1st gear grinds

[sensinitas]

Howdy

Just wondering if anyone could shed some light on my slowly increasing situation. It started happening a long time ago, but it was only every once in a while. Now it's starting to happen everyday. Here's the sitch-

I'll go for a drive and come to say a light. When it's time to go, I'll have the clutch all the way in, try to put it into first, but it grinds and gets kicked out of gear. I doesn't grind like you trying to jam into a gear without the clutch, just kind knocks around and comes out of gear. Then I just try again, no problems. It will happen ONLY once a drive. My car has 106k miles on it, so I'm wondering if the clutch is slowly saying bye-bye?

What do you think?

[sensinitas]

Bump

[daygoVR6]

your synchro is blown - how people kill 1st gear is from doing down shifts into
1st typically- BIG NO NO, or it just flat wears out after so long

only way to fix it is to pull the trans and replace the synchro and probably the gears as well (most shops do it anyway depending on milegae on the trans)

its typically best to find a used trans at a junk yard and do a trans swap - probably cheaper than trying to just have the tranny rebuilt in alot of cases

[PhätTony]

you best bet if your gonna pull out the tranny. Get a new clutch kit (CK). After 106k your car deserves one. Especially if you've been downshifting to 1st gear (OUCH!! NO NO NO).

But, you've heard that already. So get yourself a new clutch kit. Shop around ok, I got mine from Mike at PureMS. Awesome deal from an awesome guy!...

If you do choose not to get another CK because you dont need one. Then resurface your flywheel and get new bolts. I guarentee your pressure plate upon taking it out will crumble like rust colored potato chips to the floor.

[sensinitas]

I've NEVER downshifted into 1st gear. Holy HELL...who does that?

Thanks guys. So far that's not info I want to hear...I need a new car, but don't have the funds. Looks like I'll have to sack up to keep this car around longer.

[daygoVR6]

ya 1st gear effff up is bad - i have a home built short ratio 4 speed in my MKIII VR - lost 5th gear playing now you see me now you dont with a 993 one night on the freeway

[cmanns05]

lost 5th gear playing now you see me now you dont with a 993 one night on the freeway



hahahahaha I love that game!!!!

[daygoVR6]

ya now i cant do 130MPH + blasts on the freeway anymore ......all well new driveline is in my garage just need to get some other componenets and ill be back in business next season

[sensinitas]

Alright - so I went and saw Ron @ VW Specialties. He drove the car, checked out the linkage, downshifted into first and came to the conclusion that it's not the syncros. If it was, he wouldn't have been able to downshift into first. He said the clutch is engaging a bit high, which is usually a sign of it wearing out. So most likely it's the clutch slowly saying adios, which with a resurfaced flywheel is only a $700 job. STOKED.

[daygoVR6]

well thats good at least - sounds like he is doing a Sachs Clutch should work good for the car

[sensinitas]

well thats good at least - sounds like he is doing a Sachs Clutch should work good for the car

On that note...do you guys have any clutch recommendations?