96 5-speed s-10 lost 5th gear

chevy girl · 12-09-2004, 06:37 PM

I have a '96 chevy s-10 that seemed to be losing it's 5th gear a while ago. If I was to take my foot off of the gas for a split second, the gear would slip out into neutral. Once I began forcing it to stay in gear by holding it, this stopped. It slipped out of gear a few days ago and when I tried to put it back in, it felt as if there was no gear there, like it was another neutral. What would make this happen?

OverBoardProject · 12-09-2004, 09:39 PM

Sorry man, your transmission was probably low on fluid at 1 time, and popping out of 5th gear is often a sign for being worn out... and in need of a re-build soon.

I'm not a transmission man, so I really can't say how much work is required, if you can do it yourself or how much money your looking at.

What I do know is that it'll save you a fair amount if you pull it, and some transmission shops will pick it up, and deliver it for you
The better transmission shops will actualy pull it out for you for free if it requires any warranty work... which sometimes happens

BlazerLT · 12-10-2004, 03:22 AM

Yip, the syncros are shot on 5th gear.

Have you checked the fluid level. 5th gear is often the highest gear in the transmission and is the gear that loses lubrication when the fluid level drops.

vtmecheng · 12-10-2004, 06:17 AM

As everyone else has said, it is shot. I have rebuilt a manual trany with a few friends and must advise you to just have a shop due it. Unless you have another vehicle and can afford to have the truck sitting around it is just easier to take it in. Make sure it is a really good shop though, spending a few hundred extra for someone good is worth it for a trany.

Mikado14 · 12-10-2004, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevy girl

I have a '96 chevy s-10 that seemed to be losing it's 5th gear a while ago. If I was to take my foot off of the gas for a split second, the gear would slip out into neutral. Once I began forcing it to stay in gear by holding it, this stopped. It slipped out of gear a few days ago and when I tried to put it back in, it felt as if there was no gear there, like it was another neutral. What would make this happen?

Here's what I would do. Go to a bone yard and buy one. You should be able to get one for about $200 - $400 depending upon the mileage. Most yards will give you an exchange for 30 days. After you have it, go to a shop and have them install it. Shouldn't take more than 2 hours on a lift.

Of course if the tranny is bad, the labor will not be guaranteed but this is the cheapest way to go.

BlazerLT · 12-10-2004, 06:25 PM

Just as a check, might want to check the tranny fluid level before swapping it out. It just might need fluid.

chevy girl · 12-12-2004, 01:55 PM

Thanks guys. I'm going to take it into a shop on Monday to have them do a tranny check and a road test. Just curious, isn't it difficult to check tranny fluid/lubricant on a standard shift?

OverBoardProject · 12-12-2004, 02:41 PM

Actually Chevy Girl checking the fluid is pretty easy, just crawl under the truck, and on the side of the transmission somewhere you'll see a plug. Get the shop where you take your truck to show you where it is.

slowly take the plug out, then if some oil doesn't just start coming out reach a finger, or a clean screw driver tip in there. If it has oil on it, the level is fine.

manual transmission oil stinks so you might want to use the screwdriver.

I don't know for sure but I'm told that some chevy s-10 manual transmissions use automatic trany fluid, so you might want to look in your owners manual before adding oil first

xtremetrk · 12-12-2004, 02:48 PM

Ya i have an automatic transmission and i had recently changed the fluid and filter. I went to advanced auto parts. On the 4 cylinder there are two types of tranny pans. The guy at the store came out to my truck and told me i had the large pan. I bought the fluid and new filter and installed it not realizing that the dumbass at the store gave me the wrong filter. A couple days ago i was driving to school and the tranny just lost fluid pressure and it acted like it was in neutral. I got the truck back to my house and dropped the pan back down. When i pulled the pan off the damn filter came with it. The filter had fallen off!!!!!!! So i went back to the store and scremed at the manager for causing me to almost blow my transmission. I was so pissed. Anyways i got the correct one! and installed. Luckily its running like nothing happened and i didnt break anything. Be carefull with those damn stores because i think they dont know what the hell they are doing!!!!!!

OverBoardProject · 12-12-2004, 02:59 PM

Hey xtremetrk she has a manual transmission, so they're not really related, but you have a very valid point.

you might want to start a new thread for that

BlazerLT · 12-12-2004, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OverBoardProject

Actually Chevy Girl checking the fluid is pretty easy, just crawl under the truck, and on the side of the transmission somewhere you'll see a plug. Get the shop where you take your truck to show you where it is.

slowly take the plug out, then if some oil doesn't just start coming out reach a finger, or a clean screw driver tip in there. If it has oil on it, the level is fine.

manual transmission oil stinks so you might want to use the screwdriver.

I don't know for sure but I'm told that some chevy s-10 manual transmissions use automatic trany fluid, so you might want to look in your owners manual before adding oil first

The upper plug is the one to remove, if nothing runs out, stick your pinky finger in and see if you feel any oil.

If not, fill it up through that same hole until is starts coming out.

Also, do all of this will the truck on level ground and not on ramps or anything.

junkhound · 01-07-2018, 10:55 PM

Decade old thread but perhaps details below will help someone else.

Going down freeway in 5th and then 'no 5th', no noise, all else OK.

Pulled tranny (after driving for a few weeks without 5th) snap ring on main shaft at back end of tranny popped out of its slot, and drive gear on output shaft slipped off the spline onto bare section of shaft.

Could have fixed just removing the xfer case and driving on a new snap ring, wold be a 15 in job on a 2 WD if you had the 1" snap ring on hand

I had a habit of using 5th to brake, that forces slanted gear OFF the spline (drive forces against main bearing) Lots of steep hills here so 5th for braking seemed wise, until now. Will not use 5th for downhill braking any longer.

BTW, '84 NWC tranny.

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