I got a 87' V6 with a 4spd. I checked the fluid levels and for leaks. Seems that 1st gear is a royal 2 handed job to get into. Whether I am starting from a stop or downshifting into it. 1st is just terrible to get into. With the car off it slide in and out with no issues at all. No other gear appears to have this issue. Any ideas?

Your clutch is not fully releasing.

Try bleading the clutch hydraulic system making sure to get all the air out of the slave (retract the slave by hand to do this). Check for fluid leaking from the master cylinder into the car down the front firewall. Check for fluid leaking from the slave cylinder into the boot.

If it is that the clutch isn't fully releasing then you would have it grinding nasty whenever you try to use reverse. Is this the case also?

quote Originally posted by phonedawgz: If it is that the clutch isn't fully releasing then you would have it grinding nasty whenever you try to use reverse. Is this the case also?

That is exactly what happens when I go into reverse. Hmm......so i will try to bleed the system.

quote Originally posted by Darksyde: Hmm......so i will try to bleed the system.

Check for leaking fluid first. Replace the faulty component(s) before bleeding the system and save yourself some frustration.

Did your clutch master cylinder run dry? And you refilled it but then you found you have this problem right? As per the earlier post, check for wetness under the carpet where it would seep from the clutch master cylinder. If its damp with clutch fluid, you need a new master clutch cylinder. If not leaking there, check the slave cylinder for wetness making sure to look inside the boot also.

I havent had a chance to look at it yet. At least not too closely. The reverse grinding has been that way since I have had the car. The hard shifting just started recently. I checked the fluid level and it was very low. So naturally I topped it off. At quick glance nothing looked visibly wet. However the car is under a ton of snow, so checking again will have to wait.

quote Originally posted by Darksyde: I checked the fluid level and it was very low.

Yep, you need to replace something. Which transmission do you have? If it is your slave cyl leaking you might be able to get away with swapping in an MR2 Piston.

I,m staking my reputation as a low life,back stabbing scoundrel & price label changer that the install of an 85/86 Toyota MR 2 slave piston repair kit will cure your problem
this is a direct drop in,you use your old spring the MR 2 piston has 2 seals,, the stock piston 1
the MR2 kit will even help a defective cylinder ,,it is easier to bleed
It will not cure massive pitting or major defects,, MY cylinder is wavy and pitted the MR2 kit has worked for 6 months,, I drive the car every week..
any one with a 4speed muncie should buy this kit ,,to have one ready to install at the first sign of shifting trouble..
The 85/86 toyota slave repair kit is available at most auto part stores, they may have to order it
Because of ease of installation and improvement,,I concider this to be the best up grade available to the Glamouring for freedom Fiero throngs..
cost $10.00 ,,cost of stock fiero kits $20 to $30,,even the math works for your pocket
Fits 4 speed muncie and 5 speed Isuzu transmission

[This message has been edited by uhlanstan (edited 02-27-2010).]

I think the Toyota slave rebuild is a great thing to do if (make that when) you're having troubles with your slave. If, however the reason your Master Cylinder is going dry is because its leaking at the carpet, rebuilding the slave and then bleeding the system will only fix the trouble till the master leaks out enough to run dry again. You could do your slave rebuild at the same time as the master anyways to pre-empt the eventual slave failure if you so choose. Or you might find its indeed your slave thats leaking juice and just do that.

Don't leave us hanging. What's the latest?

ah well i tried to bleed the system and snapped the slave cylinder. So i'm in the process of finding a slave cylinder and a new bracket. But i think I may just purchase it new from the fiero store.

The original design of both those parts is piss poor. Rodney Dickman redesigned both the bracket and the slave cylinder and I would highly recommend his parts over the Fiero Store.

quote Originally posted by Darksyde: i tried to bleed the system and snapped the slave cylinder.

Sounds like part (or all) of your problem may have been the slave bracket bending under pressure. You may not have a hydraulic problem at all... although your low fluid level suggests otherwise.

quote Originally posted by Bloozberry: Sounds like part (or all) of your problem may have been the slave bracket bending under pressure. You may not have a hydraulic problem at all... although your low fluid level suggests otherwise.

I had thought the same but it didnt appear to flex under pedal pressure.

Well I just ordered the slave and the bracket from the fiero store. Against my better judgment as well as some of yours. I just could not afford the extra $$$ for the RD stuff. I need the car drivable ASAP. Here is a question for those of you who have done this. Do you have to bench bleed the slave like you do when ya swap master's out?

No bench bleeding is necessary because the slave has a bleed valve. Don't forget though, that the last step is to crack the bleeder open while someone bottoms out the slave pushrod and holds it there until you can tighten the bleed valve again. That gets rid of any air trapped in the slave.

While your waiting for your parts take a look at your clutch pedal and see if it looks like the bracket for the banjo rod is bent. Look and see if your banjo rod is bent.

Read here #4 #8 #7

http://www.v8archie.com/archism.htm

Just went thru all this mess with bleeding. I kept pushing air back and forth. Finally just pulled the piston out and gravity bleed everything until the slave was full. Then when master resivor was half empty, I pushed the plunger in the slave and put retaining clip on. Just one other note, you may want to check if the clutch pedal is bent

quote Originally posted by xgamefan: you may want to check if the clutch pedal is bent

Yea I double checked that as well. I have a new one already that came with the car just not installed. No doubt I will need it at a later date. lol

quote Originally posted by Darksyde: Well I just ordered the slave and the bracket from the fiero store. Against my better judgment as well as some of yours. I just could not afford the extra $$$ for the RD stuff. I need the car drivable ASAP. Here is a question for those of you who have done this. Do you have to bench bleed the slave like you do when ya swap master's out?

At the very least get an MR2 piston for your new slave cyl and swap it in. It should only be around $5 at your local parts store.

got my parts in today......sadly they shipped the wrong stuff. I ordered the bracket and the slave, they sent the bracket and the master. sigh.......gotta wait 2 more days now.

well its installed, bleeding was a ***** but I followed the Archie method and it worked perfect. It still grinds slightly going into reverse but every other gear slips in like butta.

Cool Cool

quote Originally posted by Darksyde: well its installed, bleeding was a ***** but I followed the Archie method and it worked perfect. It still grinds slightly going into reverse but every other gear slips in like butta.

Glad to hear it. Thanks for coming back and updating the thread. I almost missed it!

Now that you have your clutch hydraulic problem fixed it is obviously time to inform you that the reverse gear in your trans does not contain a syncro. What this means is that you will need to shift into a forward gear before shifting into reverse both with the clutch fully disengaged in order to prevent the grind.

Here is some reading material

gears grind going into reverse
Grinding into reverse
Reverse gear grinds!
4spd Reverse Gear Grinding...
Grinds into reverse, unless...
Only Reverse Grinds
grinding into reverse
oh no... grind into reverse...
Grinding in Reverse
Causes for grinding while shifting to reverse?
Grinding the gears going into reverse?