Hard gear change 1st to 2nd

Hey all,

I have a 91 civic 3-door with 140k km (european) on it.
Im finding it increasingly hard to shift gear from 1st to 2nd...The
problem seems to go away after the 20-30 mins of driving...All the
other gear changes seem fine....Im thinking its one of two
things...time for a tranny oil change or adjusting the clutch cable
(since the change seems easier when the clutch is floored)...any
ideas?

Thanks
Steve

 

adjust the clutch cable and get into the habit of flooring the clutch -
you're supposed to anyway.

 

by flooring i meant leaving an indent on the carpet/floorboard! I do
generally floor the pedal just not to that extent....

 

Shift cable bushings are far more likely as the cause of the problem.
They can be lubricated, which will extend their life (if done properly)
or they can be replaced (good for another 16 years!).
Dan

(This account is not used for email.)

 

This is a good time for a tranny oil change. First to second seems the be
the first shift affected by low lube, and new oil should make a big
improvement. Honda MTL is preferred, although others swear by Redline MTL.

Mike

 

cheers mike! will do so....

Steve

 

I use Castrol VMX in my '85 City's gearbox. According to a couple mechanics
I've spoken with it's /the/ oil to use in transverse-mounted engine
gearboxes.

 

I've also noticed that if I change gear (1st -> 2nd) at slower speeds
< 10 km/h it changes ok....only when at speeds approaching 20 km/h
does it get hard....

Steve

 

That indicates to me that you need to adjust your clutch cable. It's cheap
(you can do it yourself) and if it doesn't fix it then you can look
elsewhere. It sounds to me like it's not de-clutching sufficiently.

Luck...

 

I would expect the effect of the clutch dragging to be approximately the
same at all speeds.

My last work truck was doing the same thing - hard 1-2 upshift, worse at
higher speeds and always worse than the downshift - but I couldn't get the
garage to bother with it. After a few months the gears started howling, and
I was nearly a hundred miles from home. After the tranny was filled the
shifting was much more normal.

Mike

 

IME if the clutch is not disengaging properly it's more noticable at higher
revs.

Ok, handy to know.

 

Well....Today i made sure the clutch is ok....I made the slipping test
where you put the car into 4th, handbrake on and let out the clutch
with the engine dying as soon as I let it out...so at least it isnt
slipping. Still need to take the car to the mechanic for the oil/cable
check....Also to clarify...the problem I have is changing to 2nd gear
at higher speeds..ex. coasting...(not ideal i know i know ) ...not
revs...actually with the car at high revs the problem seems to be less
(i.e. w/ choke engaged)....Thanks for your guys help

Steve

 

The test for the opposite - a dragging clutch - can be done by engaging
first or second gear with the clutch in and the car stationary, then
shifting out of gear and right back in without releasing the clutch. If the
shift back in gear is effortless, the clutch isn't dragging. If the shifter
resists going right back into gear, the clutch is dragging.

Mike

 

Yeah, what Mike said. (With the engine running of course)

You tested for the wrong clutch problem.

 

Ok did the test...seems clutch isn't dragging neither...thanks for
your help guys!!

Steve