2.3L ('83-'97) Trouble shifting into first and second. 1996 manual 2wd

[Kailash]

Hey, so I've been having trouble getting into first and second gear. I drained my transmission and refilled it with mercon v. It seems to have helped some but not to much.

I have trouble getting it into first. But once I do pop it into gear I can easily shift it in and out again. Then I drive some and it starts sticking again.

If you have any idea that doesn't involve pulling my transmission let me know.

Mostly I want to know thoughts on if it's worth continuing to fix up the truck as i don't have a great set up from transmission work.

Or should I just drive it till it seizes?

 

[scotts90ranger]

If you are talking about when you are stopped with the engine running and it won't go into gear but if once you go into gear with the clutch in you can freely shift to any gears, then mine does that too, I think it's just the gears not meshing right and the synchro's not doing their job with the gears not turning (if I understand them they would need some rotation to work). I just bump it toward first a few times and eventually it'll go...

 

[RonD]

+1 ^^^

Transmission gears are at rear wheel RPMs always, there is no disconnect
When stopped, transmission gears are at 0 RPMs

Engine RPMs are at 600-800, idle
So when you press in the clutch pedal the Clutch Disc must slow down to 0 RPMs or you can't shift into ANY gear because they are all at 0 RPMs

The clutch disc is sandwiched inbetween the flywheel and pressure plate, both always spin at engine RPMs
When you press the clutch pedal down it should cause the pressure plate to pull back releasing clutch disc to spin freely and slow down to 0 RPMs
If there is ANY rubbing, then clutch disc can't slow down all the way which makes it very hard to put into gear
The Synchro-mesh "gears" help to RPM Match clutch disc and gear selected, they are a softer metal so don't "grind" when slowing down or speeding up the clutch disc to match the selected gears RPMs

Rangers use an hydraulic clutch system, which is prone to air intrusion, if there is any air in the system then when you press the clutch pedal down all the way the pressure plate doesn't FULLY release the pressure on the clutch disc so there is rubbing, during regular shifting this may not be noticed at all, but when stopped it can be very noticeable, i.e. hard to get into gear or to shift when moving slowly
Bleed the clutch system if you think the above is the issue


If the shifter has "slop" in it you can replace the shifter arm bushings, not hard to do, how to here: https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/shifter-bushing-replacement/

 

[scotts90ranger]

After driving home I played with mine a little, for reference mine is fully bled, everything seems to operate as it should, if I slow down in neutral to a stop or while stopped press the clutch and get things misaligned it won't go into first or second if I punch the clutch and try to shift, if I push it to first then second then back to first it will jockey things around enough to get into first most of the time... kinda annoying but I usually just sit at stop lights with the clutch pedal at the floor with the shifter in first... knock on wood I've never had a failed throw out bearing yet... and that's in 24 years of driving with an M5OD...

If it grinds into gear when you are stopped then there's air in the clutch system, you can bleed it the hard way which works sometimes but the dumb thing that works sometimes too is in neutral (running) or whenever not running put the clutch pedal to the floor then slip your foot off the pedal, do this several times, it will sometimes get a bubble out of the master cylinder, worked the other day on my '90...