New project car! Advice onFirst gear grinding?
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,154
Likes: 183
From: US129 Maryville, TN
New project car! Advice onFirst gear grinding?
So I picked up an 03 s2k, clean title, with 120k miles for $3,400...yeah. It's not the prettiest thing and has obviously been neglected.
Please note the previous owner installed an aftermarket clutch themselves. I'm not sure the brand but I could see that the housing was red....The transmission shifts fine under hard load but when sitting still it grinds going into first gear. The clutch fluid looked like it hadn't been changed in 10 years so I cleaned out the reservoir and flush new fluid through. That didn't make much difference. There seems to be good movement on the slave cylinder.
I'm at a loss at this point, maybe the pressure plate is damaged or the clutch isn't aligned properly?? I would really like to avoid dropping the trans to look at the clutch, but it looks like its leaning that way..
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Please note the previous owner installed an aftermarket clutch themselves. I'm not sure the brand but I could see that the housing was red....The transmission shifts fine under hard load but when sitting still it grinds going into first gear. The clutch fluid looked like it hadn't been changed in 10 years so I cleaned out the reservoir and flush new fluid through. That didn't make much difference. There seems to be good movement on the slave cylinder.
I'm at a loss at this point, maybe the pressure plate is damaged or the clutch isn't aligned properly?? I would really like to avoid dropping the trans to look at the clutch, but it looks like its leaning that way..
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 8,770
Likes: 1,874
I'm afraid you've fallen victim to improperly lubed clutch disk. Its really common. People either use the wrong grease, or not enough of the right grease. The right grease is Honda urea grease.
Our cars are more sensitive to this than most. So guys that have done clutches on ther cars before, and don't research what they need to do for the S, make this mistake every time.
The clutch disk splines aren't lubed properly. The wrong grease (a viscosity thing) or not enough. Clutch doesn't slide on trans splines easily enough, so it hangs up on flywheel. Ends up spinning at engine rpm. So shifting is notchy.
The only full cure is to drop the trans, and lube properly (clean off whatever is there, and do over). If you're gonna do that, might as well replace the disk and release bearing, since they probably won't last much more than 20k miles.
Instead, you could try and make the most of it and do your best to bleed hydraulics well, adjust clutch pedal rod for min play, and adjist pedal for max travel. This will get just a tiny bit more travel in the PP, which will make a big improvement in shift smoothness. But it won't cure it until you grease the splines (and the other stuff you're supposed to with a clutch change).
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
Our cars are more sensitive to this than most. So guys that have done clutches on ther cars before, and don't research what they need to do for the S, make this mistake every time.
The clutch disk splines aren't lubed properly. The wrong grease (a viscosity thing) or not enough. Clutch doesn't slide on trans splines easily enough, so it hangs up on flywheel. Ends up spinning at engine rpm. So shifting is notchy.
The only full cure is to drop the trans, and lube properly (clean off whatever is there, and do over). If you're gonna do that, might as well replace the disk and release bearing, since they probably won't last much more than 20k miles.
Instead, you could try and make the most of it and do your best to bleed hydraulics well, adjust clutch pedal rod for min play, and adjist pedal for max travel. This will get just a tiny bit more travel in the PP, which will make a big improvement in shift smoothness. But it won't cure it until you grease the splines (and the other stuff you're supposed to with a clutch change).
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 176
Likes: 7
I'm afraid you've fallen victim to improperly lubed clutch disk. Its really common. People either use the wrong grease, or not enough of the right grease. The right grease is Honda urea grease.
Our cars are more sensitive to this than most. So guys that have done clutches on ther cars before, and don't research what they need to do for the S, make this mistake every time.
The clutch disk splines aren't lubed properly. The wrong grease (a viscosity thing) or not enough. Clutch doesn't slide on trans splines easily enough, so it hangs up on flywheel. Ends up spinning at engine rpm. So shifting is notchy.
The only full cure is to drop the trans, and lube properly (clean off whatever is there, and do over). If you're gonna do that, might as well replace the disk and release bearing, since they probably won't last much more than 20k miles.
Instead, you could try and make the most of it and do your best to bleed hydraulics well, adjust clutch pedal rod for min play, and adjist pedal for max travel. This will get just a tiny bit more travel in the PP, which will make a big improvement in shift smoothness. But it won't cure it until you grease the splines (and the other stuff you're supposed to with a clutch change).
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
Our cars are more sensitive to this than most. So guys that have done clutches on ther cars before, and don't research what they need to do for the S, make this mistake every time.
The clutch disk splines aren't lubed properly. The wrong grease (a viscosity thing) or not enough. Clutch doesn't slide on trans splines easily enough, so it hangs up on flywheel. Ends up spinning at engine rpm. So shifting is notchy.
The only full cure is to drop the trans, and lube properly (clean off whatever is there, and do over). If you're gonna do that, might as well replace the disk and release bearing, since they probably won't last much more than 20k miles.
Instead, you could try and make the most of it and do your best to bleed hydraulics well, adjust clutch pedal rod for min play, and adjist pedal for max travel. This will get just a tiny bit more travel in the PP, which will make a big improvement in shift smoothness. But it won't cure it until you grease the splines (and the other stuff you're supposed to with a clutch change).
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
Thanks for that information, glad I came across this.. saved my behind. I'm not currently having the OP's issue but wanted to do a clutch soon and definitely did not know any of this.
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 8,770
Likes: 1,874
Originally Posted by The Prophet.
Thanks for that information, glad I came across this.. saved my behind. I'm not currently having the OP's issue but wanted to do a clutch soon and definitely did not know any of this.
Then either honda pp, or act pp (similar pedal effort, better clamping force). If you need a flywheel, or if its an ap2, which has crazy heavy 22 lb flywheel, you want a chromoly flywheel, around 8-12 lbs (stock ap1 is 14lb). Some like 8 lb, some say its a little too light, and trouble taking off from steep grade. Act streetlite is 11 lb, which is a safe bet if you don't wanna go as low as 8.
Get the urea grease. Don't let any shop tell you its ok to use something else.
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,154
Likes: 183
From: US129 Maryville, TN
Originally Posted by The Prophet.
Thanks for that information, glad I came across this.. saved my behind. I'm not currently having the OP's issue but wanted to do a clutch soon and definitely did not know any of this.
Then either honda pp, or act pp (similar pedal effort, better clamping force). If you need a flywheel, or if its an ap2, which has crazy heavy 22 lb flywheel, you want a chromoly flywheel, around 8-12 lbs (stock ap1 is 14lb). Some like 8 lb, some say its a little too light, and trouble taking off from steep grade. Act streetlite is 11 lb, which is a safe bet if you don't wanna go as low as 8.
Get the urea grease. Don't let any shop tell you its ok to use something else.
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
I've been reading a TON on this forum, there is a plethora of knowledge on here. I just went out and adjusted the linkage on the clutch pedal, the rod and seal look crusty as hell but it's not wet so I guess it sealed itself back up? lol.
The adjustment made the shifts from 1st-2nd and 2nd-3rd super smooth! Made a hell of a difference. I thought it had fixed the first gear grind at first, but I was mistaken...its still there. I'll change the tranny fluid here in a bit and if that doesn't fix it, looks like ill be dropping the tranny.
Trending Topics
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 8,770
Likes: 1,874
If you drop the trans, do yourself a big favor and replace the friction disk and the release bearing. Otherwise you'll be getting lots of practice dropping the trans.
The cheap clutch disks all use the same design. Eventually the spring keepers will metal fatigue, and a spring will drop. It will jamb the pp, and no more clutch. It will also likely score the pp and or flywheel surfaces, so then you'll be replacing those too.
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
The cheap clutch disks all use the same design. Eventually the spring keepers will metal fatigue, and a spring will drop. It will jamb the pp, and no more clutch. It will also likely score the pp and or flywheel surfaces, so then you'll be replacing those too.
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,154
Likes: 183
From: US129 Maryville, TN
If you drop the trans, do yourself a big favor and replace the friction disk and the release bearing. Otherwise you'll be getting lots of practice dropping the trans.
The cheap clutch disks all use the same design. Eventually the spring keepers will metal fatigue, and a spring will drop. It will jamb the pp, and no more clutch. It will also likely score the pp and or flywheel surfaces, so then you'll be replacing those too.
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
The cheap clutch disks all use the same design. Eventually the spring keepers will metal fatigue, and a spring will drop. It will jamb the pp, and no more clutch. It will also likely score the pp and or flywheel surfaces, so then you'll be replacing those too.
Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup