Sometimes when I shift into 5th I get a slight grinding noise. This only happens once in a while and I can not notice any patern to when it will do this. I always have the clutch in (not power shifting) any ideas? It isn't a loud or long grind just enough to be noticeable.

 

Bent shift forks it's a common Tranny problem.

 

Well the shifting into 5th has allway been a problem in the 5th gens. If you are still under warentee then take it back to the dealer and get a new shift for put in. They know about the problem and "should" take care of it no problem.
If the car is out of warentee then what i did was change out the Tranny fluid to "GM Syncromesh"
I did that last fall and was really skeptacal(sp) when i started. But now i have NO grind and it shifts SO SMOOTH!! I really recomend the stuff. It is $9 per quart but that is still a lot cheaper than a $1000 tranny.
Any other questions let me know

 

hmmm I'll have to give that stuff a try.... still have that problem...
anyone else try this stuff?

 

honestly, it sounds like your 5th gear synchro is going bad. tranny fluid is like putting a band aid on it, if it works itll work for a little while but sooner or later youll have to replace it, it will only get worse, eventually you will have a bitch of a time even getting it into gear. prelude synchro's are notorious for going bad, take it to the dealer and see what they can do for you.

 

i have the same exact problem going into 3rd on my 4th gen...... and i dont have warranty for ****...what should i do to fix it permanently?

 

To fix it permanently just double clutch into 5th....after a bit you'll do it without thinking and the cost of the fix is $0

 

still scratches....(in 3rd btw on mine)

 

Get the syncro replaced. As it was said before, everything else is just a band-aid.

The fifth gear problem is different though, the actual gear was designed wrong, so if you get that fixed its a whole new gear.

 

your synchro is wearing out. the sound just gets worse over time. the only suggestion i have is to hesitate one or two seconds with the clutch in before shifting into 5th. wait for the rpms to die down all the way.

once your synchro is gone, 5th gear won't be available at all. i completely lost my 2nd gear synchro back in december and it's a bitch shifting 1st to 3rd all the time. luckily i got my new tranny in now.

 

any idea how much a new synchro costs to have replaced? I would asume this requires removing the entire tranny? If so is this a job that can be done without special tools? Does anyone know what is involved in this?

 

good question... any ideas guys?

 

umm, it's probably cheaper to buy a new tranny. check out www.car-part.com. you can usually find a good deal on a used transmission there. a used tranny with 60k-100k miles on it runs $300 /w no core. the tools involved include impact wrench(1200ft.lb. /w diesel powered air compressor is preferable), 3/4" breaker(or 1" if you break that), the bible, a full 12 pt socket set ranging from 8mm to 36mm, one or two extra pair of hands, a few cases of beer, tranny jack is a MAJOR help, 2 floor jacks, 6 ton jackstands(for height clearance), ALL of the fluids x 2, lots of carb cleaner, a case of the blue shop paper towels, 1 gallon of GoJo orange pumice cleaner, plenty of light(2x 500watt+some little lights), a few weeks if you're doing this outside and it rains alot, more patience than many people have, GOOD mechanical ability, new battery terminals(mine corroded), sledgehammer, 8ft cheater bar, 15 ft of nylon rope, plenty of zip-lock bags for the bolts/nuts(LABEL THESE!!!), an empty garage, and also make sure you roll up your windows before removing the battery otherwise you're gonna need a BIG tarp to cover the windows when it rains...