Hard shifting into second

[chuck47]

My TJ has been giving me trouble shifting into second. Second gear has always felt a little bit rougher than the other gears, but today I just got grinding gears trying to shift to second with the clutch down all the way. No trouble with every other gear. I was initially chalking it up to the cold weather, but it was in the 40s here today and this was the first time I've experienced that grinding. My initial thought is that it might be low on fluid but I'm hesitant to play with the transmission fluid as it has 160k miles and I have no idea if it's ever been touched.

97' SE with the AX-5 BTW.

 

[97' 4 Popper]

My TJ has been giving me trouble shifting into second. Second gear has always felt a little bit rougher than the other gears, but today I just got grinding gears trying to shift to second with the clutch down all the way. No trouble with every other gear. I was initially chalking it up to the cold weather, but it was in the 40s here today and this was the first time I've experienced that grinding. My initial thought is that it might be low on fluid but I'm hesitant to play with the transmission fluid as it has 160k miles and I have no idea if it's ever been touched.

97' SE with the AX-5 BTW.

I wouldn't worry that changing the transmission fluid on your manual would have bad effects regardless of miles. That is an old myth for automatics.

 

[chuck47]

I wouldn't worry that changing the transmission fluid on your manual would have bad effects regardless of miles. That is an old myth for automatics

I'm glad to hear that. I would rather just change the fluid than try topping it off, but I'm just concerned about opening up another can of worms.

 

[97' 4 Popper]

I'm glad to hear that. I would rather just change the fluid than try topping it off, but I'm just concerned about opening up another can of worms.

It may not solve your problem but it would definitely be a good place to start. I used Redline MTL on my 97 SE.

 

[bromel]

Definitely replace the fluid. Technically Redline recommends 75W90NS for the AX-5, which is a GL-5 fluid safe for all synchro metals. People also run synthetic 10w-30 motor oil.

 

[CharlesHS]

When shifting suddenly gets worse, it is doubtful that changing the transmission gear lube will resolve the problem unless you have a leak in the transmission causing a low lubricant level.
I would suggest you check the clutch release master cylinder reservoir fluid level, inspect the clutch release slave cylinder and the clutch master cylinder actuation rod for signs of leaks.
The following are the OEM Mopar clutch release master cylinder/slave assembly PNs for your Jeep: 52107652AB, 52107652AC, 52107652AD.

 

[chuck47]

When shifting suddenly gets worse, it is doubtful that changing the transmission gear lube will resolve the problem unless you have a leak in the transmission causing a low lubricant level.
I would suggest you check the clutch release master cylinder reservoir fluid level, inspect the clutch release slave cylinder and the clutch master cylinder actuation rod for signs of leaks.
The following are the OEM Mopar clutch release master cylinder/slave assembly PNs for your Jeep: 52107652AB, 52107652AC, 52107652AD.

There is a small leak dripping from the bottom of the oil pan. I haven't gotten around to properly diagnosing it but I kind of just assumed it was motor oil, and I couldn't spot an obvious trail of fluid from the RMS.

All very good info. I'll report back when I get around to checking on this.

 

[Woodrow]

It may not solve your problem but it would definitely be a good place to start. I used Redline MTL on my 97 SE.

I changed all the fluids in my ‘97 w/ an AX-15 when I bought it. It had about 150K. The synchro for 2nd was not good to the point I was thinking about a new transmission or rebuild. I used Redline MTL (I think it was @Jerry Bransford ’s suggestion). The shifting improved dramatically. Still a little stiff on 3 to 2 downshifts but nothing that needs attention.

 

[bromel]

I changed all the fluids in my ‘97 w/ an AX-15 when I bought it. It had about 150K. The synchro for 2nd was not good to the point I was thinking about a new transmission or rebuild. I used Redline MTL (I think it was @Jerry Bransford ’s suggestion). The shifting improved dramatically. Still a little stiff on 3 to 2 downshifts but nothing that needs attention.

You might want to switch to Redline MT-90 on your next change. It's very similar to MTL, but a slightly different viscosity more suited to the AX-15. MTL is for the NV3550.

 

[chuck47]

Just wanted to follow up on this one, I finally got around to swapping the transmission oil for Redline MT-90. This is what the old stuff looked like.

After the swap I ran it for about 20 min, only backed it out of the garage into the driveway though as I have no desire to get mixed up in the mess of salt and snow we've had on the ground for the past month. The shifter did seem to hit all the gears much more smoothly, but I suppose I won't really know until the weather clears up a bit and I actually drive it around a bit.