So I have been having a problem with my manual trans - it is getting really hard to shift into 1st or reverse when at a dead stop. Does this mean the clutch is dragging? Or pressure plate is weak?
I notice that if I am rolling a bit, it is much easier to get it into gear.

I think the clutch is stock - or it has at least 100k miles on it since I have owned the Jeep (~280k on the odometer). No slipping unless I am really stuck - doesn't slip at full throttle in any gear with 4.88's
Shifts nice and smooth in 2nd through 5th though

Wondering what I should try first - don't think my XJ has ever had any clutch hydraulic maintenance either.

Additionally, I am getting some "clicking" that just started when slotting it into gear. Sounds like a piece of plastic grabbing, so I am going to order a shifter rebuild kit and see if that helps anything.

 

Does pumping it 3 or 4 times make it easier?

 

If you shift into 2nd and then 1st, does it go in 1st easier? If so, it's probably the synchronizers inside the transmission. A rebuild would fix that problem. Of course, a new clutch when you pull it is always a good way not to have to duplicate the labor.

 

My dad put over 400k and taught 3 teenage boys how to drive stick shift on his AX15 - never touched the clutch hydraulics - and the clutch worked perfectly through it's last day of active duty.

I'd start with some fresh MT90 if you haven't changed the tranny fluid in a while and do the shifter rebuild and see where you're at. You can drive a pretty long time with worn synchros before it becomes a critical situation.

 

Absolutely. I can't fathom anyone doing all that work to pull the tranny and then not spending a hundred bucks on a new clutch set.

 

Unfotunately - no, no change.

Fluid is MT-90, maybe 8-10k miles on it.

What is strange is sometimes it will do it consistently, every time I shift into 1st - sometimes it is completely fine. I think its dependent on where I stop in relation to the synchro and gears in the trans.

Shifting to 2nd doesn't really help with the hard shifting into 1st, but shifting into 1st will let me drop it in reverse easier which makes sense.
It does clunk going into reverse (not as much of a grind but you can tell its not synchronizing properly)

First just seems "blocked" unless the Jeep can roll - then it drops in place. I guess this points to synchros and not the clutch. It is somewhere on the to-do list but right now it's not bad enough to "escalate" from its current position.


EDIT:
I will go ahead and rebuild the shiftier, but it definitely feels internal to the transmission when I have to "force" it into 1st gear

 

My dads old ford did the same thing. It's got around 300000 on it and we drained the brass synchros out with one of the fluid changes. Have you tried shifting it into all the other gears when it does it? On the truck if you could get it into another gear first, First gear would shift right in.

 

Yeah, sometimes it helps (especially if I can get the jeep to roll slightly in any direction).

Sounds like it is just the synchros being old. Might look at a rebuild but I want to get my suspension dialed in first