I'm looking at a car with a 3rd gear grind. I have no experience with gear boxes since all of previous cars had no problem.

To correct this is it worth swapping in a whole different transmission or is this more of a repair scenario in your opinion?

It is an AP1 tranny. Worth to just get an AP2 tranny, an AP1 again, or rebuild?

Thanks.

 

You can try GM syncromesh first and go from there.

 

you might get away with clutch rod adjustment

 

Try double pumping the clutch before the 3rd shift. ..... And gm syncromesh works wonders..... If not find another ap1 trans they are like 5-600 bux ...... A syncro costs that and rebuild costs etc.....

 

Try GM syncromesh or Amsoil MFT, and do clutch rod adjustment first. If that fails, then look for an AP2 trans.

 

Flushing the clutch fluid also does wonders

 

If you're seriously considering buying the car I would assume worst case scenario. Without having a mechanic diagnose it I would say transmission rebuild/replacement and possibly clutch work. What the others have said are true. It is possible that it could be something minor, and it very well could be. But you would think if it indeed was a small minor repair the seller would fix it before showing or tell you it would be fixed before you hand over the bulk of the money. From the seller's perspective I would want the most money I can get. If a $20-40 fluid change would eliminate the problem I would make that money back tenfold and is absolutely something I would do prior to showing the car to anyone.

If it were me, unless I was buying the car for a GREAT deal and the difference between this car and another in good condition was enough to cover the cost of a transmission plus a bit more, I would walk away.

Of course it's possible the seller could just want to get rid of the car and not have to deal with the hassle, sellers like that come by VERY infrequently. I'm certain you have more experience buying used cars than I do and I'm sure you know; buying a used car is always a gamble, and as is the rule with gambling you always want to play with odds in your favor not against.

 

Thanks for the reply and to everyone else for their input.

This car is a weird one, and it has me thinking weird things. If I do buy this car, I will have A LOT of things to part out in our for sale section and when I am done, the final price should be quite attractive. It will be a build to get it to my standards. I should have more than enough money to throw in a transmission if needed.

If I were trying to buy a car without the idea of doing a build, I would not even consider this car. It is a walk away for sure. The seller just wants to let it go as it sits with all the parts in the garage to start fresh. This car is not listed anywhere for sale right now. I just have to figure out if I want to do a build and if this is the right car for that, which I think it is.

 

^DO IT .. could use a few new nice parts in the for sale section

 

I hear the 8th gen civics have a 2nd gear grind that gets fixed with the clutch rod adjustment. Worth a shot.

My experience with S2000 (both that I have owned) has only been a 2nd gear grind when the car is cold.