cowboy133

I'm pretty new to this forum. I must say out of all the forums I have been involved with this ranks right up there with TDR. Anyway, This is my 4th DCTD but my first with the manual tranny. Is it normal for it to not want to go into 2nd or reverse at a stop. I have to let out the clutch and push it back in and then sometimes it still doesn't want to go in. Kinda makes me miss the auto but the manual tows alot better so far. thanks for any help in advance.

bulabula

I've never had any resistance from mine in going into 2nd; but reverse can be sticky sometimes (at least a FAR reach).

Maybe the clutch isn't adjusted correctly? How many miles on it? I remember significant improvement after I changed the oil in it the first time.

Jeff in TD

I don't know if it is normal or not, but the shifting on mine degraded after about 20k, especially when trying to shift into 1st or reverse while stopped.

I switched to Redline MTL, which improved shifting while moving, but it can still be tough to put into gear when stopped once in a while.

SkyHarborCowboy

Push the clutch in and count to 5 or 10 and before trying to shift into gear. See if that helps. I know you shouldnt have to do that but try it. I have a feeling you have a little air in the clutch hydraulic system. You may have to bleed your clutch lines.

Joe

PS. On my Ford, I have this same problem and my first sentence helped the situation considerably.

DSLRammin

Same here, feels like I'm going to bend the shifter trying to get it to go into reverse. I don't have your 2nd gear problem. Maybe I'll put on a few thousand mile in reverse to loosen her up.

RickCJ

You should always shift your trans into gear while you are moving!! the teeth may not be lined up while sitting still.
If it is harder to put into gear than with a finger or two, not so hard to bend the shifter, you have a problem!

MedicShawn

Mine was hard when it was new but with 30K no problems.

cowboy133

Maybe it just needs to break in a bit. I only have 9000 on it now. we'll see in another 20,000 how it is. thanks for all the replies guys.

Mixer Man

Remember these are heavy -duty truck transmissions ,not a Hurst 5-speed . I always try to slip her into gear while moving and sometimes double clutch her or no clutch .........just like the big trucks . Mine was ungodly tight when I first got it but shifts like a dream with 22,000 miles on her . Don't push the clutch all the way to the floor either ,prematurely wears slave cylinder and trans shifts better half way anyway .

PourinDiesel

Try sliding into 3rd then slide over to R quickly and you should go right in.

bulabula

The first post said he had trouble at a stop; a place where you are sitting still. I typically use 2nd gear from a stoplight. In any event, I don't think R is synchronized anyways - I'll leave it to someone else to shift their truck into R while moving.

With 9k on the clock, I'd try an change of oil. I waited until 18k before I did mine; afterwards I wished I had done it sooner.

MikeyB

I switched out the original fluid at 15k miles with Pennzoil Synchromesh. Helped with the shifting some but still had to double clutch for downshifting. At 20k miles I tried the new Amsoil MTF 5w-30. Shifting is much better now and can easily downshift without double clutching.

MikeyB

Cargun

My truck would sometimes refuse to engage reverse when it was new. This happened 3 times in the first 2 weeks I owned the truck. Hasn't happened in the 4.5 months since so I think it was just a break in thing.

It didn't matter what I did with the clutch, it wouldn't go. How I got it to eventually go was drive the truck forward and stop every couple inches and try reverse again. Fortunately there was enough room in front of me I was able to do this. I think it took 2-4 feet of rolling usually before it would engage.

doomgaze

Mine occasionally does what the original poster described.

It just refuses to go into second. It only does it at a stop (I think), so I'm sure its that the teeth aren't lined up.

Just thought I'd chime in and describe my experiences because no one else seemed to have the problem with second... just reverse.

cowboy133

second isn't nearly as bad as reverse.