guys for a lil while i had been hearin a light grindin in 5th gear after i would put it in gear and accelarate. then i started hearin it a little bit in 3rd too. but it shifted totally fine... well now all of a sudden i cant hardly shift into any gears!! i have to double clutch an force it into gear! it seems to shift into gear better when i pump the clutch a few times.. is my trans totally goin out or wats the deal? i wish it was the clutch but i dont think it is, just dont seem like it. i have a valair full ceramic clutch thats less than a year old.. this truck is startin to depress me. my block cracked bout a month ago and now this!!

 

sounds like the hydraulics are wearing out. check for leaks, and make sure the fluid resivoir is topped off. if thats all good you might want to look at replacing it with a heavy duty one. south bend has one for sure. not sure who else does however someone else will chime in with more info.

 

o btw never checked my fluid level. do i need to pull the bolt on the side of the tranny undrerneath or is there a easier place to check the level of the tranny fluid??

 

you will have to pull the plug that you use to fill it. also check the fluid level for the clutch (under the hood, drivers side, on the firewall.)

 

The master/slave cylinder unit is a sealed unit that can't be refilled. Meaning, once it goes out, you have to replace the whole unit.

 

if thats completly true then whats the fluid reservoir on the firewall for?

it can be refilled...

 

I had to replace that master/slave unit in the past & it was a prefilled, sealed piece.

 

doesnt it connect to a reservoir under the hood? like this one?

ok here is another pic. this is a heavy duty one for an 02. the red circle mounts to the firewall next to the brake fluid reservoir. the green circle mounts to the bell housing. the blue to the clutch pedal. if the systme runs low on fluid it can let air into the system, if you re-fill it it is supposed to bleed itself while pumping the clutch pedal. more than likely it wont fix the problem but it sure is a heck of a lot cheaper than replacing the whole thing and it just might help.

 

another thought... syncros going out? if the truck is off can you shift it easier? do you have the right fluid in the tranny?

 

ya i can def shift easier when its turned off.. also havent changed fluid before. wat should i use? i seen the castrol syntorq stuff is wat they recommend, is that all i should use or can i use anythin else?

 

the castrol stuff is crazy expensive! i used amsoil in my 96 and it shifted great. (under $13 a quart vs 22-25 for the castrol) i think red-line makes it too not sure on the price of red-line though.

 

Well. About 3 years ago. I was driving down the street at 10 mph. I thought someone threw a bottle at my truck. Sounded like glass breaking. All of a sudden, I could not get into gear without having some noise. Hard to shift in to any gear except 4th.

I found out that a bearing decided to go. The lower bearing in the case let loose.

This was my fault. I had always check all fluids except the transmission. I had fluid and i new it, but, when I bought the truck, I assumed it had been changed. Well, it hadn't . Big chunks of metal and
the fluid was silver. Woops

I had to have the transmission rebuilt. I was lucky. I pulled the transmission, split it from the transfer case, (fluid leaked everywhere, that was fun to clean up. Yukkk) Anyway. I ordered a rebuilt kit, and could not get the gears off the shaft. Went to purchsae a puller, (2,000) and decided to let a shop put it back together. Costs was low since I had already pulled it and diagnosed the problem.

Anyway, If the truck shifts rough in all gear except 4th. That might be the problem. 4th. is the main shaft straight throught. Unless you blew a bearing on the main shaft, this might be the problem.

If no oil, then things just burned up. excessive wear quickly. Plastic parts melted.

Sorry for you problem. Let us know what the problem is when you find out.

 

update on the trans. local shop drove it an told me that 3rd an 4th gears seem shot. which i figured. but he didnt tear into it cause he dont mess with trans. i know a diesel shop a couple hours north of here that il prob end up goin to. wonderin wat you guys think, should i get it rebuilt or just get a diff one? should i try to find a engine an trans together out of a donor truck, since my block is cracked anyway? thanks

 

First thing I'd do is get a service manual for your truck. Having a conversation about a sealed non-refillable clutch hydraulic system is ridiculous. The clutch system is discussed in detail in he FSM and is not sealed.

Next check your options. No sense fixing a trans in a truck that has a cracked block. (Proper fluid is also discussed in the FSM.) Deal with both issues at the same time - at least know what your choices are. While you're shopping, more options will turn up. I hate that Dodge put such a weak truck around such a good engine.

 

how good are you with tools dropping the trans is an easy job for a wrench.
Find a gear shop in your area, auto tranny shops sometimes do manual trans. or rebuild it yourself sounds like you need to diagnosis it properly first.
Eliminate the clutch and hydraulic system, check the trans oil drain it into a clean pan ans see what comes out that will tell you lots. there are a number of things that can go in a manual trans.
How many miles on this how much towing ??????