I have an 85 S-10 T5 mounted in my 52 Chevy Ute. Behind a stock full pressure 235 using a Hot Rod Works adapter to the stock bellhousing. It's a 4 cyl NWC version if that helps. I picked the trans out of the junkyard. It is well used. Stock S-10 shifter. Trans shifts fine, all gears work, clutch fully disengages (no grinding), and speedo cable spins. OK, so much for the background. My problem is that it is very difficult to get into 1st gear. As in shifter handle just will not go forward. First gear works fine once I can get it engaged. Best chance to get into 1st is slight rolling few mph. From a dead stop I can sometimes double clutch to get shifter into 1st, but many times it just won't go and I have to use 2nd to start, slipping clutch more than i like. It acts like there's something blocking the movement to engage 1st. So is my 1st gear problem a synchro worn out? Or maybe shifter fork? Or something else? And for bonus question, what is recommended fix? Thanks for the help, Terry
Well, that's a classic symptom for a dragging clutch or pilot bushing. Does it go into reverse easily without grinding?
What type of oil are you using? These boxes are very sensitive to using the correct oil. I am using synthetic ATF from Redline and get good results.
3 possibilities Either worn blocker ring on the 1st gear slider or Too much end play in the rear mainshaft bearing But most likely the pads on the 1-2 shift fork [which is easiest to fix]
Not sure how to break this news, but NWC T4 and T5 transmissions were built to be used with 50W (Ford rec.) - 70W (GM rec.) gear lube, not ATF. Dexron II ATF is about 10W. ATF, specifically Dexron II, is the the intended lubricant for WC T5's, which have needle bearings between the gears and the main shaft. If you use 10W oil in an NWC T5, you will radically shorten its service interval.
Doesn't that come under the title of "never assume" and smell/check to see what was in it when you acquired it? Good info Gimpy but I think my NWC 88 t-5 smelled strongly of 90 wt when I bought it. Got it from a kid who figured out that it wasn't going to fit his Camaro before he got too far.
Don't feel bad, my T5 WC is exactly the same way. 1st gear is hell to try and shift into, has always been hard and i have a hydraulic clutch that works fine. I've done everything external that can be done. It's useless anyway unless the car is at a dead stop, shift out about 5 mph. I hate it. I use ATF in mine since it is a WC. I have the solution though--the 700R4 sitting there patiently.
Not a dragging clutch. Once it lines up it goes into gear just fine. Reverse as well goes in easy. It is just first gear. The problem is not clutch related, it is something internal in the trans. Thank you Kerry. If it goes into 2nd gear just fine, either when stopped or moving, does this indicate the pads on the shift fork are OK or could they still be worn for the 1st gear side? I probably need to consider just taking the trans out and rebuilding it, as I said it was well used in the poor S-10 it came from in the junkyard. But having just gotten the car assembled and driving, I am sorting out any issues I find as I put miles on it. Plus this 236/T5 combo is a temp setup until I put a V8 in it. So kind of hesitant to put a lot of time or money into this T5 if it will not be the final trans used. For the question of the lube in the trans, I did change out the fluid and replaced with manual trans fluid oil. It is similar to engine oil viscosity, is not ATF and is not 90W gear oil. Edit: Yes, the 1st gear is quite low, my rearend ratio is 3.70. So taking off in 2nd gear is not too bad, but still taller than i like for slipping the clutch.
They have a nylon pad that can wear on 1st gear side. The fix is bronze pads.[approx $20 for all 6] Its trans out to get the top cover off, so you might as well check the end play in the rear bearing. This bearing is subjected to a lot of rear thrust with torque [especially in the lower gears] And trying to select 1st gear pushes the whole assembly rearward. Both worn pads or worn rear bearing will only partially engage the 1st gear slider. With the S10 they underdrive the countershaft so 1st gear [and 2nd/3rd] is lower. And there is less O/D at the top end. This is common with tranmissions used in commercial vehicles. You vehicle could benefit from a higher rear end ratio, to use 1st gear better. And dropping back into 4th for passing etc would be less dramatic.
I had a trans do that once and i changed the fluid because the stuff was old. All the problems went away after that. Fyi: I have a s10 t5 in my coupe. I love it but when i first got it going it had 3.70 rearend. First gear was pretty useless and i would have to shift before getting 1/2 way through an intersection. Overdrive was a struggle also because the flathead was past its useable torque range to pull it. I ended up putting 3.00 gears in it and it totally transformed everything!! The low 1st gear allows the high final drive to work. I love it you, you can cruise around town with out shifting all the time then when you get out on the highway you can do 65 all day long and get great mpg spinning 2200 or so. I dont use overdrive much anymore unless im doing over 70 and then it just drinks the gas and you are pushing slot of air at that point so its not exciting other than passing new suff in the fast lane with my old shit.
Generally, trans won't go or is difficult to go into gear, it's the syncro ring, syncro collar, work fork and possibly worn syncro blocks. If the trans won't STAY in gear, usually the gear syncro teeth are worn and no longer look like tiny house with angled roof side but resemble a quonset hut. Nice and curved. Either way, the box has to come out and be inspected.
Recently I was having difficulty with the T5 in my OT Thunderbird getting it to go in 1st and sometimes 3d. I remembered when I had a T5 rebuilt that the rebuilder told me to put a pint of Slick 50 in the transmission to help with shifting so I put it in the TBird. It made a world of difference. I was going to replace the transmission with another that I had but it shifts fine now. Mine was a WC T5 so I don't know if a NWC T5 would respond the same way with the Slick 50.
I don’t watch much TV anymore, so I don’t know what’s advertised, but is Slick 50 still available? I’m not looking for it, just curious. Thanks Edit: I used to see it at the Kragens Auto, but they sold out to O’Riellys, then relocated, and now I’m an AutoZone and Napa shopper, haven’t noticed on a shelf in many years.
I’ll be darn, I just googled it and the first ad I saw was fromAutoZone. Guess I haven’t been down the “treatment” aisle for a long time.
Thanks, with your reply and Kerry's previous replies, I am pretty sure that to determine exactly what is happening will require trans removal and some disassembly. Kind of what I suspected, but was hoping to maybe have an easy fix. I'm sure the problem is related to just wear and many miles on this trans. The trans doesn't pop out of gear, or grind, when driving. Just has tough time to go into first gear, especially when stopped.
My T5 is not going into 1st gear at all. It does seem like it is close to because I can here the gears sliiiightly touch when I try andlet out the clutch. Bought the trans used so I deserve it I guess.
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