So I have maybe 1500 miles on a newly professionally installed Southbend Con OFE clutch, it was pretty stiff to shift starting out. After driving out to camping this weekend and returning home I noticed it was very hard to shift gears while driving down the road. I pulled over and attempted to put it into reverse, nothing, first - nothing ( like I was pushing the shifter against a solid object ). I could start in second as usual but it is still very hard to engage and you must force it. If I turn the truck off I can shift through the gears easily and placing it in say first or reverse and then starting it in gear will allow me to use first or reverse. Since shops are closed for the holidays, anyone have any idea's as to whats going on?

 

air in the hydralic clutch system?? try "pumping" up the clutch BEFORE trying to get it in gear, if that helps its gonna be an issue with the clutch MC/slave cyl, not sure how these trucks are set up, as mines an auto. someone will chime in I'm sure, some systems have a clutch rod or slave rod that can be adjusted,
Maybe change your title of your post, I thought it was an automatic issue

 

Pumping doesn't work, slave and master cylinder appear fine - fluid levels in check and no leaks. Pressure or clutch resistance hasn't changed or I would suspect the same. The clutch rod can be adjusted and I'm looking at lengthening it and seeing what happens but it was the size that was included in the kit from SB. Clutch only has 1500 miles on it with zero pulling

 

if its like any other clutch, take the slack out of the rod, just make sure you still have at least an 1/8 of clutch pedal free play (check for this at the clutch pedal)

 

Probablly the clutch MC. Very bad about internal bypass. Yet no leaks.

 

So after talking to the power shop and my mechanic they convince me to buy a new hydraulic kit from southbend - installed it and nothing, still won't shift into diddily squat. Any ideas? Pressure plate?

 

I would bet that the pilot bearing was not replaced or was defective. In this case the friction in it will cause the gears to spin even with the disk fully released. High gear synchronizers will allow to shift into high gears but low gears will not. When standing still, try shifting into 3rd, keep the clutch pressed, then try going into 1st - does this help?

 

Pilot bearing was new when clutch was installed. With truck on at a standstill it simply will not go into first or reverse. You can force it into second third or fourth but I'm not a small guy and it takes a majority of my strength, the kind of forcing that if I tried any harder I'd bend of break the shifter.

 

This is starting to sound like a transmission problem to me.

Do you have the NV4500 or NV5600?

 

Or a clutch that is fubarred. Either way the tranny has to come out for a lookee see.

 

Any news on this? Did they crush the pilot bearing when they put the clutch in? Been there, done that.

 

im going thru the sam e thing right now pulled mine back apart front shaft on trans has a groove worn in it from old throwout bearing going out causing it to not let trans gears stop turning turbo2 and paul daisy are on the right track