# Sticky  5 Speed transmission troubles!!!!



## bluemax95 (Sep 25, 2004)

Does any one know where I can find (or if they are even made) aftermarket transmission parts for the RS5F50A 5 speed transmission. Last year about this time I had to have the 1st and 2nd gear assemblies replaced in my transmission ( total $2112.21) 2 days ago I went to the mall and when I came back out my car wouldnt go into 1st or 2nd gear so I had to drive home starting in 3rd. (no fun) I took it to the shop today and they said that it was the blocking rings and synchronizers again. Also they told me that all they could find to replace the broken parts with was dealer parts, but they would only charge labor since it was less than a year since the parts were installed ($800). He told me the parts were pretty weak from the factory, but I see guys with much more mods and power than me not running into these problems. Any suggestions!!!! (im not trying to be spending another grand at this time next year)

Thanks
Curt


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

Your mechanic is bending you over.. go somewhere else.

These car are notorious for eating differential and input shaft bearings.. when my car wouldn't go into 1st or 2nd gear, it was debris from the input shaft bearings stuck in the linkage... there's almost no synchro wear on mine.

of course I drive a 3rd gen, but still... your problems aren't the synchros... if the car suddenly won't go into 1st or 2nd gear, that's not a synchro issue.. that's a mechanical blockage issue...

looking up the Nissan parts...
http://www.nissandealer.com/jerry-rome/part_catalog.cgi
blocking ring and synchronizers for 1st and 2nd gear from the dealer should run you less than $250...

and you can buy an entire BRAND NEW transmission for $2100!!

go somewhere else.


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## bluemax95 (Sep 25, 2004)

that explains alot...I went and picked it up a few mins ago and out of habit I tried to put it into 1st gear and it magically fell in. If you had the same probs on your 93 and it was just debris Im sure mines the same since they have the same trans with diff size differentials. Also I had all the bearings replaced the first time it was serviced so I guess it is about time for a little wear. Thanks alot!!


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

Well what I'm talking about isn't a "little" wear. it's "replace the bearings because they fell apart" wear...

The input shaft bearing that's prone to go out on the 3rd gens: (the splines on this shaft are what point through the bellhousing and the clutch disc rests on it)
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/tranny/IM001410.JPG

Here it is while still in the transmission.. see how there's no metal holding each of the ball bearings in their proper position, and that the bearings aren't spaced properly:
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/tranny/IM001406.JPG
edit.... Here's what a healthy bearing should look like:
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/bearing-ball.gif


Here's that metal that's missing from the bearing that got caught by the magnet in the bottom of the case:
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/tranny/IM001405.JPG


The end of this arrow is pointing to the spot at the bottom of the case where the debris would get stuck and prevent the shifter from engaging 1st or 2nd gears:
http://www.mattblehm.com/pics/car/tranny/IM001411.JPG


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## brianw (Feb 25, 2004)

Jeebus, $2100 for replacement parts and installation... as Matt said, a whole new transmission is $2100! (heck, maybe a little less...)

Most cars hold up just fine, but a small percentage eats the input shaft bearings as they weren't properly sized from the factory...


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

Brian, one of the main problems with them is that (at least on 3rd gens), the bearings are only rated to 6000rpm at their rated load.. Once I bought replacements for my bearings from the dealer, I grabbed my dad's industrial machine catalogs and looked up the specs on the bearings from the manufacturer. most of them are rated from 5900 to 6300rpm. redline on my engine is 6500 and with my Jim Wolf ECU, it's 7000 rev limit.

so every time I stick my foot in the gas, I'm exceeding the bearings' rated speeds.. Of course, that's maximum rated speed at full load- which is several times the stresses this engine will put on them, but still. (load ratings on these bearings are roughly 2000lb at 6000rpm, give or take a few depending on the bearing itself)

It's obvious to me Nissan designed the transmission around a bit more docile driver than how you and I treat them. After seeing those ratins, I'm not surprised I have to replace bearings every 35,000 miles!


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## CaLSoNiC (Oct 26, 2004)

Youre putting GL4(something with a 4) in right? Cuz IIRC the 5 eats the copper in our trannies making them go to poo.


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## brianw (Feb 25, 2004)

Now I'm curious as to the bearing load ratings in the 4th gen.

Maybe it's time for a 6-speed swap. A new 6-speed w/HLSD is only $1800, of course the custom axles and shift linkage would be a bitch...


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## Matt93SE (Sep 17, 2003)

A year later and I've done a bit more and seen a bit more with these transmissions..

seems the input shaft bearings are failing right and left on them, as indicated by many tranny problem posts on various Maxima forums.

the 3rd and 4th gen use essentially the same transmission, aside from the bellhousing.
gear ratios are the same, bearings are the same, differentials are the same. (I've checked the part numbers even.. it's all the same internally on the diff and bearings.)

I've also had the opportunity to crack open the case on a 4th gen and the appearance is identical to the 3rd gen except for slightly beefier shift forks- which aren't the problems I've seen in them.. So far, I've rebuilt about 6 of these 5 speed transmissions from 89-99 Maximas. In every case I've seen, the front input shaft bearing (just inside the bellhousing) has failed and come apart.


I'm going to attribute this to lots of people running higher RPM ranges than the transmissions were designed, and using aftermarket clutches that possibly aren't perfectly balanced. the extra vibrations from them running at high RPM and high load is causing the input shaft bearing to mangle itself, and then it takes out the rest of the bearings in the avalanche.

A solution to this? I still don't know... But I'm going to do a bit more research and see if there isn't something that can be done to these things to make them last a bit longer between rebuilds.


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## gabe74gt (Oct 8, 2009)

you must have made your transmissions suffer after gearing your machine in 3rd gear. thats certainly some problems with driving, else the model is perfectly fine, when the things are heard from people!


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## usaHeaty (Feb 14, 2011)

Matt93SE said:


> Your mechanic is bending you over.. go somewhere else.
> 
> These car are notorious for eating differential and input shaft bearings.. when my car wouldn't go into 1st or 2nd gear, it was debris from the input shaft bearings stuck in the linkage... there's almost no synchro wear on mine.
> 
> ...


Would you tell me... to what does the manual trans vent hose connect to on the upper end?


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