speedemn

iTrader: (14)

I was at the track today and the day went fine... on my way back from the track, everything was fine and then I got upto a stop light. I started off 1 - 2 and then when I went 2 - 3; while in 3rd gear when I touched the gas, it revved as if it was in neutral. When I popped it out of 3rd into neutral, and came to a stop, and let the clutch go, the car stalled. From then on, it seemed as though the car was locked in neutral (but was actually in gear - 4th gear as I later found out). I could however slide the shifter into 3rd without any problem. All the other gears seem to be locked out - and the shifter is not able to slide into them. The only gear that I can move around in is 4th.

What could be the problem here??? Please help!

EDIT 1:
I had it up on a hoist and the bolts are all fine underneath. I have them tightened and still the same deal...

When the car is parked and off, I can slide the shifter into 1, 2, 3, but not 4, and sometimes 5. So 4 is completely locked out for sure.

When I am driving on the highway I can slide the shifter into 3rd only... but that doesn't change anything... I'm locked in 4th gear.

When I'm idling, the shifter is in Neutral but the tranny is still in 4th gear... so I am forced to drive from stoplight to stoplight in 4th gear. The only way to get it into neutral is to push the clutch down.

So basically I cannot reverse unless I can sit in the car and push the clutch in and steer, while someone else pushes the car.

Mister Transmission looked at the car, shifted the shifter stick around a bit and said that he thinks that I ran out of tranny fluid and my gears binded into 4th...

There are no visible leaks of any kind on the outside. Any ideas?


EDIT 2:
I took it to a shop and had it on a hoist and the bolt at the shift linkages at the bottom are fine. There is no evidence of any leaks. Then I took it to Mister Transmission in Cambridge, because it was recommended to me by a mechanic and the guy got in the car and said that I will need a new tranny. He priced out a rebuilt tranny for me for $2050+tax (installed). I can provide the clutch and flywheel and he will install that at no additional charge.

I then took it to Nissan and they also said that I will need a new tranny because that would be cheaper than them taking this one apart to look and fix any problems, whatever that might be. They quoted me $3000 ($2700 if I provide my own clutch and flywheel).

So where do I go from here? I have to decide:

1) Where do I take the car to get it fixed
2) What can I beef up in the tranny when the new one goes in:
(a) ACT Stage 1 clutch
(b) UR or Fidanza flightened flywheel (which one?)
(c) Anything else that I can get?

Is it possible to get a completely beefed up tranny with stronger synchros, etc from any aftermarket company?

Lastly, is it possible to swap my tranny with a 6-spd?

97blackSE

iTrader: (1)

blown clutch, fluid in the clutch, I dunno man, sounds serious, BUMP!

Nismo

iTrader: (18)

friends escort once had a busted rear main seal and fluid leaked all over the clutch and basically reved freely all the time.

Dev

iTrader: (5)

sorry to hear that bro,

did your sts somehow shift or bend with the hard shifting?
seems like the gear positions moved

speedemn

iTrader: (14)

Just to add to the above, my buddy who works at a shop loosened the bolt at the bottom to make the shifts a bit smoother since it is really rough, and 3rd gear grinds most of the time... unless I double clutch or when the car is cold.

I don't know if that would matter but I just thought that I'd add that bit of information. Could the bolt have loosened majorly while I was dropping the clutch at the track, hard launches, etc?

Or is this something way more serious?

95CustomMaxima

iTrader: (5)

How is your hydraulic fluid reservoir's level? Check that out, I had a problem where I couldnt get into gears and my Hydraulic Fluid Reservoirs was empty.

Stephen Max

iTrader: (59)

Yes. The first thing I thought of in your first post was a loose shift linkage. This confirms my suspicion. Get under your car and check all the shift linkage bolts.

maxger

If you have to double clutch when you shift into 3rd it may be a bad synchro. But do check your shift linkage it may be a easy fix.

Good luck man, I hope it turns out allright.

Gerard

speedemn

iTrader: (14)

I had it up on a hoist and the bolts are all fine underneath. I have them tightened and still the same deal...

When the car is parked and off, I can slide the shifter into 1, 2, 3, but not 4, and sometimes 5. So 4 is completely locked out for sure.

When I am driving on the highway I can slide the shifter into 3rd only... but that doesn't change anything... I'm locked in 4th gear.

When I'm idling, the shifter is in Neutral but the tranny is still in 4th gear... so I am forced to drive from stoplight to stoplight in 4th gear. The only way to get it into neutral is to push the clutch down.

So basically I cannot reverse unless I can sit in the car and push the clutch in and steer, while someone else pushes the car.

Mister Transmission looked at the car, shifted the shifter stick around a bit and said that he thinks that I ran out of tranny fluid and my gears binded into 4th...

There are no visible leaks of any kind on the outside. Any ideas?

Stephen Max

iTrader: (59)

Time to crack it open.

speedemn

iTrader: (14)

Yeah seems like that is the only option... but if I'm gonna be paying for the labour to crack it open, should I have a rebuilt tranny sitting on the side in case I have to replace the whole thing? That way I don't pay the labour cost twice...

Which bring me to the next chapter - what components to get to beef up the new tranny to be stronger than a bull on steroids?! haha

ACT clutch (should I go for the 4 puck or stick to street)
UR or Fidanza lightened flywheel
Synchros - any choice?
Any other components that I can beef up?

speedemn

iTrader: (14)

I took it to a shop and had it on a hoist and the bolt at the shift linkages at the bottom are fine. There is no evidence of any leaks. Then I took it to Mister Transmission in Cambridge, because it was recommended to me by a mechanic and the guy got in the car and said that I will need a new tranny. He priced out a rebuilt tranny for me for $2050+tax (installed). I can provide the clutch and flywheel and he will install that at no additional charge.

I then took it to Nissan and they also said that I will need a new tranny because that would be cheaper than them taking this one apart to look and fix any problems, whatever that might be. They quoted me $3000 ($2700 if I provide my own clutch and flywheel).

So where do I go from here? I have to decide:

1) Where do I take the car to get it fixed
2) What can I beef up in the tranny when the new one goes in:
(a) ACT Stage 1 clutch
(b) UR or Fidanza flightened flywheel (which one?)
(c) Anything else that I can get?

Is it possible to get a completely beefed up tranny with stronger synchros, etc from any aftermarket company?

Lastly, is it possible to swap my tranny with a 6-spd?

sryth

I'd pull the tranny myself, take it to a shop that only works on transmissions. They should have no problem crackin' it open and looking at it for you. It should be pretty cheap that way. (Far less than $3k unless your tranny is totally screwed!)

Only problem is: You have to pull it and reinstall it when it's done. Not hard, just takes some time.

bukii

Dude, look at your Master slave cylinder.(oxymoron), no really, you could possibly have gotten air into your clutch line and your slave cylinder isnt doing what it should be. I had that happen to me a few months ago, and it just happened for one day. Hasnt happened since. However my tranny is **** now, looking for a new one.

Jason R

iTrader: (39)

i believe a 6-speed will fit but I wouldn't really recommend.

I would see if I could hunt down a 5th gen Anniversary Edition max w/ a 5speed since those have the VLSD and no problems with the differential bearings.

speedemn

iTrader: (14)

How do I check my master slave cylinder?

Stephen Max

iTrader: (59)

There is a master cylinder up on the firewall, and there is a slave cylinder mounted on the upper front of the transmission. But from your description of what's going on, that is not your problem. If you had master/slave cylinder problems you wouldn't be able to use your clutch, but you would still be able to shift into and out of all the gears with the engine off. Since you are stuck in fourth but can still use your clutch, the problem is inside the transmission (since you have verified it is not a shift linkage problem).

If you have the time and moderate mechanical skills, you can save a lot of money by removing and installing the tranny yourself, like sryth said. A Haynes manual should be enough to walk you through the procedure.

As far as beefing up the transmission, you can have gears cryo-treated. I don't know if there are any options concerning the synchros, except to be easier on the tranny when you shift. If you are abusive in how you handle the clutch, then an ACT is not for you. The ACT clutch can transfer shock a lot better than the oem clutch, and it is easier to damage the transmission and drivetrain with it. A Fidanza flywheel sounds nice, and now is the time to do it if you have any money left over.

speedemn

iTrader: (14)

I have no idea where I could even try to take another tranny to have cyro-treated around here. I am however liking the idea of saving on labour and doing it myself. My work schedule is a little hectic right now or I would do it. I had oodles of time back when I installed the MEVI... can't say the same now however and time is of the essence since I have no car now. I can drive this in 4th which is what I did for about 200 miles around town in traffic... but that's not a good idea.

As for the clutch, I am good with my clutch... I only beat on it at the track. Up until this week, I never even dropped my clutch at the track... I always do a quick slide. Should I go with ACT or stick with stock?

For flywheel, I am thinking about Unorthodox Racing since it weighs half that of the Fidanza.

Now for the tranny itself, should I get a remanufactured one or a used one from a wrecker?

My car does not have LSD (US model SE). But all Canadian SE models are VLSD. So if I do get that tranny, I will need the drive axles too (driver and passenger sides)...?

sryth

If you had time on your side (read: a loaner car for a few weeks), you could beef up your tranny by cryotreating as Stephen said. Places that do it can be found online, and you'd have to mail them your shafts. I was told it would take at least a few weeks to get them done.

I wouldn't worry about all that, unless you're planning major performance mods. I'd just get the tranny rebuilt/fixed and call it a day. With a Haynes manual (and the help of the .org ), you should get the tranny out in about 4 hours. Getting it back in should take less. I'd take it to a tranny shop, and have them look at it.

If you have the $$, get another 5spd, swap them, then rebuild the broken one as time allows.

skeelo34

iTrader: (4)

Sounds like your gear seized up.....i had that happen to me when i rebuilt on e of my trannies wrong....kinda missed a little metal piece that caused the car to go into 3rd and any other gear at the same time. long story short, i was stuck in 3rd gear......i had another tranny for parts so i swapped the whole rod with the 3rd & 4th gear on it and its been fine.....I suggest you get yourself another 5spd off a junkyard, would definitely be cheapest. Its not difficult to do this yourself, just hard if you dont have tools. Get Nissan service manual if you do, its a good investment.

DMaximus

Are you suggesting that if given the proper tools that one can rebuild their own transmission with relative ease?

I toyed around with the idea of installing new differential bearings after my tranny kept leaking dispite the new seals. When I kept hearing talk about installing the proper shims, I said forget it. I paid a Nissan mechanic $300 to put them in.

When I got my car back, the mechanic told me that when he took the old bearings out they fell apart. He said that he discovered that one of the teeth on the gear of the differential spool had chipped. The the piece of the tooth that broke off was found at the bottom of the tranny.

Now everytime I accelerate, I notice a vibration. I think it has something to do with the broken tooth on the differential spool. I've looked around for rebuilt transmissions, but my bellhousing has a hole in it that I sealed with liquid metal. Becuz of this, my core is no good. One guy suggested that I send him my tranny and for $979 ($850 for the rebuild and $129 for shipping) he would rebuild my transmission.

But if I can find a transmission for the low, I'll rebuild it myself. Is it really that simple?

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

The ACT clutch (the street one, don't go for any of the even tougher 4 or 6 puck ones) is built tough. It'll take anything your motor can dump on it. The ideal situation for the ACT is on the track. On the street, however, you will miss the stock clutch. When I first had the ACT street clutch installed on my car, I stalled out 4 times as I was leaving the garage It's one tough SOB clutch, especially during break in.

Another thing to think about is that the ACT clutch is so tough that it takes everything the the VQ motor throws at it, and dumps it on the tranny. I've seen several threads of people blowing their trannies, especially 3rd gear. I don't fully blame the clutch, but I'm sure it helped.

If I had to do it all over again, I would look for another clutch that is somewhere between the ACT street clutch and OEM.

DW

MaxVQ

I think Eric Wong (board name ewong?) cryo'ed his tranny and it still blew up.

Remember if something is harder, it is not always stronger and it can actually be brittle.

sryth

It seems very simple to me, but I must admit I've never done it.

In fact, when I had my bearing problem, I pulled the tranny and brought it to a transmission shop. I mainly did this to get an opinion of the condition of the inside. I figured a tranny mechanic would have a better idea of what needed to be replaced. While he had it open, I just had him throw in the bearings.

It seems that the trend seems to be doing a tranny swap as opposed to a rebuild. I don't understand this, myself. That is, of course, unless you can find a really low-mileage tranny for little $$.

skeelo34

iTrader: (4)

If you're decently mechanically inclined, rebuilding the tranny is not difficult. My differential gear also had a chipped tooth, I replaced it (i think it was like 80 bucks or somehitng from tustin nissan). If i were you, I'd get a tranny from a junk yard for a few hundred, swap out the whole 3rd & 4th gear rod and just put the tranny back together. Keep the old one for parts or fix it. You don't need new shims if you dont change your bearings. You could also take the differential gear from that tranny and put it on yours since your tooth is chipped. The tools that you basically will need is jack/jack stands, axle bolt removal bit, a basic tool set, and tie rod removal tool. I have one of those craftsman tool sets and it works fine. A breaker bar will help with the axle bolt. You'll need some silicone gasket to seal tranny back up again....thats basically it. I recommend you get that service manual tho...it shows everything step by step, and its pretty straightforward.

dwapenyi

iTrader: (3)

It's because not all Maxima trannies are prone to failures. There's probably over 400,000 95-99 Maxima's out there. And if 5% of them are 5-speeds, then that means there are 20,000 5-speed trannies out there. From what I've observed on the org, not every 5-speed has problems. It's a relatively small percentage. With a used tranny, you get one built by Nissan, a re-built one is from your local tranny guy and he may have messed something up. The usually only give a 90 day warranty to back it up. I guess you should drive the stink out of the car for those 90 days just to make soemthing break within the warranty period and not later.

I was a victim of bad bearings in my car, too. I went and got a used 99 tranny with 50K miles on it. Worked out fine.

DW

joaquink

jOo need to contact njmaxseltd from the .org. He just switched over to working at his brother's shop. He's a great guy, very helpful and very knowledgable. With a shop at his disposal where there are other experienced mechanics, you can get an honest and fair diagnosis and repair (assuming you can get the car to NJ).

Stephen Max

iTrader: (59)

If you are used to engine rebuilding, the manual transmission is pretty much a piece of cake. It can be a bit tricky reassembling the tranny, but all you need is a field service manual and the ability to understand and follow instructions in order to do it. Just don't get in a hurry. I don't remember having to use any special tools other than a gear puller. You will need a dial gauge in order to determine what size shims to use when reassembling the tranny. Once you get the tranny back together be sure it will go into all gears before reinstalling into the car.

DMaximus

Thanks guys! I was a little skeptical about trying to replace inner components of my transmission myself, but listening to a few of you guys have given me a renewed confidence in myself. I mean I've swapped engines in my car and did quite a few other bolt-on projects, so I figured that rebuilding the tranny couldn't be but so hard. I was really concerned about fooling around with the gears and synchronizers.

By the way, I ordered the FSM last week.