[Ytsejam]

Hello everyone,
I may have a problem with my Focus' transmission and wanted to get your input before contacting my local ford dealer. I'll try to explain the best I can...Explaining transmission problems can be difficult if you cannot witness it yourself.

When downshifting from 6th to 5th gear, I feel and hear a grinding, metal, tinny sound. I can only feel it through my left foot (clutch pedal). I will be cruising in 6th gear, fully depress the clutch pedal, and about 25% of the time I feel and hear something grinding if I give the engine a little throttle. I do not rev very high...I feel it even if I rev to as little as 2500 rpm. I hear and feel this when leaving the gear lever in 6, when I'm moving the gear level to 5, and when the gear lever is already in 5. I do not feel or hear this when downshifting to any other gear. 5th to 4th is fine for example. I even feel it when I deliberately shift slowly (Depress clutch pedal, wait a moment, rev as little as possible).

My only engine modification is a Damond Oil Catch Can. I doubt this would have any effect to the transmission or what I'm feeling and hearing. Does this problem sound familiar to anyone? Do you have any clues as to where this sound and feeling would be coming from?

 

[kshatt06]

@Duece McCracken he has removed his transmission a few times and had to replace his transmission a few times he should be able to help you but if the car is under warranty it might be best to have your local dealer at least look at it.

 

[Duece McCracken]

Hello everyone,
I may have a problem with my Focus' transmission and wanted to get your input before contacting my local ford dealer. I'll try to explain the best I can...Explaining transmission problems can be difficult if you cannot witness it yourself.

When downshifting from 6th to 5th gear, I feel and hear a grinding, metal, tinny sound. I can only feel it through my left foot (clutch pedal). I will be cruising in 6th gear, fully depress the clutch pedal, and about 25% of the time I feel and hear something grinding if I give the engine a little throttle. I do not rev very high...I feel it even if I rev to as little as 2500 rpm. I hear and feel this when leaving the gear lever in 6, when I'm moving the gear level to 5, and when the gear lever is already in 5. I do not feel or hear this when downshifting to any other gear. 5th to 4th is fine for example. I even feel it when I deliberately shift slowly (Depress clutch pedal, wait a moment, rev as little as possible).

My only engine modification is a Damond Oil Catch Can. I doubt this would have any effect to the transmission or what I'm feeling and hearing. Does this problem sound familiar to anyone? Do you have any clues as to where this sound and feeling would be coming from?

@Duece McCracken he has removed his transmission a few times and had to replace his transmission a few times he should be able to help you but if the car is under warranty it might be best to have your local dealer at least look at it.

Whoa there tiger. Way to drag me into this, geez... lol

Still the trans that it came with from the factory. Just upgraded with a diff and improved Synchros. The install-reinstall and clutch troubleshooting seems to be my forte as of late.

I personally have not heard of any problems like this before. Normally we have 2nd, third, 4th gear issues. 5/6 seem to be the safe ones.

OP may be crazy, we do have a noisy/clunky trans that off puts most people, and those sounds are just exasperated by mods, not that that he has any mods.

How slow do you shift? Do you rev match?

Does it do it if you drive it hard?

You may be too gentle with it. I found that a weak shift out of the power band can cause some extra clunk and poor engagement.

I'd like you to shift it hard and deliberate in a few "spirited runs" and see if it's either worse or doesn't happen at all.

 

[kshatt06]

Whoa there tiger. Way to drag me into this, geez... lol

Still the trans that it came with from the factory. Just upgraded with a diff and improved Synchros. The install-reinstall and clutch troubleshooting seems to be my forte as of late.

I personally have not heard of any problems like this before. Normally we have 2nd, third, 4th gear issues. 5/6 seem to be the safe ones.

OP may be crazy, we do have a noisy/clunky trans that off puts most people, and those sounds are just exasperated by mods, not that that he has any mods.

How slow do you shift? Do you rev match?

Does it do it if you drive it hard?

You may be too gentle with it. I found that a weak shift out of the power band can cause some extra clunk and poor engagement.

I'd like you to shift it hard and deliberate in a few "spirited runs" and see if it's either worse or doesn't happen at all.

My bad haha, if it wasn't you it could be @Stealth or @Unfitproduct or @Slstomper I can drag enough people into this that would be able to tell you if the radiator cap is torqued down to the right setting "joke haha". Hopefully y'all take this as a compliment.

 

[Duece McCracken]

My bad haha, if it wasn't you it could be @Stealth or @Unfitproduct or @Slstomper I can drag enough people into this that would be able to tell you if the radiator cap is torqued down to the right setting "joke haha". Hopefully y'all take this as a compliment.

Of course it's a compliment, I just wish it was a better situation for me to attempt to troubleshoot out. Right now it's just the waiting game on more info from the OP.

 

[Ytsejam]

I agree it's strange that 5/6 gear is doing this. Most of what I've read is issues with 2nd gear synchros.

I do not claim to be a professional driver, but I think I am shifting quickly. In normal driving I try to depress the clutch pedal very quickly and move the transmission lever as fast as possible. I try to be smooth and fast, but not hard or forceful. Yes, I am trying to rev match when downshifting from 6th to 5th gear. Only when I press the throttle pedal do I feel and hear this. Just to reiterate, I feel this when the clutch pedal is completely depressed.

I will do some spirited driving tomorrow and report back if it still occurs or not.

 

[LMStone510]

I agree it's strange that 5/6 gear is doing this. Most of what I've read is issues with 2nd gear synchros.

I do not claim to be a professional driver, but I think I am shifting quickly. In normal driving I try to depress the clutch pedal very quickly and move the transmission lever as fast as possible. I try to be smooth and fast, but not hard or forceful. Yes, I am trying to rev match when downshifting from 6th to 5th gear. Only when I press the throttle pedal do I feel and hear this. Just to reiterate, I feel this when the clutch pedal is completely depressed.

I will do some spirited driving tomorrow and report back if it still occurs or not.

If it were me, before I took it to the dealer I'd remove the airbox (and possibly the battery and battery tray) to get a clear view of the transmission, cables and brackets/bracket bushings.

If the tranny were bad, even with the stock rubber shift cable bracket bushings, one would think you'd feel something in the shifter, yes, not in the clutch pedal?

Not sure how you'd get feedback in the clutch pedal _in only two gears_ unless there is some sort of obstruction? Dunno. It's very odd!

Hope that helps some,
Mark

 

[Duece McCracken]

I agree it's strange that 5/6 gear is doing this. Most of what I've read is issues with 2nd gear synchros.

I do not claim to be a professional driver, but I think I am shifting quickly. In normal driving I try to depress the clutch pedal very quickly and move the transmission lever as fast as possible. I try to be smooth and fast, but not hard or forceful. Yes, I am trying to rev match when downshifting from 6th to 5th gear. Only when I press the throttle pedal do I feel and hear this. Just to reiterate, I feel this when the clutch pedal is completely depressed.

I will do some spirited driving tomorrow and report back if it still occurs or not.

If it were me, before I took it to the dealer I'd remove the airbox (and possibly the battery and battery tray) to get a clear view of the transmission, cables and brackets/bracket bushings.

If the tranny were bad, even with the stock rubber shift cable bracket bushings, one would think you'd feel something in the shifter, yes, not in the clutch pedal?

Not sure how you'd get feedback in the clutch pedal _in only two gears_ unless there is some sort of obstruction? Dunno. It's very odd!

Hope that helps some,
Mark

AHA!!!

Yes, check for obstructions. There has been many a case of shifter obstruction by both ford plastic pieces/wire management devices that fell off, and also items that small mammals have placed on the trans/ fell naturally on it. Such as acorns.

 

[TrikSTer]

@Duece McCracken , have you got a bad case of acorn-ophobia? lol

 

[G heinrich]

I haven't read the entire thread but has anyone mentioned the throw out bearing? Says it's a metal grinding noise and feels it in the clutch pedal. That wouldn't explain why it only occurs in certain gears though.?

 

[Duece McCracken]

@Duece McCracken , have you got a bad case of acorn-ophobia? lol

I haven't read the entire thread but has anyone mentioned the throw out bearing? Says it's a metal grinding noise and feels it in the clutch pedal. That wouldn't explain why it only occurs in certain gears though.��

Way to dig this one up, lmao, just past 2 years old.

 

[G heinrich]

@Duece McCracken , have you got a bad case of acorn-ophobia? lol

I haven't read the entire thread but has anyone mentioned the throw out bearing? Says it's a metal grinding noise and feels it in the clutch pedal. That wouldn't explain why it only occurs in certain gears though.��

Way to dig this one up, lmao, just past 2 years old.

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Oops

 

[Duece McCracken]

.


Oops

I typed put this huge reply, then noticed how old it was. With all the current trans/shifter threads, it's easy to confuse them, lmao!

 

[G heinrich]

.


Oops

I typed put this huge reply, then noticed how old it was. With all the current trans/shifter threads, it's easy to confuse them, lmao!

Yeah I didn't notice how old it was until I already replied. Then I saw on another thread where guys having a problem and trickster mentioned the throwout bearing in that thread. LOL

 

[TrikSTer]

This thread was linked by the current thread as most similar, that's how we all suddenly got here!