Hard Downshifting

You have the AX-5 for a transmission. Usually a difficulty getting into gear at a stop is the clutch is not fully releasing. Have you check it's fluid reservoir for full? If not note the smell of the fluid and take your finger and wipe the bottom of the bellhousing and under the dash for where the push rod goes through for that smell to tell you where it's leaking. If it's at the bellhousing it must come apart to replace the internal slave, the last of the sabotages done by france to the AMC designed YJ:

Thanks Bill, The problem started about a month ago, according to my wife, so I drove and confirmed the problem, but since I don't have any transmission experience, other than pulling and replacing, I didn't really know where to start. I appreciate the clutch and slave tip, I'll start there. I drive a '92 with 4.0 and automatic, (when the dually is parked due to high diesel costs) and have had no problems in 189,000. I prefer the auto because it frees up a hand to hold my Mt. Dew!

Anyway,

Thanks again.

Spdloader

I would be checking the tranny fluid level and the clutch reservoir. If low on fluid, it will shift hard. Does it have any drips under when it sits?

Mike

I filled the trans to capacity each time, and there are no leaks or drips.

Spdloader

How are the engine and tranny mounts? A bad one can put the shifter out of place so it can be a bugger getting into 1st and 2nd one time you stop and reverse the next time you stop. Or if the tranny mount is totally gone, then all 3 might be hard. This is due to the shifter physically hitting the shifter boot.

If you use any gear oil that says GL5 on it or comes premixed with 'friction modifier' for diffs, you will get your symptoms.

Mike

Spdloader wrote:

It's not an internal problem, almost certainly clutch (or clutch hydraulics) related. Your input shaft is turning with the engine, maybe not way up at idle RPM but more than normal, when you press the pedal to the floor. The clutch is not completely disengaging or the pilot bushing-to-input shaft interface has too much friction which is causing the input shaft to continue spinning. You can confirm this if you gently ease it into reverse and hear the gears ratcheting together without coming to a stop in a couple of seconds.

If your Jeep had sat at some point, read on...

I had a similar problem with my '94 YJ (also 2.5L, MT) - it was fine when cool, but acted up once the engine warmed up, but was intermittent. I'd either have to go into 4th or 5th before entering a lower gear once stopped or kill the engine to shift into 1st.

After disassembly, the clutch and it's components all looked great but the transmission input shaft was ratty looking - this jeep had been parked for 8-10 months before I bought it which probably contributed to the problem. It didn't do it at first, but rather appeared a few months after I had been driving it. I separated the transmission from the engine, gently polished the input shaft up with some crocus cloth enough to get the surface rust off, regreased it, and it was fine since.

Spdloader wrote:

'94 and '95 have external slaves, I believe late '93 also but I'm not

-jd

I bled the slave with no sign of air, assuming I'd see it as if I were bleeding the brakes, the clutch master cylinder was full at the start, and I kept it that way during the process.

No change in the problem.

Spdloader

Does the Jeep have a body lift?

Mike

No body lift, it's stock except for slightly oversize wheels and tires.

Spdloader

Ok, I was fishing for a physical limitation on the shifter stick itself. A body lift can cause the shifter to bind on the boot. I think I mentioned mounts before too.

My T-5 acted like that when the tranny got GL4-GL5 'compatible' oil in it. I changed out to semi-synthetic because it was the only oil I could find in a GL4 with no limited slip additive or 'friction modifier'.

So if the clutch appears ok for the rest of the gears except the lower ones, reverse is a 'low' gear, that implies something is spinning up the tranny input shaft.

The next suspect is the pilot bearing. Lots of folks forget the pilot bearing in the flywheel needs a good grease job when the clutch is done....

Mike

Spdloader wrote:

One other thing. Is the body square on the frame? If the Jeep was ever in a front corner impact, the body can shift in that direction which could cause the shifter to tag the boot.

That also happened to me when I rolled mine the second time. It was a bugger to shift into second and reverse. My body had shifted about a half inch on the mounts. You can check with a tape measure.

I guess you could also pull the boot to see if it is hitting...

Mike

Mike Roma>

Thanks Mike.

I'll check both things this afternoon.

I appreciate the responses.

Spdloader

Mike, the body and shifter and all seem straight. I have run out of ideas, except for bleeding again. Can the slave be gravity bled like brakes?

Spdloader

I would try it just to see what happens.

It then can come down to getting used to it or pulling the tranny to see if the pilot or throwout bearings are seized up....

Mike

Spdloader wrote:

Thanks, that's my Sunday project.

Later,

Spdloader