Problem with selecting 1st gear in my 5spd Manual 95 FTO

LOO00X · Post by **LOO00X** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 1:27 pm

Hi All,

I've read a lot about problems with selecting 3rd gear in the FTOs, well i'm afraid to say that the FTO doesn't have the best gearbo in the world, my 3rd gear synchro is on the ropes as well, when I was at Wakefield roaring up the straight changing from 2nd to 3rd at 8000rpm... well I had to peel off and clutch down 100% for me to force it into 3rd... was so bad

Besides that though, FTO handles like a charm on the track, probably also due to my racing suspension though

Anyway, my 1st gear is giving me the $h!ts. I can't select 1st gear unless I'm stationary or near stationary. It's quite annoying. I have to wonder around carparks with tight corners and upramps with lots of queues and the only way to get first gear is to pretty much come to a full halt. Alternatively I run around in 2nd gear and wear my clutch out from going at such slow speeds.

I've driven other manuals (not Mitsubishi FTOs) and they can select first gear easily (if travelling slow enough of course) and frankly I want to know if it's a problem with my gearbox, or is it all FTO 5spd manual gearboxes?

Can anyone out there let me know if this is the case with there's as well?

Feedback and comments please!

Cheers,
Brendan.
(White 95 FTO - LOO00X)

HEK-71Q · Post by **HEK-71Q** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 3:08 pm

yeh man, i have the same problem with downshiftin to 1st gear....ya havta go real slow to switch gears, im used to it now newais...otha than that its all sweet...

twistea · Post by **twistea** » Mon Oct 27, 2003 4:01 pm

im no expert on this but i was given an explanation once cause it used to be a problem for me too. its to do with the gear ratios. the 5 speed ratios for the fto are:
1: 3.583
2: 1.947
3: 1.379
4: 1.030
5: 0.820
R: 3.363

the first gear ratio is rather large, so the problem lies when you try and mate two cogs together that are spinning at different speeds. you can imagine that one is going much faster than the other and they dont want to make contact easily. so im guessing you're finding a problem in selecting first gear when you have very little or no engine revs applied?? anyway, if thats the case then there is an easy solution. just give it a rev before you change down and it slides in oh so easy, like a greasy pole up a dogs a$$e!

on the other hand the ratio for fourth gear is almost 1-1, so you should be able to select that gear quite easily.

however your problem may be wear related or because you use the car on the track. but i hope for your sake that its because you dont apply enough revs because an alternate solution could be very pricey.

hope this helps and let us know how you go (except the bit about that poor neighbours dog)

GPXXX · Post by **GPXXX** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 12:33 am

i thought you are not meant to go to 1st gear unless your car has come to a halt or for taking off from the lights?

Have you tried changing the gearbox oil? Not sure if that'll help much though...

Post by **smorison** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 9:16 am

Brendan,
call unique they've got this reall cool stuff for your gearbox that fixes most syncro issues and the like.

LOO00X · Post by **LOO00X** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 10:07 am

Thanks to everyone who replied.

I think I'll go with the gear ration explanation. Thanks for this.

I guess I'm gonna have to bear with it.

Funnily enough though, looking at the gear ratios, it's easier to select reverse gear in an FTO than it is to select 1st gear.... very weird.

Anyway, if anyone has any more ideas, let me know.

Cheers,
B.

G1 · Post by G1 » Tue Oct 28, 2003 10:47 am

I concur with twistea's explanation, its sort of like double-clutching, matching the revs as you down-shift. so yeah give it a rev in neutral and it should slide it much easier.

i use this technique to downshift to 2nd on the highways when some car next to me wants a go... like the other night i used it against a tx3, and he couldnt catch me...

good to have you aboard brendan

MintFTO · Post by **MintFTO** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 5:36 pm

Learn to Rev match or heel and toe on you down shifts, once you master heel and toeing it it basically becomes second nature

G1 · Post by G1 » Tue Oct 28, 2003 5:46 pm

heel and toe is for when approaching corners, double-clutching and braking at the same time basically... now we are getting off topic....

i wanted to point out though... why would it wear out the clutch more if you keep it in 2nd going at slow speeds? i thought it would wear out the clutch more in 1st coz you have to ride the clutch more to keep the car at constant speed... in 2nd you are over-revving most of the time, so its not very fuel economic.... but i didnt think it would wear out the clutch... i could be wrong...

what do you guys think?

Chrisp · Post by **Chrisp** » Wed Oct 29, 2003 10:22 pm

yeah getting into first gear when moving in my 5spd GPX is very difficult too.

I think its:
part design
part wear of the synchros (1-2 gear synchro gets the harshest treatment)
part gear ratio

smorison, what is that gearbox additive u mention, how much, have u used it yourself? what affect did it have?

cheers

Post by **smorison** » Wed Oct 29, 2003 10:48 pm

ummm couple of comments here:

can't engage a gear: both manual and auto boxes have a safety override that will prevent a low gear from engaging if the engine will go past redline from it.

addative: umm don't need it auto box (booo wish when i bought it i had the option of manul) ... it fixes most syncro issues. its a redline product if your interested i'll get you pricing, from memory its about 40/litre or something like that. iv'e seen it used in 300zx race cars and its made a huge difference.

wearing out clutch in 2nd: that makes no sense what-so-ever... i can't work this out from the physics of a gearbox, if someone can explain this to me i would love to know it.

Chrisp · Post by **Chrisp** » Wed Oct 29, 2003 11:33 pm

its hard to get into 1st gear at any speed, basically have to be stopped.

Yeah i would appreciate name/price of that product smorison, thanks

Regarding clutch. The wear occurs on the friction plate when the clutch is engaged from the disengaged position. ie when u take your foot off the clutch pedal or slip the clutch. So when u are driving really slow around carparks in 2nd gear sometimes you need to slip the clutch a little and give it some revs to prevent it from stalling and not bogging down the engine. Because if u try to accelerate from 800rpm in gear it doesnt go very well. So slipping the clutch and getting on/off lots wears it out faster.

cheers

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Thu Oct 30, 2003 1:30 am

My mechanic said to me that unless im stationary, that i should not engage 1st gear, as it wears out your sync's....... thats for all car's so yeah, i havent really had the need to engage first gear..

jono

JSP-INC · Post by **JSP-INC** » Thu Dec 11, 2003 7:05 pm

i think he means when he's in a car park or coming to the lights and almost stopped he wants to wack it into 1st.....
I have the same prob, so i chug in 2nd and its *~dreamy~* but very rarely can i get it into first without having probs and crunching.. lolz

MintFTO · Post by **MintFTO** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 4:50 pm

Are there any FTO's out there that dont have this problem?

G_A_V · Post by **G_A_V** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 7:42 pm

i dont have any probs with my gearbox nowi put in the reddex gearbox oil, its great, way better then the motul/9i tihnk the motul stuff it in the first place)
3rd gear is simple, cept first is a little hard to get in while moving, u shouldnmt really have to, or do it, though its a lot easier then it was before