Help !!!! My transmission is stuck in gear

To anyone and everyone. I have a pristine 2002 SS M-6 with 30k. My car always runs great until this evening. I had just left the Chatterbox Drive-In in Agusta, NJ after the weekly car show. I was driving down RT.206 when I decided to put the hammer down for a little fun. I was at about 3/4 throttle going from 1st, 2nd, 3rd and into 4th when I let off at about 80 mph and let the car slow to 50 where I let it cruise. I then came up to a red light and went to throw it into neutral and coast to the light. My transmission would not come out of 4th gear. The clutch works fine as I was able to drive the vehicle home working the clutch in 4th.
When I stopped the car in my driveway it was too dark to do anything but I still could not get the car out of gear. It will start with my foot on the clutch but I can not back up. I need help, anyone who has gone through this please let me know how you delt with this problem
Thank you in advance to all of you who read this and know my pain. I love this car and not being able to drive it hurts. It really hurts.

WOW, I just looked up the GM Techlink site and it has a bulletin that said to replace the 3-4 aluminum folk with an iron folk and gave a GM part number. It also said to replace the 3-4 synchro. Can this be right. a quick 3/4 throttle blast killed my T56 trans at 30,000 miles. WTF.

I was told my a friend of mine that it may also be an F'ing slider key. Really. A POS 2 dollar slider key killed my tranny at 30k. Really ?

Quite possible on both accounts. Check the fluid level first though. If it's at the proper level, and in good condition, I'd say you're going to need to have the tranny serviced.

Had this same exact thing happen to me, but at only 12,000 miles :)

Your 3-4 synchronizer key has broken. You're going to have to pull the transmission and replace the keys with SOLID keys as opposed to the cheaper stamped hollow metal keys in there.

I'd suggest beefing it up since you're going to have it pulled already. New keys, sliders, 3-4 steel fork, etc.

Should I think about replacing the .50 6th gear with a .62 gear for a more usable 6th gear OD ?

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Originally Posted by 2002ssslp

Should I think about replacing the .50 6th gear with a .62 gear for a more usable 6th gear OD ?

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I didn't do that, but I also have a 4.11 rear end ratio. My upgrade included: Solid synchronizer keys, steel 3-4 shifter fork, hand fit sliders and hubs, new compressed carbon blocking rings.

You can also upgrade: bronze shifter bushing, bronze fork pads, performance metal micropolish, cryogenic tempering, and a Viper output shaft.

It really all depends on what you want to spend and what your car is going to put down HP/TQ wise.

I'd also STRONGLY suggest you get an aftermarket shifter with solid stops. Over-shifting with the stock shifter is usually the guilty culprit of damaging such things as synchro keys.

I have the factory Hurst shifter now, what would you recommend ? I am going with the steel 3-4 folk, billet keys, bronze folk pads and kevilar synchronizers. I have just 30k of pretty easy miles but I will have my trans guy give me his opinion since he is a big time racer here in NJ. What is the average cost of this kind of rebuild. I am going to let him do everything including R&R of the tranny. I have two kids in college and I hope I will not have to yank them out of school to pay for this rebuild. lol

I paid around 2K for my rebuild.

Your stock Hurst shifter doesn't have solid stops. I got an aftermarket Hurst billet shifter. No issues to date with it. A lot of people here swear by the Pro 5.0 and the MGW shifter.

My tranny got stuck in 4th once when it was new. Just gotta hit it really hard to get it out. Wedge your foot behind it. Worked fine after that.

So drop back and kick is the technical method for this problem. Well, I'll give it a shot, no pun intended, and see how it works. Hell, I can't do any more damage then I already have. Can I ???

i have the pro 5.0 and it has solid adjustable stops, i bought it soley for the purpose of not over shifting

Keith - use force. That's my best advice. Most likely your internal 3-4 synchronizer key has broken and not allowing it to shift out of gear. If you get it unstuck, you will probably be able to drive it again fine. Like I mentioned, I did with mine for months. It was when I overshifted while racing (slamming the shifter into 4th) without a shifter having solid stops when it got stuck in 4th again. Once that happened, I just dropped the trans and had it rebuilt and went with an aftermarket shifter with solid stops. I bang gears all day long now without issue and I have 500rwhp.

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Originally Posted by Spikito

i have the pro 5.0 and it has solid adjustable stops, i bought it soley for the purpose of not over shifting

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Same here.

I recommend pro 5.0 and lou's short stick (guarantee not to miss 3rd gear) good luck with the tranny i hope you get her out on the street again quick.

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Originally Posted by 2002ssslp

Hell, I can't do any more damage then I already have. Can I ???

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That's the way I looked at it.

Hey Jon, thanks for the tip. I used more force and it came out of gear and I can now drive it normally. I am going to get it rebuilt when I put it away in October. The wife said OK to the Pro 5.0 shifter so that is now on my XMAS list. I still have four to five weeks of driving left this year. Thanks again to everyone.

I had a Pro 5.0 and didn't like it. Sold it and went back to my stock Hurst. I'd like the to try the aftermarket Hurst which has the stop bolts tho but done throwing money at this car.

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Originally Posted by INMY01TA

I had a Pro 5.0 and didn't like it. Sold it and went back to my stock Hurst. I'd like the to try the aftermarket Hurst which has the stop bolts tho but done throwing money at this car.

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That's the shifter I have, the aftermarket Hurst one. I like it.

i over travled 4th and got it out and what not drove fine ordered pro 5.0 and lous short stick absolutely loved it and still do held up for about 6 months and it got stuck again. you have prolly a 10% chance that your key is ok. What mine was doing is since it was broke it had slack and it would get wedged where it wouldnt be able to get out. Good luck with the tranny hopefully it'll be alright good luck again.