Whining and grinding in third (5 speed)

[knettles]

I have a 2002 LX sedan with the 5 speed. In third gear only, when accelerating only, I have a very loud audible whining. Not like a reverse whine. Worse than that. A grinding whine. Is this a common problem with the five speed? Am I screwed or is there hope.

[Sponsor]

[BC_ZX3]

A grinding or whining sound on a single gear is not a good sign. The MTX-75 manual gearbox (if you have a Zetec motor) or the IB5 (if you have an SPI motor) are both generally pretty robust and reliable. The shift cables or shift towers sometimes give problems when they become loose or break.
The ATX seems to give more problems.