transmission wont engage

DarkKnightSM

Senior VIP Member
I'm fairly certain of two possible fixes on the soon to be mentioned problem but I will post anyway incase someone can offer different insight other then the vagueness of the rest of the internet.

Backstory:

Tranny was low on fluid, amount is unknown other then what was on my garage floor, if I had to guess just under a quart. I was already on the road after some work I did on the car, nothing to the tranny itself except disconnecting/reconnecting the axles. (I forgot to add fluid from which had seeped from axle holes.) After 5 miles on the highway it would slip only in 5th gear every mile or so and above 60 mph. I could hold it in gear but didn't want to force anything so stayed in 4th when possible. After realizing what I had done I had no choice but to keep moving on. By the time I got home I had driven 40 miles with low fluid. Super paranoid about further damaging the tranny I quickly jacked up the car on passenger side and put in 1 quart of tranny fluid. Because it was not level it is unknown if the oil I put in brought the tranny to adequate level or if I overfilled it. transmission and engine functioned normally before with zero issues before the low tranny fluid issue.

Current issue: After driving about .5 miles from the house, transmission slipped. It would go into its Placed gear but the car would not move at all, would just rev, minimal tranny noise heard. I tried ever gear, had to push car home. Car is immobile.

With all this said I'm thinking two maybe three things.

1. I did enough damage to the tranny that after filling it the gears had already been worn down and more gear oil just wouldn't allow the tranny to operate

2. Over filled it, and manual transmissions are not able to function when overfilled? Idk. Solution: drain to adequate level and hope that it will function again

3. When overfilled, after the oil expanded, it dripped out over some weep or overflow hole or tube, therefor dripping down or into the clutch, getting the clutch wet with oil, causing the clutch not to function properly Solution: tear tranny from motor, dry possibly replace clutch/drain tranny to acceptable levels.

So my question to you guys assuming the worst like #3 . Is there a way to dry the clutch without pulling the tranny somehow?

PS. I'm just brain storming before I get home and have a chance to actually look inside and under the car. I would rather not be worried to death.

 
Low fluid will not cause a manual transmission to slip. Burn up the gears yes, slip no. You have destroyed the clutch. Either from getting it wet with fluid or from another problem. Either way the trans has to come out.

 
Low fluid will not cause a manual transmission to slip. Burn up the gears yes, slip no. You have destroyed the clutch. Either from getting it wet with fluid or from another problem. Either way the trans has to come out.
that makes me sad, I just put in that motor and tranny

 
Make sure your axles are seated properly. Master/slave working properly?
theres really only one way the axles go in, fitting inbetween the teeth. once you bolt the steering knuckle back in it prevents the axles from moving more then a few mm in either direction.

master and slave should be fine, both brand new, no leaks, as of yesterday anyways. and I kept the system sealed and closed when I swapped the motor out. worked fine with last motor and tranny in it.

 
Sounds to me the clutch is toast. You mentioned having to hold it in 5th i'm assuming the shifter pops out of 5th? That would be an internal trans problem like a bent shift fork or a detents spring for that fork. Also what vehicle and year?

 
that makes me sad, I just put in that motor and tranny
How long ago?

Hate to say it...but sounds like it wasn't installed corecctly. Haven't done cluthces myself but have heard they're no picnic to deal with.

 
How long ago?
Hate to say it...but sounds like it wasn't installed corecctly. Haven't done cluthces myself but have heard they're no picnic to deal with.
Clutch was easy, getting the tranny out i hated, the civics are easier to pull the motor out then drop the subframe from car.

The motor and tranny were installed fine, except my neglect to fill the tranny after some fluid leaked out during the transfer. A rooky mistake that i wont soon forget.

I got everything in and assembled a day ago.

 
Sounds like something didn't get installed correctly with the clutch. If at first it slipped and now won't move at all. The clutch failed. You'll likly find it burnt. A common mistake would be the clutch disc was installed backwards or the pilot bushing was left out.

 
Sounds like something didn't get installed correctly with the clutch. If at first it slipped and now won't move at all. The clutch failed. You'll likly find it burnt. A common mistake would be the clutch disc was installed backwards or the pilot bushing was left out.
Ok i think you guys are confused. I did not install the clutch on this motor/tranny combo. The motor was pulled from the previous car just as is, nothing done to it. Everything worked fine with zero signs of failure. This means i didnot tinker with the clutch nor the tranny. It wasnt even pulled apart from the motor. I did do a clutch on the previous tranny, which all came out with the old motor which had 230k miles on. It was time to go. But that clutch is new and will probably swap it over since the old motor/tranny is already out.

.the car origonally starting slipping out of 5th due to low tranny fluid, and yes nay sayers, it is possible for a manual tranny to start slipping out of gear due to low fluid.

My point being is, the issue with the car was soley caused by first lack of fluid, and then probably to much fluid. I suppose if anything i just want to get out there the negative effects of not accurately checking your fluid

 
Sounds like something didn't get installed correctly with the clutch. If at first it slipped and now won't move at all. The clutch failed. You'll likly find it burnt. A common mistake would be the clutch disc was installed backwards or the pilot bushing was left out.
Ok i see where you might have thought i installed the clutch on this tranny due to my earlier post, my bad. That was in response to my old tranny

 
It's not a fluid problem. Low or to much fluid will not cause a manual trans to pop out of gear. A fluid condition will cause the syncros or bulk rings to scrub or grind when shifting but, once in gear it's the detents spring/ball check on the shift fork that hold it in gear. That can be weak or to much gear end play that will pop it out of gear not fluid.

 
I think you have two problems. One those older civics and accords are known to have difficulty getting into gear trans issues. Secondly you have a clutch issue. Likly related to the install if it only lasted one day. Maybe the slave cylinder was install incorrectly causing wear on the clutch or something like that.

 
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DarkKnightSM

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