Hey guys, 3rd gear is finaly screwed up i my truck. Its always been a little funny and definetly it has always been harder going into 3rd than any other gear. This morning i go to put it in 3rd and it grinds and like pops the shifter back to neutral. The only way to get it in 3rd is to push realy hard. Im thinking its a bent shift fork? All other gears are fine and once you get it in 3rd there are no wierd noises and it does not kick out. Its equaly as hard to upshift from 2nd to 3rd as it is to downshift from 4th to 3rd. Thanks

 

Sounds like syncros going out. Try and double clutch when you shift. (push in clutch, shift to neutral, let out clutch, blip gas, push in clutch, shift to third)

See if that makes any difference.

 

In my buddy's truck (Chevy with nv3500) it would do all kinds of nasty stuff in 3rd, grind goin in, wouldn't go in, pop out etc. pulled the tranny and the clutch was about gone. Didn't slip yet but was almost there, put a clutch in and it was fine. Every other gear was fine, don't know how but that's exactly what happened.

 

If 4th is fine, it is most likely not the shift fork. Slim chance that it is, but I doubt it. I am inclined to think syncros as well. Time to learn how to rebuild a manual trans! (Don't just replace one syncro, do them all while you are in there, bearings/retainers as well, and check on the shift forks)

 

Did you ever find what it was? I just did the manual swap and 3rd gear is doing the same exact thing.