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You can’t keep driving it grinding your syncros like that without damaging your trans. Maybe you could pull it out yourself and take a look. You don’t need anything except jack stands, basic hand tools, and maybe a buddy to help you lift the heavy parts. It doesn’t cost anything but time to look. Then you’ll know what parts to buy. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find you just need to clean up some rust or something. It looks like there’s plenty of help here if you get into trouble.
You can’t keep driving it grinding your syncros like that without damaging your trans. Maybe you could pull it out yourself and take a look. You don’t need anything except jack stands, basic hand tools, and maybe a buddy to help you lift the heavy parts. It doesn’t cost anything but time to look. Then you’ll know what parts to buy. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find you just need to clean up some rust or something. It looks like there’s plenty of help here if you get into trouble.
If it was mine, I would look into converting the flywheel/clutch to a conventional set up. I haven’t had one of these dual mass set ups in my hands yet, but they look like an over complicated mess. I understand why they put them in, but they seem to be pron to failure. My understanding is you have to replace all the parts including the flywheel anyway. Maybe someone makes a conversion kit for your truck. One of my neighbors converted his Dodge ram diesel with a kit he got from a company called Fleet Pride.
I would also check your bell housing alignment while it’s apart. Ii doesn’t take long to check.If it was mine, I would look into converting the flywheel/clutch to a conventional set up. I haven’t had one of these dual mass set ups in my hands yet, but they look like an over complicated mess. I understand why they put them in, but they seem to be pron to failure. My understanding is you have to replace all the parts including the flywheel anyway. Maybe someone makes a conversion kit for your truck. One of my neighbors converted his Dodge ram diesel with a kit he got from a company called Fleet Pride.
I would also check your bell housing alignment while it’s apart. Ii doesn’t take long to check.I have seen that ethanol gas in the West USA cheaper than 87 octane regular. I said what the heck and filled my truck up. I usually get about 300 miles per tank pulling our camper. I was down to 275. I couldn’t keep the truck in overdrive and it felt like I was going uphill the whole time. It didn’t do any damage, but it wasn’t worth the lower price. The next time I filled up I talked to a guy who had a similar truck as mine. He said his truck wouldn’t run well on it either. I will avoid the stuff if I can. There is less power in a gallon. The only reason it’s cheaper is the government is subsidizing it. Meanwhile the price of food goes up because everybody switches to growing corn to sell to the ethanol plant. If you ask me ethanol is a big lie.
I have seen that ethanol gas in the West USA cheaper than 87 octane regular. I said what the heck and filled my truck up. I usually get about 300 miles per tank pulling our camper. I was down to 275. I couldn’t keep the truck in overdrive and it felt like I was going uphill the whole time. It didn’t do any damage, but it wasn’t worth the lower price. The next time I filled up I talked to a guy who had a similar truck as mine. He said his truck wouldn’t run well on it either. I will avoid the stuff if I can. There is less power in a gallon. The only reason it’s cheaper is the government is subsidizing it. Meanwhile the price of food goes up because everybody switches to growing corn to sell to the ethanol plant. If you ask me ethanol is a big lie.
Hey Eric,
Loved what you had to say about fleet maintenance. I would like to share my experience with a small taxi/wheelchair company. Here are some of the pros. You are working on well maintained, important equipment. No flat rate. Keeps your skill level diverse and up to date. The vehicles are generally clean. You can become familiar with a vehicle, seeing it through it’s entire life. It is possible to be proud of the work you are doing, and your fleet. Not much politics with a small operation. As far as cons go, The employee benefits aren’t as good as a big dealer. The hours sometimes are nights and weekends when the units are not on the road. There also is some pressure to keep the wheels rolling on those money making vehicles. You end up doing road service in extreme weather. We’ve had to go rent a trailer and tow vehicles back from 200 miles away. Also I don’t know anyone who enjoys working under the hood of vans.
As with most small shops there are jobs you end up doing that have nothing to do with mechanics. You might end up moving snow, mowing the lawn, unclogging a toilet, painting, or sheetrocking.
Although I have moved on to a brewery doing machine maintenance (exit strategy) I still put in hours there as needed at 20.00 per hr. I would recommend anyone newly out of school to start with a fleet if possible. Even if it doesn’t pay as much to start. As the owner of the fleet depends on you more, the raises come. At least in our area it isn’t easy to replace a good tech that is dependable. A smart businessman knows he has to pay a living wage to keep you.Hey Eric,
Loved what you had to say about fleet maintenance. I would like to share my experience with a small taxi/wheelchair company. Here are some of the pros. You are working on well maintained, important equipment. No flat rate. Keeps your skill level diverse and up to date. The vehicles are generally clean. You can become familiar with a vehicle, seeing it through it’s entire life. It is possible to be proud of the work you are doing, and your fleet. Not much politics with a small operation. As far as cons go, The employee benefits aren’t as good as a big dealer. The hours sometimes are nights and weekends when the units are not on the road. There also is some pressure to keep the wheels rolling on those money making vehicles. You end up doing road service in extreme weather. We’ve had to go rent a trailer and tow vehicles back from 200 miles away. Also I don’t know anyone who enjoys working under the hood of vans.
As with most small shops there are jobs you end up doing that have nothing to do with mechanics. You might end up moving snow, mowing the lawn, unclogging a toilet, painting, or sheetrocking.
Although I have moved on to a brewery doing machine maintenance (exit strategy) I still put in hours there as needed at 20.00 per hr. I would recommend anyone newly out of school to start with a fleet if possible. Even if it doesn’t pay as much to start. As the owner of the fleet depends on you more, the raises come. At least in our area it isn’t easy to replace a good tech that is dependable. A smart businessman knows he has to pay a living wage to keep you.Hi Norsology. This is a heavy 6 wheel truck, so it’s hard to drive it like crazy. We did try locking the brakes, making the abs run. We also tried just unplugging the abs module. Nothing brought the pedal back like running the abs bleed procedure did. I’m glad it worked for you. I think I remember Eric doing that on some Honda he was repairing.
Hi Norsology. This is a heavy 6 wheel truck, so it’s hard to drive it like crazy. We did try locking the brakes, making the abs run. We also tried just unplugging the abs module. Nothing brought the pedal back like running the abs bleed procedure did. I’m glad it worked for you. I think I remember Eric doing that on some Honda he was repairing.
Hey Dreamer,
I have had the brake lines open on lots of vehicles with abs and never ran into this before. A 2003 chevy van I was working on, bleed out with no trouble recently for example. Is it only certain vehicles or am I just getting lucky?Hey Dreamer,
I have had the brake lines open on lots of vehicles with abs and never ran into this before. A 2003 chevy van I was working on, bleed out with no trouble recently for example. Is it only certain vehicles or am I just getting lucky?It shows up as hard shifts on a new car. As the pilot bushing or bearing wears the end of the input shaft is no longer supported and the disk can flop around with the clutch depressed. I’m not insisting this is the case with this car. It’s just one possibility. It could also be rust on the input shaft spline, or some hydraulic issue with the slave cylinder or clutch master cylinder. The bottom line is the clutch is not disengaging.
If you want to learn about bell housing misalignment look at dialing in a bell housing on you tube.It shows up as hard shifts on a new car. As the pilot bushing or bearing wears the end of the input shaft is no longer supported and the disk can flop around with the clutch depressed. I’m not insisting this is the case with this car. It’s just one possibility. It could also be rust on the input shaft spline, or some hydraulic issue with the slave cylinder or clutch master cylinder. The bottom line is the clutch is not disengaging.
If you want to learn about bell housing misalignment look at dialing in a bell housing on you tube.You cant have grinding going into reverse unless your transmission mainshaft is spinning.
With the clutch fully depressed the mainshaft should be completely at rest, unless you are rolling. The only way you can spin the mainshaft with the clutch fully depressed is if the clutch disk doesn’t completely disengage from the flywheel and pressure plate it is sandwiched between.