This is my first manual (98 legacy outback), so I don't really know a whole lot. 9 times out of 10 it's really hard to shift into first gear. I've tried double pumping the clutch, and still hardly works. Most often I have to actually turn the car off and it will go into first without an issue. Then with reverse... if the car is running, it only grinds. So it's another instance of having to turn the car off to shift into reverse. Any ideas?
Really hard to shift into first and reverse
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Cars this age have bushings that get worn out and this causes slop in the linkage which then results in being difficult to get into gear. Do NOT FORCE IT!!! Or your repair costs may GO WAY WAY up if you damage the actual device that selects the gears at the transmission.
#1 Have the gear oil changed to a quality synthetic gear oil make sure you look at the temp range vs gear oil weight and pick the proper weight for your climate.
#2 Have a shop inspect the linkage and do not be surprised if they tell you that the linkage is worn out and needs replacing - at that point your connection to the transmission is more accurate and the transmission will be given proper movement for shifting. A worn out sloppy linkage means the transmission isn't being told what to do very well and isn't shifting into the gears you want.
Thanks guys!
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