T56 Clutch/Trans issue...hard shifting

GrandmaLS

GrandmaLS

Club Member
My car has been acting goofy the last few days. It hasn’t been since my burnouts last weekend, it’s been since it’s gotten cold out. Each morning when I go outside it’s nearly impossible to get it into gear without nearly putting the pedal though the floor. Once the car warms up with some driving it works normally. It’s very similar to a few months ago I got the clutch heated up and everyone was like “You heated the fluid, do the drill mod!” The part that confuses me is it doesn’t seem to come and go with how hard I drive the car. It seems to happen when the car is cold. Pumping the clutch at a red light does seem to help a bit. Think I just got a huge air bubble in there and haven’t drove it long enough to work it out?

1999 Pontiac Trans Am – 6spd – 77k – complete factory clutch system
 
change the fluid.
brake fluid absorbs mositure or it could have the wrong fluid
 
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1BADAIR said:
change the fluid.
brake fluid absorbs mositure or it could have the wrong fluid
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I doubt it's the wrong fluid because I haven't had any issues until it go cold but I planned on flushing it this winter. It's on my list of shit to do between this weekend and when I pull it out in spring.

Isn't it a bitch to get to that bleeder? IIRC there was some writeup about pulling up the carpet and putting a small hole in the firewall which made it like 100x easier

BB71Mopar said:
sounds like the valve in the master is taking a shit.
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Detroit Gearbox said:
sounds like it needs a master cly.
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Son of a bitch!
 
It is a bitch to get to, yes. There is actually a remote bleeder setup that they make now. I'm going to be investing in one soon.
 
I got one of those remote bleeders about 2 years ago from one of the road racing guys that was making them. Sounds like they took his idea and ran with it. Its a sweet item for sure. Bleeding it using the bleeder on the slave is a PITA.

Letting it idle for a bit in neutral (clutch out) may warm the trans fluid/parts enough to work smoother. I do remember it saying somewhere (owners manual?) that the trans will shift harder cold and to not worry about it. I guess it depends on how bad we're talking about here to whether or not you have a problem.
 
mine sometimes grinds going into 5th when its cold in the morning as the temps are colder now, and its always been tricky to put into reverse for some reason
 
Syn said:
mine sometimes grinds going into 5th when its cold in the morning as the temps are colder now, and its always been tricky to put into reverse for some reason
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Try putting it in 1st, let the clutch out just a tad to take out all slack in the gears, then go straight to reverse. This has always worked for me. Its just now starting to act up in reverse no matter what so I think its time for me to go thru it.
 
QUASAR said:
Try putting it in 1st, let the clutch out just a tad to take out all slack in the gears, then go straight to reverse. This has always worked for me. Its just now starting to act up in reverse no matter what so I think its time for me to go thru it.
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I'll have to try when I'm home to store it over Thanksgiving. I have it at home right now but my dad is driving it until the insurance runs out. Once again I'm stuck driving the rusty but trusty Grand Marquis.
 
QUASAR said:
Try putting it in 1st, let the clutch out just a tad to take out all slack in the gears, then go straight to reverse. This has always worked for me. Its just now starting to act up in reverse no matter what so I think its time for me to go thru it.
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That's what I always do on most T56 cars I drive. My 04 GTO even at low miles wall a little finicky when it was cold out. Pontiac actually warrantied the flywheel and clutch plate and pressure plate when it was grinding a little going into 3rd unless I double clutched it (less than 10k miles on the car)

Reverse was 75% of the time a "go to first let out the clutch just a tad and try reverse again process. "
 
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