1st gear issue on 04

**wonderboy** · 07-05-2010, 08:15 PM

So I picked up an 04 GTO the other day and Ive been loving it so far. One thing thats been bugging me though is that if I am at a complete stop and try to put it in 1st gear it wont go..I have to kind of bump it twice to get it in..anyone know what may be going on?

Last owner said a new clutch was put in a month or two ago

**andyramsaran** · 07-06-2010, 06:00 AM

maybe you have a little air the lines or lol maybe they said they change the clutch and never did just said that as a buying tool to sell you the car ?

**wonderboy** · 07-06-2010, 12:02 PM

haha I hope thats not the case but he said he had the reciept at home for the clutch and labor if I wanted it..it feels like the clutch is not engaging in these situations..ill try pushing it into first with the clutch pedal all the way down and the car starts moving forward but the stick wont go into first

**cammed goat** · 07-06-2010, 01:33 PM

It's one thing to replace the clutch...but another to replace the slave. Hopefully the previous owner did both.

**wonderboy** · 07-06-2010, 07:27 PM

haha damn my bad the whole reason he replaced the other things was because he was getting the slave replaced.

it also wont go into reverse from neutral..you have to go to a forward gear and then to reverse..kind of annoying

**cammed goat** · 07-06-2010, 08:18 PM

I think it's common for our transmissions. Mine does this from time to time. In the winter, my car sometimes will scratch 4th.

**ne0fiend** · 07-07-2010, 04:15 AM

Same here - It's just a worn synchro.
Not damaging or fatal to the transmission at all.
The best thing to do is depress the clutch a second time to get it into first and before putting it into reverse just button it up in first gear first.

**JonB** · 07-10-2010, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by ne0fiend

Same here - It's just a worn synchro.
Not damaging or fatal to the transmission at all.
The best thing to do is depress the clutch a second time to get it into first and before putting it into reverse just button it up in first gear first.

Yeah I say you probably have a bad synchro. I had a bad one in 2nd gear on my 01 z28. It would shift fine going 1-2 but if I went 3-2 it got to a point where it would not go in unless I pumped the pedal a few times first. Try bleeding the system first and see if it helps. If it only does it in first im kinda doubting its air in the lines as it would do it in more than just first.

**wonderboy** · 07-10-2010, 09:44 AM

Some people I talked to with the same problem said they bought a tick adjustable master cylinder and that fixed the problem..not enough fluid going through or something. $300 bucks for that thing though...Im just going to bleed it and hope for the best.

**onesickxp** · 07-12-2010, 11:47 AM

+ 1 on bleeding first.

**The Silver Goat** · 07-16-2010, 07:55 AM

Mines done that from day one. I depress the clutch a second time - stick in reverse and then go 1st gear without a problem.

One time I was cresting a hill on on a corner on a local e-way going about 90mph and stuck into 'R'. It didn't feel quite right so I slowly let the clutch and sure enough she was in reverse. Needless to say I found 6th gear and my trans and rear end are still in tac. But, talk about almost loading drawers - it was a depends moment...

**cammed goat** · 07-16-2010, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by The Silver Goat

Mines done that from day one. I depress the clutch a second time - stick in reverse and then go 1st gear without a problem.

One time I was cresting a hill on on a corner on a local e-way going about 90mph and stuck into 'R'. It didn't feel quite right so I slowly let the clutch and sure enough she was in reverse. Needless to say I found 6th gear and my trans and rear end are still in tac. But, talk about almost loading drawers - it was a depends moment...

When I can't get mine into 1st, I just lock 2nd and usually will be able to lock 1st while stopped. If not, I leave a stop in 2nd.

**wonderboy** · 07-16-2010, 06:43 PM

Talked to my old autotech teacher from back in highschool and he thinks that maybe the hubs werent installed or installed correctly..Not worth paying to have it all taken apart though.

**Wesman** · 07-16-2010, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by wonderboy

Talked to my old autotech teacher from back in highschool and he thinks that maybe the hubs werent installed or installed correctly..Not worth paying to have it all taken apart though.

The synchro hubs?? So the trans has been apart once already then??

**Wesman** · 07-16-2010, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by The Silver Goat

One time I was cresting a hill on on a corner on a local e-way going about 90mph and stuck into 'R'. It didn't feel quite right so I slowly let the clutch and sure enough she was in reverse. Needless to say I found 6th gear and my trans and rear end are still in tac. But, talk about almost loading drawers - it was a depends moment...

How did you manage that?? There is a reverse lockout solenoid that requires quite a bit of pressure to overcome, you'd have to really force it into gear.

**wonderboy** · 07-16-2010, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by Wesman

The synchro hubs?? So the trans has been apart once already then??

Yea it had a new reverse sync put in, slave, and clutch and thats when the problems started...He said the 1st gear and reverse are on the same hub/sync or something along those lines

**Wesman** · 07-17-2010, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by wonderboy

Yea it had a new reverse sync put in, slave, and clutch and thats when the problems started...He said the 1st gear and reverse are on the same hub/sync or something along those lines

Thats strange.

1st and 2nd are on the same hub, reverse is its own assembly, with its own unique brass blocker ring.

**ne0fiend** · 07-20-2010, 03:52 AM

Originally Posted by Wesman

Thats strange.

1st and 2nd are on the same hub, reverse is its own assembly, with its own unique brass blocker ring.

Wes is right. and I really don't think the initial R&R is the problem here.
As many of you know, this is the second transmission i've had in this car and it's just as sticky with N-1, N-R combos.
Camanator mentioned he's got the same issue too. I think the only way around this is a new box and assy, or a different transmission application all-together. I gotta say, though - As a former Corvette and WS6 owner I have been unimpressed with the M6 by-and-large. Too many faults and poorly implimented with the GTOs overall design. Functionality is paramount.

I say we all pool together and bolt on some 2-speed PGs!
-Marc

**ls1fan74** · 07-20-2010, 10:07 PM

Has the trans been apart already???

and.....my guess would be synchros, even tho the Tremec has triple-cone 1st and 2nd however clutch fluid and the condition of the clutch itself could also be an issue.

**ne0fiend** · 07-21-2010, 03:47 AM

Originally Posted by ls1fan74

Has the trans been apart already???

and.....my guess would be synchros, even tho the Tremec has triple-cone 1st and 2nd however clutch fluid and the condition of the clutch itself could also be an issue.

Easy test to discern whether it's cluth or synchro, or both.
Shift into 1st gear on smooth, flat ground. If the car eases forward slightly or jerks forward for that matter you can say with near certainty that it is, at least in part, an issue with the cluth.

If the scenario is different, with no easing forward or movement, but is followed by a clunking sound...
I think you get the idea.
Hope that helps!
-Marc