drtyhatch

So I did some maintenance on my wife's 2000 AP1 a few months back. I don't really drive the car that much. My wife rarely drives it but when she does, she babies it. Well i took the car out the other day to run it hard for a few miles and noticed that we had a grind from 1st to 2nd at high rpm's. I never noticed this before. I have however noticed the annoying clutch chatter that these were known for. Could the clutch need some work or is this simply a transmission issue. My wife did complain to me at one point that the car was hard to get into gear a couple of times when the weather first started turning warm.

thanks for any input.

downloader

what kind of oil did you use?

Importedpower

How many miles?
Clutch ever replaced?
What fluids?
Was it level?

If your car wasn't level, then you may not have enough trans fluid in it. Also, your clutch may be getting on up there and be due for a replacement. Also, i recommend double checking the bolts for leaks, you may not have torqued it down enough. The chatter isn't as bad as people say, i've heard stuff about throw out bearings, i have an ap1 (2002) and mine is still on oem clutch at 80k and no real noises like others claim to hear.

I would try to level the car out on jack stands, get some GM Synchromesh Friction Modified, and change out the fluids. make sure its full, then torque them back on well. take it out, drive very easy for a while, then do some shifts quick, see if it fixes it. If so, then go home, jack it up. double check there are no leaks! then see how that does.

if that doesnt work out, then id look into the clutch, also be sure to check to see if there are any metal pieces or anything.

Daily_Dumped_AP1

clutch chatter is caused by hot spots on the clutch disc or uneven fingers on the pressure plate.

Hard to put into gear? syncro/blocker rings are failing, wrong fluid used, using 10w30 can cause hard shifting. Honda TSB highly recommends HONDA MTF fluid.

my .002 cents

steven975

Also, has your clutch fluid ever been replaced?

I did my brake fluid by myself this weekend on my car with 72K miles, and found that the other times I had the brake fluid changed, the clutch fluid was never done. The clutch fluid was almost literally black water.

zeroptzero

+1 on the clutch fluid inspection and change if necessary. This is a common cause of 2nd gear grinds, I would also check the clutch rod clearance and adjust it tighter if there is too much clearance. Both are very easy 5 minute jobs than can eliminate 2nd gear grinds. (assuming your clutch is still in good condition).

Daily_Dumped_AP1

^if your talking about clutch free play from input shaft, it's self-adjusting.

Billman250

No, it is NOT self adjusting. It has a locknut and is adjustable.

drtyhatch

Ok let me be more specific.


80k miles
I used HONDA MTF
The car was level
The fluid level is correct

I will change the clutch fluid this weekend and report back.

I think the noisy clutch has to be from the throwout bearing or springs in the disk as it only makes the noise when letting off of the gas without depressing the clutch. As far as the grinds go it really feels as though it could be clutch related and not so much transmission internally.

Anyways thanks for all of the help. I will report back with findings.

~blacks2k~

What you're referring to is just clutch buzz due to the springs in the disc, it's perfectly normal and a common issue on older AP1's, it does not cause any damage. Search "clutch buzz" and you will find about a million threads on it