Hi I just recently purchased a 97 sunfire get with 130k. I just got this a few days ago and while doing the oil change I noticed that there was oil on the rear side of the motor on the pan. Also on the axles. I figured it might have a bad oil leak so I wiped down everything that I could, changed the oil. Also I noticed 5th gear seemed it never felt like it fully clicked into gear like 1-4 and reverse every since I got the car. And after driving it for a few days now the trans doesn't want to go into 5th. Instead as I let off the clutch pedal it either pops out or grinds if I try to hold it in please. Then I found out it was missing the oil plug for the trans where you would fill it up on top. Also where the oil came from, not the motor. I went and got a new plug and a bottle of syncomesh oil for the trans and put it in. Afterwords the trans seemed shift even better then before, but 5th gear still is giving me trouble. When I try to put it in it feel like its isn't going all the way in gear still, and as I let off the clutch the shifter pops out. If i try holding the stick in as I let off it starts to grind, not hard but as if I'm trying to put it in gear without the clutch released. I'm hoping i didn't destroy the syncros for 5th but I'm not 100% sure at this point. But the fact that it never quite felt like it was fully in gear even before it started popping out makes me think the cables to 5th might be worn? I was able to get in 5th gear for the most part it seemed from under the hood bypassing the cables by moving the shifter on the trans by hand. Also is this trans the Isuzu trans, if the trans turns out to be bad can I swap it for a newer 5 speed that is better? I'm hoping its just the cables but I have not yet took apart the center console to get to the linkage yet. Please if anyone has any ideas or info please help. Here is my cell too to get a hold of me. 951-836-1987 I live in the Socal area.
Sounds like you either have a bad syncro or a bent fork. If you dont shift hard then it is probably the syncro. You should be able to fix it your self. Just buy a rebuild kit and pull the trans. I believe the only syncro you cannot replace with a rebuild kit yourself without special tools is the first and 2nd gear since I believe they share the same sycro and the are cryoed on. I may be wrong though. I believe if the cables were bad you would have problems with other gears not just 5th. But usually if a gear grinds and pops out its the syncro or bent fork. No way to know for sure without pulling the trans and ripping it apart.
On the inside my car looks like a fighter jet.
