Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Hard Shifting

[RandyW]

I have a 2002 3500 Dually 4X4 with a 5 speed manual transmission. (106000 miles) Recently, in the last thousand miles or so, it began to be hard to shift between gears, up or down. It has gotten so bad now that I'm afraid to take the truck out for fear something will go out an I'll be stranded somewhere. It seems to shift better when it is cold but quickly becomes hard to shift after just a few miles of driving. I can shut the truck off at a traffic light and shift back into 2nd then restart the engine and be ready to roll when the light turns green but going to third, fourth and fifth is difficult. Any suggestions as to what is wrong???

 

[gtwitch]

;Early on after first buying my 99 with 90 k miles on it , I had a very similar issue and it was that the pilot bushing/bearing had completely seized up and was binding the Trans input shaft to the flywheel/crankshaft. While I was putting in a new pilot bushing I chose to put in a NAPA clutch kit. NAPA (china-chinsey) "BAD CHOICE" as needed done again in only 50 k more Of course NAPA will stand by their China clutch kit but not the labor. I think your problem is the pilot bearing and look at Southbend.

gtwitch in wyoming

 

[SAndreasen]

Might be you clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder needs replaced I had a 98 that it went bad on and caused hard shifting

 

[gtwitch]

SA , I also thought that was my problem at first and had a friend operate clutch pedal and watch through every hole you can see thru and that how I concluded it was the pilot bearing (roller in that case), the second time around, I took SouthBend advice and used a bushing even though the roller was OK at only 50K, I guess bushings have worked for only about 75 to 100 years and I still have a 60's vintage IHC with 392 V8 and still doing fine with the pilot bushing in it and 46 Chev same way.

gtwitch in wyoming.