Hey y'all,
I am currently dealing with some clutch and transmission help/issues. First of all my clutch
1.) when the engine is warm and it seems when it is hotter out, it is hard getting into first gear and 4th gear. I literally have to forcefully shove it into first gear and then when I am shifting into 4th it takes a little joint to get it into that gear. Additionally, when I go into reverse I have a horrible grinding sound that occurs. I would say 50 to 75% of the time I hear it badly and the other times it is not too bad. I got my clutch replaced 1.5 years ago so I am not sure if it went out already or what.
2.) I now see fluid coming off of my transmission. It is not dripping but it is definitely oily.

I have looked at some other forums but not sure if someone else had this issue with a manual. I am not sure if they are two related but I think they are.

Any leads or help with this one?

Thank you all

 

I wonder if the fluid you are seeing is clutch hydraulic fluid. How is the level of the fluid in the clutch fluid reservoir. When it grinds when you try to get into reverse does it grind less if you pump the clutch pedal a few times?

 

Is the trans out of oil?
What year is it?

 

It is 1999. It looks like my master and slave cylinder went out or are going out.

 

Why do you say that?

Sometimes when a "Master" goes out you will get brake fluid leaking on the inside of the cabin above your foot.
Slaves sometimes show leaks on the outside, but are usually confined to the inside of the bell housing.

The good news is they are relatively inexpensive to replace, as well as easily done by a first timer to work on.
This will help you understand how to do it: Yeah I know this is a whole clutch job, but skip it to the master and slave.

 

Replaced the master and slave cylinder and still having trouble getting into 1st gear and from 3 to 4. I do hear some grinding going into reverse. With this I am assuming it is my syncros going out? The one thing that does not make sense to me though is sometimes I have no problems shifting and do not hear any grinding however other times I do. It tends to be worse in the heat and when I have been driving for a little while. Any guesses or are my syncros done? I know it is hard to say over talking online but I am sure someone has had similar issues before.

Could it be a dragging clutch or you think syncros?

I think precautionary I am going to change the transmission fluid and put MT90 in there to see if some good oil helps with what I am dealing with. Is it worth changing the transmission filter too?

Thanks

 

Reverse does not have synchros, so some clunk is normal. Lotsa grinding would not be. There is no transmission filter. Also get the fill plug loose before you open the drain plug. :}

 

Just out of curiosity what oil do you have in there now?

 

It definitely makes a loud grinding noise when going into reverse, but again this is probably half the time.

I am not sure what oil I have in there right now. About to change it and put in MT 90

 

It will be interesting to see what happens when you change the oil. If what is in there is too low (you said it was leaking) or too thin it could be your problem.

 

Just changed out the oil which was pretty dirty looking and drove around for a bit. First is still hard to get into and reverse is still grinding (the two times I tried). My clutch pedal sounded a little squishy/squeaky and I am not sure if that is the throw-out bearing or flywheel?

 

At this point, it's most likely a bad pilot bearing. They can get "grabby" when they start going out. It'll make shifting difficult and it definitely can make reverse grind BAD.

I had those same symptoms, and it was noisy when sitting still when in gear.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/nov...months-262763/

 

What kind of noise were you hearing? Also was this an expensive or challenging repair? I believe you have to get into the clutch with this from what I am reading. And what does not make sense to me is that I replaced the clutch about 2 years ago so I am not sure if it would be that or not. I would hope it is more durable than that but I do not know and don't want to pay a fortune.

Thanks for your help

 

I'll be honest with you. I was an ASE master certified technician in 2005, so I've been doing this a while. So I don't really think it's that difficult to drop the transmission. Granted I haven't worked as a mechanic for some years now, so I resorted to removing/reinstalling it in my driveway, but still.

You DO have to drop the transmission, which can be challenging if you've never done it before. You will need an E12 socket (there are 2 external torx bolts at the top of the bell housing) and a torque wrench to put the clutch pressure plate back on. I would recommend changing the clutch while you're in there, but you don't have to if it's not giving you any problems. You will also need a pilot bearing puller to get the pilot bearing out, or look up the "bread trick". To realign the clutch, you'll need a clutch alignment tool, which usually comes with a new clutch kit. You can also buy them from parts stores for about $5-10. There are probably a few youtube videos on how to remove the transmission, but it's definitely not expensive by any means. We're talking like $10-20 for a new pilot bearing. It can easily be done over a weekend.

The noise was like a whirring or low pitched grinding noise. It would also jerk the whole vehicle when in gear at a stop once it got hot, sort of as if the clutch was grabbing. You'd try to put it in reverse and it would make an awful gear grind.

 

So if it is grinding a lot in reverse and there are no synchros, then would it be a clutch issue? Also would rolling backward from being in reverse and then shifting into first gear **** up the syncros that badly?