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Andy
Dodge Dakota
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8/17/2008
22:58:15
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 Subject: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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I have a 99 dakota 5.2l, 5 speed manual, 4x4.
Since june, it's been hard to shift into 1st and reverse from a dead stop. (stop light, stop sign, etc)
I heard someone talk about the mesh in the transmissions? Or does my fluid just need a change. I had it changed about 2 years/20k miles ago.
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well
Dodge Dakota
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8/17/2008
23:02:23
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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how many miles?
its 9 yrs old
could be the clutch/throw out bearing
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Andy
Dodge Dakota
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8/18/2008
20:53:28
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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112k miles. Had the clutch replaced about 2 years/20k miles ago
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daddio
Dodge Dakota
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8/18/2008
23:11:54
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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have you checked the clutch hydraulic system for leaks? thats where i'd start. have you tried shifting to another gear before shifting to 1st or reverse?
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Andy
Dodge Dakota
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8/19/2008
08:29:41
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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yea i've tried that. It helps sometimes, but not always. It helps gets the gears lined up when it does work.
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Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
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8/19/2008
08:36:01
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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Low fluid level will also cause this.
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Andy
Dodge Dakota
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8/19/2008
22:22:15
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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Do you mean tranny fluid? I checked my clutch resolvar and it's full. Do I even want to know whats involved with checking the tranny fluid?
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LOL
Dodge Dakota
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8/19/2008
22:37:42
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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pretty easy
remove a bolt/cap
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Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2008
08:12:43
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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What he said.
Manual transmission fluid is 5W-30 engine oil. Back in the early to mid-80s, Chrysler was using ATF in some manuals, for better cold shifting.
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Andy
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2008
11:16:37
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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Where is the cap/bolt??
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sdmojo
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2008
17:25:15
|  RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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can any one give me a heads up on how to tell what tranny i have on my 97 3.9l ? 42re, 44re, 46 re.
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daddio
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2008
17:28:35
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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andy, i'm pretty sure it's on the passenger side of the trans near the middle and about halfway up from the bottom of the case.
sdmojo, 42re.
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sdmojo
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2008
17:44:19
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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thanks , is it listed someware on the truck to be sure? so as to double check
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e
Dodge Dakota
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8/22/2008
19:02:01
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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Ive had hte same hting on my 95 Ranger I used to have and have heard of the exact same thing happening to others with those gears before. I think when certain clutch/clutch fluid issues develop 1st and reverse can often be the first to go for some reason. Something about how you go into those from a dead stop, and it's easier to engage the clutch at a dead stop than when the engine is spinning faster.
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Tnjones
Dodge Dakota
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9/23/2008
00:29:50
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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What!!!? "Manual transmission fluid is 5W-30 engine oil. Back in the early to mid-80s, Chrysler was using ATF in some manuals, for better cold shifting."
You've got to be kidding. Since when did a manual tranny use anything but gear lube? Your talking about oils about as thick as chocolate milk. It should be more like cold molasas.
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Rooster
Dodge Dakota
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9/23/2008
01:19:11
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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It kind of sounds like a classic synchro problem. Here is a way to test this..... Once you get it in first shift to second and then accelerate a little bit. Okay, now knock it out of gear and into neutral. As your coasting to a stop move the shifter back into first with out using the clutch, but don't force it! Just lightly push it in the general direction of first with a light amount of force. If your synchros are working correctly it should catch and jerk it's self into gear. If it does not do this then you've got a synchro problem.
Here is an example of another way to test to see if your sybchros are in good condition-this is actually how I used to drive my old 5-speed dakota (saves on the clutch because I never used it and does not hurt anything if your good at it (this is also how most semi drives drive their big trucks). I would use the clutch in first gear, accelerate a little, coast a titch until my RPMs were where I wanted them, and then let it fall in to second gear when it got to an RPM where the transmission and motor matched rpm (this caused it to fall into gear like a hot knife cuts through butter). I would do the same thing through all the gears. It was just a process of matching the rpm to transmission speed.
But the key is, if it jerks and pulls itself into gear (you will actually feel the shifter move itself and your hand as it falls into gear) as you lightly push the shifter in the general direction then you're good. If it falls into gear and the shifter does not pull itself in gear then your in bad shape.
The other problem could be that the motor is turning too fast or too slow at idle speed that it is to hard for the synchros to pair up-thus causing hard shifting into first and reverse.
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Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
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9/23/2008
08:09:05
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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Tnjones, It's true for at least the FWD trannies. They used ATF for better cold shifting. Don't know about the RWD ones. And the FWD trannies since the late 1980s run 5W-30 engine oil.
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daddio
Dodge Dakota
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9/23/2008
09:06:10
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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i had an '83 GMC S truck with the T5 5spd and back then the factory fill was ATF. at about 10k miles i brought it in for a rattling noise when the tranny was in neutral and the clutch engaged. there was a TDB out to change out the ATF and use 5-30w engine oil. they did that and never heard that tranny again. i sold the truck with 175k on it and it was still going strong.
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dakota49
Gen I
9/23/2008
19:58:05
| RE: Hard shifting into 1st gear
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in the late 70's ('77) most all of GM's cars and light trucks used auto trans fluid. I worked in a shop and all I did was oil changes, and check the trans, and differential fluids.
Good Luck
Dakota49
dakota49
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