240d manual shifting problems
 

Well I guess the car wasn't as stong mechanically as I thought. it has 116,000 miles on it. An old lady owned it brand new from 82, she kept the inside imaculate the only thing wrong with the interior is a small crack in the dash. But I'm starting to find out she didn't keep up machanically. I have drove the car 3,500 miles since I bought it, around the 2,500 mile marker I noticed it started to grind a bit going into 3rd and 4th. Then last night coming home I was at a stoplight, went into first then when I went to shift into second, it wouldn't go, I tried a couple different times then shifted into third and then up to fourth, I tried on several more occations to get it into second, but no avail, any ideas? is it a simple fix or does it require a rebuild?

might be shifter bushings or something simple, try checking the transmission fluid.

Need more description of "doesn't go"- what does it feel like?

How are your clutch hydraulics?

Without seeing the car or asking specific questions, I would bet that the problem is with the clutch hydraulics.

what it seems to feel like is this, it like its almost in gear but not quite there, but I don't have any more room to put the shifter down farther. Hope that helps. Oh yes and also i have notices that ever since it started to make a bit of grinding noises going into 3rd and 4th gear, it is also sometimes hard to downshift back into first gear when I am coming up to stoplight, it sounds and feels like something is whirling or spinning as I shift back into first while coasting to the stoplight.

Well, if it was an '80 or earlier I would have you check the linkage connection points {sleeves} coming off the transmission shafts for the linkage arms, but an '82 doesn't connect in that manner.

'80 and prior linkage connection arms
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...0/P7160440.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...0/P7160439.jpg

'81 and newer connection arms at tranny
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...0/P4180202.jpg
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...0/P4180201.jpg


So either a shifter bushing or clutch hydraulics would seem to me to be the most likely, as mentioned above.

clutch hydralics
 

sorry for my ignorance, I am mechanical but I don't know what clutch hydrolics is refering too. never had a stick before.

My 81 had similar issues. It also had 390K miles on the manual tranny though before I had to junk it. It grated quite badly going from 2nd into 3rd and and down from 4th into 3rd. This came and went though and had suddenly dissappeard just before I had to junk it. It also grated quite badly going into reverse. I took to shifting into 1st before putting it into reverse which helped with that a lot.

The clutch is operated hydraulically off of the brake master cylinder. There is a line going from the master cylinder down thru the firewall to a clutch slave cylinder on the firewall behind and above the clutch pedal. I thinjk you need to take out the floor mat to see it. I think I'm describing tthis correctly but it's been a while since I was "in there" and others might be able to describe it better.

- Peter.

The force that throws the clutch throwout bearing against the pressure plate is transmitted by a hydraulic circuit, much like brakes. If the seals in either the master cylinder (under the dash, on the clutch pedal on a 240D) or the slave cylinder (on the back , passenger side of the transmission) are bad, or there is air in the system, the travel will not be enough to cause the pressure plate to fully release. This can cause the symptoms you are describing.

Rick

If your fluid is ok and fairly fresh (should be red like new ATF) you may be suffering from a weak hydraulic system. As the system weakend its unable to disengage the clutch fully. When looking from underneath there is a hose that runs from the pedal to the transmission. In the middle it is rubber. Check to see if it seeping. Is the clutch fairly stiff?

I would bet its the hydraulics of the clutch. They can go out simply from age and or wear, without much advance warning.

It does not mean much of anything about how she took care of it.

More like a testament because its probably all original.

hydralic clutch
 

Well you guys were right, I drove the car to my parents house last night and just before I got there I couldn't even get it into third, only reverse, first and fourth. I finally found the problem, the cloth rubber hose coming from the master cylinder to the clutch hydralics was leaking (its original) added some break fluid and the old girl works fine now!! Bought a replacement hose and will fix it right tonight. although I am thinking of changing the gear box fluids, What would I use regular gear box oil or something else? seems like I remember reading something about using something than regular gearbox oil. Mayber that would get rid of the grinding in third or fourth gear

If there is indeed a problem with the hydraulics, which still sounds highly likely, it is more likely the master cylinder. Yes the rubber hose at the slave will sometimes leak and the slave cylinder can need rebuilding, but the achilles heel of the system is the master cylinder if not maintained.

If the fluid is flushed annually, the odds of you ever having problems with either cylinder is so close to zero it's not funny. Same goes with the hydraulic portion of the brakes.

Annual brake fluid flushing is no brainer maintenance. It only takes $3 or $4 worth of fluid and less than an hour of your time, even if you're slow at it.

You use only ATF, synthetic Mobil-I gives you better shifting or boron based Delo synthetic gear box. Also flush the hydraulics fully. I would also run a diesel purge and replace power steering, diff and radiator fluid. With the radiator, I would give it a flush as well.