No 5th Gear!

[VR4Me]

Cant get into fifth gear! This just started, what does it mean and can I fix it myself? OR If I have to go to Mitsubishi, do I do the whole clutch etc?? SOS....

[GrungeAholicVR4]

Originally Posted by VR4Me

Cant get into fifth gear! This just started, what does it mean and can I fix it myself? OR If I have to go to Mitsubishi, do I do the whole clutch etc?? SOS....

assuming you have a first or second gen, you either have lost your last gear, or second to last gear. If you can get into all your other gears fine, and 1st gear engages very well without clutch slippage, then it aint your clutch, Sound like you have a 5th gear syncro problem to me buddy. You should not go to mitsubishi because they will try to just replace your whole transmision. Find an import place near you that will replace the snycro for you. Unless your a pretty handy mechanic and want to drop the transmission, take it apart and replace the syncro yourself then put it all back together. While you have it in the shop, you might as well have your clutch replaced with a quality aftermarket clutch plate or complete kit depending on how many miles are on the clutch you have. But yea, go to a import shop, have them Buy 1 5th gear syncro, and have them replace it, should be your only problem.

[VR4Me]

Originally Posted by GrungeAholicVR4

assuming you have a first or second gen, you either have lost your last gear, or second to last gear. If you can get into all your other gears fine, and 1st gear engages very well without clutch slippage, then it aint your clutch, Sound like you have a 5th gear syncro problem to me buddy. You should not go to mitsubishi because they will try to just replace your whole transmision. Find an import place near you that will replace the snycro for you. Unless your a pretty handy mechanic and want to drop the transmission, take it apart and replace the syncro yourself then put it all back together. While you have it in the shop, you might as well have your clutch replaced with a quality aftermarket clutch plate or complete kit depending on how many miles are on the clutch you have. But yea, go to a import shop, have them Buy 1 5th gear syncro, and have them replace it, should be your only problem.

Thanks. Since they will have to open the tranny up anyway should they replace all? I have a 1997 with 36,000 miles on it. Can you recommend what components I should get and from where?

[GrungeAholicVR4]

[quote=VR4Me]Thanks. Since they will have to open the tranny up anyway should they replace all? I have a 1997 with 36,000 miles on it. Can you recommend what components I should get and from where?[/QUOTE

DAMN! thats pretty wuick to lose a syncro, let alone your fith gear syncro, not a very common one to lose, usually 3rd to 4th syncro goes...hmmm well, i would recommed replacing whatever you could afford to replace in any getrag transmission that is open, and do it while its open because it is expensive and a bitch to work with...so i would at least replace 3rd and through 5th syncros, and definetely do a clutch if you need, if thats the only clutch youve had fgor 36,000 miles, NEW CLUTCH!!! I dont know what area you are in or anything, but all I can say is stay away from mitsubisht, they dont want to touch them, all they want to do is replace it with a 4 grand new tranny. I suggest any good import shop or well reknowned mechanic shop, they can order the parts, have installed, and you will be on your way. As for brand of part or parts, I would go with OEM syncros again, but if not i think Kormex rebuilds or sales newly fabricated ones, but I am not sure. Check that out and see what you can find.

[Igovert500]

Do a search on synchros, because it's a common problem...and as Grunge said, that's what it sounds like. But I think Kormex is the place that sells them pretty cheap. Good luck, I am not looking forward to the day I have to replace my synchros.

[VR4Me]

Originally Posted by Igovert500

Do a search on synchros, because it's a common problem...and as Grunge said, that's what it sounds like. But I think Kormex is the place that sells them pretty cheap. Good luck, I am not looking forward to the day I have to replace my synchros.

Thanks guys! Now for the real question...What can I expect to pay for Syncros installed? Any price range so I dont get ripped off?

[Igovert500]

To quote IkOnone from a previous thread,

"one bad thing about our cars is that if your synchro gears go bad, the people at the mitsu dealership or any normal mechanic or tranny shop will not know where ot get the parts to fix it. they just tell you you need a new tranny and that is like $4k + ass loads of labor. i am sure that is where igovert got the $3-5k figure. BUT (and this is a huge but) there are people that make them now and as long as you do not drive your tranny into the ground, you can just replace the synchros and the fluid and such all for more like $500 at a good tranny shop. i think kormex makes the synchros but maybe it is someone else. it will say somewhere on www.stealth316.com. like the turbos, i generally see the synchros starting to go at about 100k miles but probably closer to 120-130k normally.

also for the grinding, yes, a grinding in third is a tell tale sign of a bad synchro gear in third but i have never heard that it is more common in one gear than another. in my old car, it started out with first and then second and then a little bit in third. i would think that it is probably because those gears saw more brutal stop and go use."

So as far as the price, you can see it varies, you just have to find a good mechanic. One way to do that, is to go to www.3si.org and check out their forum, look in the regional section, and you might find someone else in your area who has dealt with this problem. They might be able to point you towards a good tranny place or even help you do it yourself...who knows.

I still think its odd that you are experiencing it so early and in 5th gear.
Did it grind at all and become progressively worse, or did you just lose fifth altogether. You can still get into 6th right?

[VR4Me]

Originally Posted by Igovert500

To quote IkOnone from a previous thread,

"one bad thing about our cars is that if your synchro gears go bad, the people at the mitsu dealership or any normal mechanic or tranny shop will not know where ot get the parts to fix it. they just tell you you need a new tranny and that is like $4k + ass loads of labor. i am sure that is where igovert got the $3-5k figure. BUT (and this is a huge but) there are people that make them now and as long as you do not drive your tranny into the ground, you can just replace the synchros and the fluid and such all for more like $500 at a good tranny shop. i think kormex makes the synchros but maybe it is someone else. it will say somewhere on www.stealth316.com. like the turbos, i generally see the synchros starting to go at about 100k miles but probably closer to 120-130k normally.

also for the grinding, yes, a grinding in third is a tell tale sign of a bad synchro gear in third but i have never heard that it is more common in one gear than another. in my old car, it started out with first and then second and then a little bit in third. i would think that it is probably because those gears saw more brutal stop and go use."

So as far as the price, you can see it varies, you just have to find a good mechanic. One way to do that, is to go to www.3si.org and check out their forum, look in the regional section, and you might find someone else in your area who has dealt with this problem. They might be able to point you towards a good tranny place or even help you do it yourself...who knows.

I still think its odd that you are experiencing it so early and in 5th gear.
Did it grind at all and become progressively worse, or did you just lose fifth altogether. You can still get into 6th right?

No warning at all! No grinding, just stop letting me to go into 5th yesterday. Yes, I can get to 6th gear fine. As a matter of fact, all of the other gears work fine. Now I am concerned. Any other advice? Thanks!

[Igovert500]

"As it turns out, as I was looking for a new B.O.V for my VR-4, the advertisement had an install tip. It said to watch out for interference with the BOV and the shifter shaft as it may interfere with 5th or 6th gear. Sure enough, this was why I could not get into 5th gear! Please pass this tip along-I thought for sure this was a tranny problem-Thanks for all your help- we need this forum!" ~VR4ME