Just got a 95 2.5 with the (AX5?), and i’ve recently noticed that if it’s in the heat of the day and i’ve been driving it around, there is some serious resistance to get into a forward gear, and I can’t even get into reverse without it grinding on me. I know the clutch is in okay condition, since I can still grab gears, but if it’s nighttime and cooler, I have no problem going into reverse or any other gear.

Now, keep in mind this thing has 289k, so it’s not gonna be perfect. But I’m kind of at a loss to why it seems like the clutch won’t grab all the way in reverse when it’s hot out, but will do just fine later on in the day

 

First thing on the AX5/15 is making sure you've got the correct oil in it. An oil change would be a good idea, and watch what comes out for gold glitter. Do NOT GL rated gear oil. Someone needs to be shot for even putting that in the owners manual. Redline MTL, Penzoil Synchroomesh or synthetic 10W-30 motor oil all work well. Most gear oil has sulfurs which slowly destroy the brass synchros and EP friction modifiers which prevent the synchros from grabbing well.

 

If the oil hasnt been changed in awhile, drain it and fill it with cheap oil. Then after 100 miles or so drain it and fill it with good stuff listed above.

Going from whatever mystery oil that was in mine to Redline was like night and day. The previous owner didnt like maintenance and it looked like dark water

 

Not a bad idea, run some cheap 10W-30 for a few days as a "rinse". Do the drain right after driving before anything settles back out of the oil. I did that after I rebuilt my AX-15. The cheap NAPA house brand GL-3 shifted so bad I thought I screwed up the rebuild. I swapped to the RedLine MTL anyway and it shifted fantastic after that.

Make sure you can remove the fill plug remove the drain plug. If you don't have a pump, it's easier to refill through shift tower, but you still need the fill plug out to know when it's full.