Thread: 1.6 transmission problem

Hello friends!

The car: 1998 200sx SE GA16DE, 5sp, 105K miles

The problem: Well, since i bought the car a few months ago, its getting harder and harder to shift into 1st and 2nd gear. It will resist shifting, and sometimes grind when going into either gear. If i push the clutch as hard as i can, basically mashing it into the carpet, the problem is much less and will shift fine 99% of the time that i do this. however, no matter what i do, downshifting to 2nd always feels hard when going more than 15mph, and it seems easier when i give the engine a little rev.

My mechanic flushed the tranny, no change. i asked him to adjust the clutch cable, he said it was already pretty tight, and anymore adjustment wouldn't be enough to keep the throw out bearing happy. My linkage looks ok and so do the motor mounts. Is there anything else i'm missing? or am i due for a new tranny? eggman has a good deal on one. but only 105K seems like low miles to need a new transmission, even if a previous owner beat on it.

As #5 of short circuit would say, NEED INPUT!

105k miles is not too early to need a new one :P Mine has 128k and I lost 4th/5th gear. (5th gear @ 115k)
It was my understanding that the cable needed to have just a bit of slack in it? It's either the syncros going out? So it still grinds into 2nd no matter what and reving the engine makes it easier = the clutch isn't disengaging fully which is causing the grinding. When you push in the clutch it should completely separate the engines power from the transmission and the revs shouldn't matter.

yes, the clutch cable does need some slack in it, and mine does have some slack. the amount of slack appears to be the normal amount and my mechanic concurred.

so if the clutch isn't fully disengaging, what could cause this?

clutch disengaging problem would explain having to mash the pedal into the carpet.

Would it be a good test for me to put jack stands under the front, sit in the car with the clutch in(while in 1st gear), and see if the wheels spin??

Yes. I did that with mine and found out that my clutch would disengage @ about halfway and fully in would make it engage again so I would definitely try that

The only other thing you can do is to check the fluid level. Unfortunately a mesa transmission shop that sells used transmissions, it sounds like something internally has failed. In that case, the transmission will need to come out and be torn down to find the cause and repair. Sad

this happens to me all the time. You have to push down on the pedal hard as fuck just to get it into first. For me its always first gear and reverse that always grind when i get to them. The problem? Clutch cable. Tighen it up. Even one turn made a world of a diffrence in my car. I gave it one good turn and that was the diffrence between grinding gears and smooth transition between gears...So even if your machanic says its tight already just try and give it a turn or 2. it wont hurt to at least try.

Ditto. Cable could be stretching also.

yeah mine was streched like a bitch till it finally broke. but that cable was already due to be changed. Specially with all them heavy duty PP setups i had

If it is not the cable it is your syncro.'s...

If you end up needing a trans i have one from a b13 1.6 ill sell real cheap. Im in northeast Tn also. just send me a pm if interested