Honda Car Forum

Hi,

I have Accord 93 LX (standard). I noticed sometime, even the car is at
a complete stop, the first gear gets hard. I have to push is with
force for 1st gear. This happens sometimes and only for 1st gear. Rest
of the gears are very smooth.

Any idea?

Thanks.

If it doesn't grind, then your clutch isn't completely disengaging. My 91
had the same problem, however I also noticed that the shift from 1st to 2nd
was tough (no grind, just took A LONG TIME to synchronize and engage)

How many miles? (I'm wondering how good your synchros are)

Another bit of advice: don't force it because it will damage things: if
you're rough, you will wear your shift forks, and if you're really rough,
you can bend one, which is a real bummer.

-Arthur

yahmed wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I have Accord 93 LX (standard). I noticed sometime, even the car is at
> a complete stop, the first gear gets hard. I have to push is with
> force for 1st gear. This happens sometimes and only for 1st gear. Rest
> of the gears are very smooth.
>
> Any idea?
>
> Thanks.

noticed and weird rattles with the clutch pedal depressed????

Your clutch might have "spit" one of the springs out of the pressure plate,
thus causing the drag.

Quite common.

"yahmed" <ahmedyassir@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9b1229.0404291240.7aaa7d0f@posting.google.com ...
> Hi,
>
> I have Accord 93 LX (standard). I noticed sometime, even the car is at
> a complete stop, the first gear gets hard. I have to push is with
> force for 1st gear. This happens sometimes and only for 1st gear. Rest
> of the gears are very smooth.
>
> Any idea?
>
> Thanks.

Where did you get the information this is quite common?
I have the same problem with my 91, I am pretty sure it is the syncros but I
may be wrong. I found most Honda mechanics have very little experience with
manual trannys.

"Mista Bone" <mistab0ne@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:Y8pkc.5135$ZD3.148@fe1.columbus.rr.com...
> noticed and weird rattles with the clutch pedal depressed????
>
> Your clutch might have "spit" one of the springs out of the pressure
plate,
> thus causing the drag.
>
> Quite common.
>
> "yahmed" <ahmedyassir@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:9b1229.0404291240.7aaa7d0f@posting.google.com ...
> > Hi,
> >
> > I have Accord 93 LX (standard). I noticed sometime, even the car is at
> > a complete stop, the first gear gets hard. I have to push is with
> > force for 1st gear. This happens sometimes and only for 1st gear. Rest
> > of the gears are very smooth.
> >
> > Any idea?
> >
> > Thanks.
>
>

Not to butt in here, but listen: I ran my 91 this way for awhile because I
couldn't believe it was the clutch, so I figured it was the synchros as
well. When the clutch drag got bad enough, it became clear that it was NOT
synchros.

Here's a quick test: Next time you're out on the road at stop signs and
traffic lights, try experimenting with clutch drag. With clutch fully
depressed, engage 1st gear, keep the clutch fully in. Then, pull the
shifter out of 1st just slightly (start to return it to neutral) but then
push it back to fully engaged to 1st. Do this a few times, pulling it
further and further out of the 1st gear position. At some point, you will
completely return to neutral. The important thing is that before that, you
will be at the point of disengaging the gear, but not disengaging the
synchro. This is what you want, because once you do that, if your clutch is
in good shape, you WON'T GET A GRIND. If your clutch is dragging, you will
get a grind when you try to return to 1st.

If you fail the test, you certainly need a clutch, and as long as you put
it off, you will be quickly wearing your synchros. If you pass the test all
the time, then maybe it is just a worn 1st gear synchro.

Good luck, please post back with more info,
Arthur


Grahame wrote:
> Where did you get the information this is quite common?
> I have the same problem with my 91, I am pretty sure it is the syncros but I
> may be wrong. I found most Honda mechanics have very little experience with
> manual trannys.
>
> "Mista Bone" <mistab0ne@nospam.net> wrote in message
> news:Y8pkc.5135$ZD3.148@fe1.columbus.rr.com...
>
>>noticed and weird rattles with the clutch pedal depressed????
>>
>>Your clutch might have "spit" one of the springs out of the pressure
>
> plate,
>
>>thus causing the drag.
>>
>>Quite common.
>>
>>"yahmed" <ahmedyassir@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>news:9b1229.0404291240.7aaa7d0f@posting.google.c om...
>>
>>>Hi,
>>>
>>>I have Accord 93 LX (standard). I noticed sometime, even the car is at
>>>a complete stop, the first gear gets hard. I have to push is with
>>>force for 1st gear. This happens sometimes and only for 1st gear. Rest
>>>of the gears are very smooth.
>>>
>>>Any idea?
>>>
>>>Thanks.
>>
>>
>
>

Thanks for the info I will try it out, also I find that in the winter it
becomes harder to get into first, but when warmer weather returns it almost
returns to normal. This has been going on for several years now and doesn't
seem to be getting any worse.

"Arthur Russell" <atr@REMOVE_CAPS_AND_INVALIDbellatlantic.netINVALI D> wrote
in message news:9yEkc.10622$wY.92@nwrdny03.gnilink.net...
> Not to butt in here, but listen: I ran my 91 this way for awhile because I
> couldn't believe it was the clutch, so I figured it was the synchros as
> well. When the clutch drag got bad enough, it became clear that it was NOT
> synchros.
>
> Here's a quick test: Next time you're out on the road at stop signs and
> traffic lights, try experimenting with clutch drag. With clutch fully
> depressed, engage 1st gear, keep the clutch fully in. Then, pull the
> shifter out of 1st just slightly (start to return it to neutral) but then
> push it back to fully engaged to 1st. Do this a few times, pulling it
> further and further out of the 1st gear position. At some point, you will
> completely return to neutral. The important thing is that before that, you
> will be at the point of disengaging the gear, but not disengaging the
> synchro. This is what you want, because once you do that, if your clutch
is
> in good shape, you WON'T GET A GRIND. If your clutch is dragging, you will
> get a grind when you try to return to 1st.
>
> If you fail the test, you certainly need a clutch, and as long as you put
> it off, you will be quickly wearing your synchros. If you pass the test
all
> the time, then maybe it is just a worn 1st gear synchro.
>
> Good luck, please post back with more info,
> Arthur
>
>
> Grahame wrote:
> > Where did you get the information this is quite common?
> > I have the same problem with my 91, I am pretty sure it is the syncros
but I
> > may be wrong. I found most Honda mechanics have very little experience
with
> > manual trannys.
> >
> > "Mista Bone" <mistab0ne@nospam.net> wrote in message
> > news:Y8pkc.5135$ZD3.148@fe1.columbus.rr.com...
> >
> >>noticed and weird rattles with the clutch pedal depressed????
> >>
> >>Your clutch might have "spit" one of the springs out of the pressure
> >
> > plate,
> >
> >>thus causing the drag.
> >>
> >>Quite common.
> >>
> >>"yahmed" <ahmedyassir@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> >>news:9b1229.0404291240.7aaa7d0f@posting.google.c om...
> >>
> >>>Hi,
> >>>
> >>>I have Accord 93 LX (standard). I noticed sometime, even the car is at
> >>>a complete stop, the first gear gets hard. I have to push is with
> >>>force for 1st gear. This happens sometimes and only for 1st gear. Rest
> >>>of the gears are very smooth.
> >>>
> >>>Any idea?
> >>>
> >>>Thanks.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >

"Grahame" <grahame.joyce@sympatico.ca> wrote in message news:<L2Vkc.57591$OU.1427270@news20.bellglobal.com >...
> Thanks for the info I will try it out, also I find that in the winter it
> becomes harder to get into first, but when warmer weather returns it almost
> returns to normal. This has been going on for several years now and doesn't
> seem to be getting any worse.


Hi,

Thanks for the comments. My accord has 186,000KM in it. (116250 Miles)
I live in calgary (Extreme Winter, extreme summer) and in Winter, I
get this problem but not in summer.
I will try that clutch test as well.

Yassir