Grinding when shifting -sometimes-

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Andre68

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I have an interlock style a883 with a hurst shifter. The car drives great when in gear, doesn't slid out of gear or anything. Only problem is, it's kind of a tricky shifter, me and my buddy are kinda the only people who can drive it good. I always thought it was normal but I guess after having a few people drive it they all think it's funny.

The car sat for 15 years before I got it, then I just decided to take it all apart, go through it all and then put it back together nice and fresh.

The only issue I noticed is sometimes the car will grind going into gear, like only going into 1st gear, reverse, 3rd. And this I just sometimes, mainly it's just 1st and reverse, this is from neutral as well. Someone told me it was linkage, I think it might be the shifter, it was old and nasty, all I did was regrease it, might need a rebuild.

Any ideas? It does it about half the time. I don't want to hear anymore grinding haha
 
If you go from neutral to reverse it will grind reverse does not have a syncro, neutral to first should not grind if it is a full syncro trans, if it does it is probably the syncro. Might also check your clutch adjustment.
 
Yea the clutch pedal is pretty mushy... The catch point is almost right away. It's a new clutch and all, and I have the clutch adjuster rod almost out all the way. I read an article in mopar muscle magazine that said the original 6 cylinder darts with 3 speeds had these mushy pedals for the little lady's. I guess I can weld some metal to the pedal so there is more separation from the clutch.

Should that be something I should do? How do I know if it's the synchros?
 
I don't know what an interlock style trans is exactly, I know I have one though, saw the photo on brewers
 
pntastar69 said:
Mine doesn't.

Shifter linkage or a sloppy shifter would not cause the grinding. Clutch adjustment or something inside the trans.
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Yep, the statement he made about "catching right away"
(I'm assumng that means the car starts to move right after the pedal starts up off the bootom of it's travel/
That usually means the clutch is just barely disengaging and it's not allowing the clutch disc and input shaft to stop spinning before it goes into gear, so it crunches going into 1'st and reverse.
 
Cool yea that's what I meant I thought that was the called the catch point.

So should I do that mod mopar magazine wrote about? Will that maybe fix it? Because the adjuster rod is like maxed out
 
^^^ This first, then the mod. As far as the grinding going into reverse don't go from neutral right to reverse put it in another gear first then reverse.
 
pntastar69 said:
Do you have the correct clutch linkage adjustment rod?
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Purple Haze said:
^^^ This first, then the mod. As far as the grinding going into reverse don't go from neutral right to reverse put it in another gear first then reverse.
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Possibly even a clutch first.
It would be messed up to modify things for a worn clutch, because those symtoms are also the same for a worn out disc.
 
I have the same problem,I talked to Jamie Passon about it and he told me to ALWAYS put it in first gear and then go to reverse and it works like magic--Steve
 
The clutch is brand spanking new, maybe has less than 50 miles on it.

I do have the correct abody adjuster rod
 
This may be a shot in the dark but what type of fluid is in the transmission if the fluid is thick and stiff even though the clutch pedal is on the floor it takes time for the internal gears to stop turning so it grinds when going into gear. In a pro-shifted transmission I use 5W20 motor oil which is always thin but still slippery however I need a new set of gears after 70-75 passes just to be sure nothing breaks.
 
Andre68 said:
I don't know what an interlock style trans is exactly, I know I have one though, saw the photo on brewers
Click to expand...

It is the type of levers inside the shift cover on the trans that operates the shift forks in the transmission.
There is two types mopar made, and they changed around 1970 but either one will work.

My guess is you have a POS pressure plate, or the disk itself is warped really bad.
Went thru the same thing a couple years ago.
Bought a Zoom MU series clutch, it would grind and not go in any gear.
The techs at Zoom finally after several conversations said to send it back for a refund.

Put a Centerforce in mine and now no issues.

What brand clutch did you put in it?
 
swifter said:
I have the same problem,I talked to Jamie Passon about it and he told me to ALWAYS put it in first gear and then go to reverse and it works like magic--Steve
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This is actually the way I learned to do it with all kinds of tranmissions that didn't have a syncroed 1st or rev.
It stops the counter gear shaft from spinning before it tries to engage the gears for reverse.



sireland67 said:
My guess is you have a POS pressure plate, or the disk itself is warped really bad.
Went thru the same thing a couple years ago.
Bought a Zoom MU series clutch, it would grind and not go in any gear.
The techs at Zoom finally after several conversations said to send it back for a refund.

Put a Centerforce in mine and now no issues.

What brand clutch did you put in it?
Click to expand...

This was my point in mentioning the clutch, as a worn one acts pretty much the same as a warped or separated disc that is new.
New does not mean good. (or even usable sometimes)

I would say that if thats the only problem then just drive it and get used to dropping it in 1st before going for reverse.
OR..... you could change things, but at least now you know the problem is kind of common and not too big a deal if you just use it like it likes to be used.
 
ditch the interlock side cover and replace it with a ball and detent side cover. keep your steel shift forks and nip off the ends so they work in the ball and detent cover. Interlock = junk and problems.
 
acpat said:
ditch the interlock side cover and replace it with a ball and detent side cover. keep your steel shift forks and nip off the ends so they work in the ball and detent cover. Interlock = junk and problems.
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True the ball and detent is much better, but to call the interlock junk I have a hard time understanding, why you are telling the guy to junk what he has and spend money which appears to be clutch related.

This individual is trying to bring back a car that has sit for 15 years.
It is not like a trailer queen, the guy just wants parts to work and drive his car.
 
Yes I did resurface the flywheel. I will try and fix the link.

I think it may be the clutch adjustment
 
Have somebody push the clutch in, while looking at the clutch with the inspection plate off.
See if you can stick a .030" feeler gauge on both sides.
 
Andre68 said:
I think it may be the clutch adjustment
Click to expand...

That would be the very first thing to do.
Take as much freeplay out of the linkage as you can, while trying to have 1/2 inch or so of pedal movement before it contacts anything in the clutch assembly.

It just may solve the entire problem if you can get it adjusted like this.
 
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