cdelena

I found this morning that I cannot shift into sixth gear.. just won't go there, like this is no gear there. No other unusual transmission behavior.

The problem must have happened just today since I used sixth without problem early today and on the return to the house the gate seems closed to sixth. Can't recall anything out of the ordinary that brought it on.

The car is a 2000 with only 33K miles. I guess I could use my extended warranty but have had such poor luck with dealership work I really don't want them to work on it anymore.

Any experience with this problem?

twohoos

Ever grind 5th gear? See davepk's post:

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=139607

Or it might just be time to change the tranny fluid.

RazorV3

the shifter housing could have some moisture built up in there.

cdelena

No 5th gear grinds of note (lube changed regularly) and the shifter housing was cleaned and regreased just a year ago. This feels more like a shaft is off.. not even getting to the engagement point to use the synchro.

Strike

That's the same symptom as what Dave described. I had the same issue with sixth. It just disappeared one day as if it didn't exist. End result - rebuilt tranny. I had an extended warranty but ended up having to sue the dealership to get them to honor it for this problem. Some people have had issues like this where the gear came back as quickly as it went. I hope this is the case for you. Good luck.

cdelena

OK.. every chance I had to shift to sixth I took as an opportunity to force the shifter. Finally after about twenty tries I got the whole gear box to jam.. no shifting at all, but was able to work it loose. I now have all six gears but 5 and 6 are very stiff and hard to use. I am hoping it will loosen up with use. Thanks for the responses.

xviper

Please feel free to shoot this one full of holes.
Since 5th and 6th gear shift fork is the same thing, riding in the same shift piece, there is a possibility that the it started out with the 6th gear part of the fork rod being bent or scored. With further manipulation, could it be that the whole fork rod then got scored or bent?
In those cases where it came and went, maybe the rod or shift piece got nicked and with continued movement, the nick got "de-burred" and the lubricant made is work better?

alexf20c

There is no "6th gear part of the fork rod." The 5th/6th gear synchro has a single collar which is engaged by a single shift fork. Push the collar in either direction to engage 5th or 6th gear.

Sounds like he's tweaked the 5th/6th shift fork. Or maybe just the detents.

xviper

Lemme put it another way. Forgive the terminology.
When 6th is selected, a part of the 5-6 shift fork slides through a hole in the 3-4 shift fork and a part of the 3-4 shift fork slides through a hole on the 5-6 shift fork, not to mention that 6th gear itself slides on the shaft that it lives on. It is at one of these points that I'm referring to. Although the detents works for me, too.

alexf20c

Ah, you mean that part of the fork; I thought you meant the actual fork itself, which "grabs" the synchro sleeve.

BTW, 6th gear doesn't do any sliding. It's the synchro sleeve/collar which slides and locks the gear to the hub, and thus the main shaft.