ok, just today, rather suddenly my car became really hard to shift into gear, it kinda felt like clutch fluid was low, so i checked that, and that wasn't it. I can't figure out if this is a clutch or tranny problem tho, the car is a 96 vtec with 96k miles on it, pretty much stock everything, nothings been replaced. I'm hoping it is just a clutch, cause tranny problems are expensive, but i just don't know.
The pedal pressure is normal, when engine is off if shifts into different gears no problems, feels all good. But when driving, upshifting was becoming increasingly difficult, and downshifting was even worse, pretty much had to double shift into some gears. when it does go into gear it grinds, and it doesn't seem limited to one gear, seems like pretty much all of them. It doeesn't pop out of gear at all, once it's in gear, it stays in, but getting there is a bitch. any opinions??
oh lastly when starting off in first gear, as i release the clutch the car doesn't go forward real smoothly, seems to engage rather difficult, ok i think that's all the symptoms.

 

holy ****!! you just described the EXACT same problem i had about 3 weeks ago, every gear was hard to upshift into, and downshifting was impossible. and starting off in first gear you had to give it lots more gas and it still felt like dieing. i had almost 149,000 miles on the original clutch, so i was also hoping that it was the clutch and not the transmission.

so i ordered the exedy clutch kit from clutchcityonline for 120shipped
took about a week to get here, then two weeks before i had the car running again. it only took about 16 hours me and a mechanically inclined friend to change it.

i've been driving it for 4 days nows, and the problem is gone. i usually shift under 3k(trying to break in clutch) but i shifted at 5k a few times and it shifts fine


oh and while i was at it i got a Forbidden Short Shifter. that thing is so amazing. no slop, really clean shifts

 

cool, i was pretty sure it was the clutch before, now your story pretty much confirms it. thanks alot for the response. i guess i better find a new clutch!