Seized Shifter... Why? - Honda Prelude Forum

pixxxel · 10-06-2003, 10:30 AM

One morning, two days ago I got into the lude (95 SR-V) to move it out of the garage. I started it and let it run for a bit. I got in and tried to put it into gear but it wouldn't go. After a few minutes of messaging it I finally got it to go in though it didn't feel smooth at all.
I turned the car off got it on jackstands and took a look underneath for damage or leeks of any kind at or around the tranny. Couldn't find anything that looked out of the ordinary. I replaced the tranny fluid (Honda MTF) which was pointless as the stuff that came out was chrystal clean.
I got back into the car and started it up and got it into gear again with difficulty but took it around the block. The more I drove it the more it loosened up. After a small cruise it seemed fine. I was able to push it with no issues. I drove back home and parked the car for the night.
The next day after work I tried the gear shift again and wouldn't you know.... Back to the seized feeling. I left it and here I am now posting.Any ideas?
I might be dreaming this but a while back I did notice that my clutch felt a little low. I thought to myself that I was just imagining this because of the difference driving the Civic (girlfriends car) compared to my lude.
Are there any sort of linkage from the shifter to the tranny that could seize up? I was thinking that maybe some of the bushings may have hardened and are again softening from the heat of the engine while driving. The only linkage that I know of would be that under the shifter and the others at the two connecting tranny points. I was also thinking that it could be the clutch not completely engaging causing this but how would it get better when the car is warm? Strange!
One other thought. I recently (last summer) started using MTF in the tranny instead of the 10w30 recommended by the helms manual. Why did I do this? Cause my local parts dealer told me that is was a better product. Any thoughts on this?
Well I thought I would post this to see if anyone has run into this or if any intelligent theories could be devised.

Car Info
1995 Honda Prelude SR-V
85,000 Km
Babied, spends most of its time under a car cover

Thanks

prelude styl · 10-06-2003, 10:47 AM

it's strange that it would just all of a sudden happen, and not a gradual stiffening. So nothing's happened to the car recently that 'might' have messed something up? I'd grease up the linkage/bushings nice and good and see if that helps. Is it just 1st, or any gear? And is it stiff moving the shifter side to side?

pixxxel · 10-06-2003, 11:10 AM

There is a problem getting it into any gear. As for the bushings I'm guessing that you are only talking about the ones at the tranny.

MugenDriver · 10-06-2003, 11:47 AM

Check your clutch hydrulic fluid level. I remember having a leak before that caused the same thing. I don't know, just a suggestion.

pixxxel · 10-06-2003, 01:29 PM

The hydraulic fluid is clean and to the max. There is come bleading at the slave cylinder but was told by my mechanic that a little is normal.

4bidden · 10-06-2003, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by pixxxel
There is come bleading at the slave cylinder

What!?!?

I'd bleed it just to make sure. That is usually the case.

yohan420 · 10-06-2003, 02:58 PM

try bleeding it and give us an update.

seems there quite a few posts lately relating to similar issues of shifting / bleeding the clutch.

pixxxel · 10-06-2003, 06:18 PM

New findings

Well reading the responses and doing a search with the proper key words this time (Clutch bleed) I got some more ideas.
I ventured to the garage and did the following.... With my girlfriend in the car I got her to push down the clutch with the car off. I opened the hood reached in the engine and managed to get one hand on each of the shift levers on the tranny. I was able to go though all the gears in that fashion.
I myself then got in the car and still with the car off ran through the gears easily with the clutch in and with it out. No difference. I then started the car and tried to put it into gear but found out that I couldn't. Finally!

A diagnosible and recognizable instance.
Now what I did notice and what my girl confirmed is that the clutch is way to F%$# low. By low I mean that the dead spot at the top of the movement is huge and it feels like the gripping point is at the floor. I am not sure what the deal is at this point but hopefully with some more searching I can diagnose this and get my car going for the final weeks/days of my Luding season.
I will be tackling this tomorrow so if any of you have any ideas or suggestions that can help me pinpoint what is going on, that would be great.

Thanks

MugenDriver · 10-07-2003, 12:32 PM

What did you mean by "I managed to get one hand on each of the shift levers on the tranny." I was lost there, anyway, were you talking about the lever that the slave cylinder is pushing when you push down on the clutch??? How much movement do you get when you push down on the clutch??? If you don't get much movement and you say that your hydrulic fluid is fine, then maybe your master cylinder is faulty??? Well, I hope that I didn't confuse anyone!!!

pixxxel · 10-07-2003, 01:24 PM

On the tranny there are two levers near the top passenger side (looking in the engine bay). Moving the bigger of the two moves the gear shift in the car up and down. Moving the smaller one moves the shifter side to side. I used both of those to move the shifter through 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th.
I get full movement on the clutch. What is happening is when I push it down there feels to be a lot of gap/free play at the top end of the movement. The clutch only feel likes its engaging very close to the floor. When I let it go sometimes it comes up maybe a fifth of the way. I put my foot behind it and tap it then it pops to the top.

Satan_SRV · 10-07-2003, 01:58 PM

A guy had the same problem. This was the solution

For those of you that remember all my posts about my shifter going into gear, or rather, my shifter not going into gear, I finally found out what it was. I changed out the clutch master and slave cylinder and that bled it so many times but that didn't help at all. I also had numerous suggestions like my tranny or clutch fork, but finally, I changed out the clutch itself and that was the problem. One of the clutch springs dislodged itself and that's why it wasn't going into gear. Anyway, got a used 5th gen clutch in there and it is so nice to be able to shift with the clutch again!! haha, but thanks again to all those that were able to help me diagnose my problem!