transmission clunk

[camarogolfguy]

I have a 2ss rs 6m. It has about 500 miles on it. To my knowledge I am not one of those with the transmission failure problem. During normal driving, I hear an audible clunk when shifting in lower gears. If I let the clutch out slowly, I can ease it into gear without the clunk. I don't hop on it - just normal shifting.

I have had several mt over the years, but this is the first time I recall ever encountering this kind of issue.

Is this normal? Should I have the dealer look at it?

[Supermans]

You're probably causing the sound by the speed you release the clutch. Try releasing it a bit slower after it hooks up with the 1st or 2nd gear... Mine makes no such sound btw so if yours still does at any speed you release the clutch at while giving gas, you should take it in to get checked.

[JDBeck23]

Well from your description it sounds like you're lugging the car a bit when shifting (which actually is normal since these cars are designed to be skip shifted and lugged in the next gear). If you take the revs up a little higher you'll notice that the clunk goes away.

The clunk is the slack in the driveline. Because of the IRS, you now have 2 extra U joints that will "slack" when you press the clutch in to shift and then when you begin to let the clutch back out, that "slack" is drawn back up quickly. It's very normal for IRS cars.

But if you're concerned, by all means, take the car into the dealer and have her looked at.

And you havent been driving your car hard enough to encounter the "failure" problem yet. Rev it to 5k and dump the clutch (just kidding, dont do that during break in!) and you'll find out if your tranny is one of the broken ones!

[camarogolfguy]

Excuse my igorance, Lugging?

Also, I have noticed the car asking me to go from 1st to 4th at a slow acceleration. I am aware this a GM thing. My brother's 03 Vette also had this feature. I have been going into 2nd anyhow (it fights me a bit, but will make the shift into 2nd). It just doesn't make sense to skip the two gears when the rpm's can't be much more than 1200 or so at the point it wants me to go directly into 4th. If I don't skip shift, is this going to cause a problem?

[BackinBlack]

Originally Posted by camarogolfguy

Excuse my igorance, Lugging?

Also, I have noticed the car asking me to go from 1st to 4th at a slow acceleration. I am aware this a GM thing. My brother's 03 Vette also had this feature. I have been going into 2nd anyhow (it fights me a bit, but will make the shift into 2nd). It just doesn't make sense to skip the two gears when the rpm's can't be much more than 1200 or so at the point it wants me to go directly into 4th. If I don't skip shift, is this going to cause a problem?

DON'T FORCE IT TO ANOTHER GEAR if it wants you to go to 4th. Just speed up more or coast with the clutch in until the skip-shift message goes away before shifting into a different gear.

[JDBeck23]

Originally Posted by camarogolfguy

Excuse my igorance, Lugging?

Also, I have noticed the car asking me to go from 1st to 4th at a slow acceleration. I am aware this a GM thing. My brother's 03 Vette also had this feature. I have been going into 2nd anyhow (it fights me a bit, but will make the shift into 2nd). It just doesn't make sense to skip the two gears when the rpm's can't be much more than 1200 or so at the point it wants me to go directly into 4th. If I don't skip shift, is this going to cause a problem?

Lugging the motor means to have the RPMs too low while starting out in a particular gear. When you release the clutch you'll get a slight clunk and then the motor will "lug" along, and make it feel like the whole car is shaking.

That is the main reason why I hate skip shift. It forces you into lugging the hell out of the motor. It's designed to help you get better gas mileage, but I dont like skipping 2 gears, it makes the car barely crawl forward. I do the 1-3-5 alot, and it keeps the rpms low while still allowing me drive in a way that feels more natural for my driving style.

I agree with Back in Black, do NOT force the shifter when the computer is telling you to 1-4 shift. You can step on the gas a bit longer in 1st... or what I like to do is trick the computer a little... I juke it... Basically, when I get the 1-4 shift on the DIC, I put the clutch in and pull the shifter out of first and ever so barely move it down to 4th, just a tiny hair and it's enough to turn the 1-4 solenoid in the tranny off. So I've got it down to a silence when someone's sitting next to me they never notice that it took me an extra splits second to shift from first to third.

And the best part is it's almost a natural motion. Pull the shifter out of first and it slaps to the center, ever so gently move the shifter torwards 4th for a split second and then push it up into third in a nice, affirmative motion, that's all it takes...

[Xmicro_SS]

Can you get rid of the SKip SHift in competition mode?

[LosXC451]

Originally Posted by JDBeck23

Well from your description it sounds like you're lugging the car a bit when shifting (which actually is normal since these cars are designed to be skip shifted and lugged in the next gear). If you take the revs up a little higher you'll notice that the clunk goes away.

The clunk is the slack in the driveline. Because of the IRS, you now have 2 extra U joints that will "slack" when you press the clutch in to shift and then when you begin to let the clutch back out, that "slack" is drawn back up quickly. It's very normal for IRS cars.

But if you're concerned, by all means, take the car into the dealer and have her looked at.

And you havent been driving your car hard enough to encounter the "failure" problem yet. Rev it to 5k and dump the clutch (just kidding, dont do that during break in!) and you'll find out if your tranny is one of the broken ones!

My transmission broke and i didn't even drive it hard.

[Mi P]

Ok so my first impression, When on the Highway, lets say Cruising at whatever speed in 6th, you let off the gas for whatever reason then give it the gas again, there is a Thud/clunk. Not talking about tromping on it either here, just normal lift pressure from pedal and re-aapply it.

Is this the same thing? i can understand the IRS and the extra linkage, but it seems like it is prominent.

[djm96z28]

Originally Posted by JDBeck23

Lugging the motor means to have the RPMs too low while starting out in a particular gear. When you release the clutch you'll get a slight clunk and then the motor will "lug" along, and make it feel like the whole car is shaking.

That is the main reason why I hate skip shift. It forces you into lugging the hell out of the motor. It's designed to help you get better gas mileage, but I dont like skipping 2 gears, it makes the car barely crawl forward. I do the 1-3-5 alot, and it keeps the rpms low while still allowing me drive in a way that feels more natural for my driving style.

I agree with Back in Black, do NOT force the shifter when the computer is telling you to 1-4 shift. You can step on the gas a bit longer in 1st... or what I like to do is trick the computer a little... I juke it... Basically, when I get the 1-4 shift on the DIC, I put the clutch in and pull the shifter out of first and ever so barely move it down to 4th, just a tiny hair and it's enough to turn the 1-4 solenoid in the tranny off. So I've got it down to a silence when someone's sitting next to me they never notice that it took me an extra splits second to shift from first to third.

And the best part is it's almost a natural motion. Pull the shifter out of first and it slaps to the center, ever so gently move the shifter torwards 4th for a split second and then push it up into third in a nice, affirmative motion, that's all it takes...

Can't you just go from 1st, to 3rd, then to 4th? That's how I drove a buddy's 4th gen 6 speed with no problem.

[Bigred1981]

help Im hearing the same type of clunking noise at very low speeds in my v6 6speed. It only happens when I'm in first gear and it continues when I'm driving in first up to about 15 miles per hour, when I shift into second it is fine. The car has only 100 miles on it

[JDBeck23]

if you're hearing a clunk while in gear and accelerating, that's a different problem and you need to take your car to the dealer have them look at it. That's not normal.

[Dave the Mule]

Originally Posted by Bigred1981

help Im hearing the same type of clunking noise at very low speeds in my v6 6speed. It only happens when I'm in first gear and it continues when I'm driving in first up to about 15 miles per hour, when I shift into second it is fine. The car has only 100 miles on it

I'm having a similar issue with my V6 6M. When I shift from 1st to 2nd, I get a clunk as I let the clutch out. I've found it very difficult to have a nice smooth acceleration because the 1st to 2nd transition is so rough. I've got about 250 miles on mine so far. I'm hoping some of this may go away as the transmission breaks in and as I get better at driving it.

[PsyDoc]

With a two-piece drive shaft, you are bound to have a clunk due to slack as JDBeck23 stated. A lot of guys on the Mustang forums have gone to the "traditional" one-piece drive shaft and doing so eliminated the "clunk" that is also present in the Mustangs. For whatever reason, a two-piece is somehow more cost effective from a manufacturing standpoint than a one-piece.