sense too. i replaced mine because i was going to work and all of a sudden i lost clutch pressure and was unable to select gears, which was due to a failing slave unit. the work is fairly easy to do, and having a helms/hayne's is even better. the only tricky part for me was working under the dash in my sol.

here was my thread https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2280608

SOHC_civic_si

Ya that makes sense. It's just weird cause my clutch and tranny shift fine I have normal clutch pressure and nothing grinds or pops out, but the shifter is SOOOO stiff. I'm thinking that if i get the bushings re-lubricated that would fix my problem, and maybe I won't have to replace my MC and slave since my clutch shifts fine already. what do you think?

obuhmyuh

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SOHC_civic_si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ya that makes sense. It's just weird cause my clutch and tranny shift fine I have normal clutch pressure and nothing grinds or pops out, but the shifter is SOOOO stiff. I'm thinking that if i get the bushings re-lubricated that would fix my problem, and maybe I won't have to replace my MC and slave since my clutch shifts fine already. what do you think?</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah thats a cheaper fix, i would def lube that bitch up and see if it fixes it and if not... start replacing ****. but you wont know untill you go under ur car.

btw whats an "msd blaster cap"? in your sig? like an igntion coil?