Well if this is a clutch problem, it's a case of the clutch dragging, as opposed to slipping.

Now, you say you have to stop the car to put it into a lower gear. If the clutch was dragging, I don't think you'd be able to get it into gear unless you shut the engine down first. So I'm thinking of some problem internal in the transmission. That could also account for the rattle.

 

Probably something internal to the transmission, but the first thing to do is typically to check the branke/clutch fluid level and then the shift linkage/cables. Why? It's easy to do and can cause strange shifting problems.

It's not a bad idea to start with the easy and simple things to check, if nothing else to eliminate them from the list of possible causes. If it's internal to the transmission, there's not much you can do yourself, so eliminate the other possible causes first.

 

ok so if i check the fluid and it is low....then what.

and when you say something internal, do you mean like clutch, flywheel or what?

 

after doing some research about the shifter linkage i am sure this isnt the problem... the stick feels just like normal, it doesnt "flop" around or anything, and while stopped i was able to put it into any gear i wanted. i was able to pull foward in 1st then stopped and went into rev. and rolled backwards and it did that just fine as long as i was stopped.

 

definately check the trans fluid level, might wanto to go ahead and change it, just in case it hasn't ever been changed.

low fluid level on a manual trans will cause the symptoms you are describing.

It could also be a clutch hydraulics problem, does it help any to pump the clutch a few times?

 

i will have to check in the morning, but any other suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated

 

ok did some testing this morning... the fluid level is well within the proper level... so i decided to do a little test drive to see if pumping the clutch would help... i backed out of the driveway just fine and started my trek around the block. first turn and shift went fine... second turn went fine then i tried to kinda shift hard into 2nd...maybe it slipped some, wasnt sure...second turn went ok and didnt get to shift hard into 2nd cause of kids in the road...last turn i pulled the car out of gear to coast around the turn since there isnt a stop sign, and the the car would not go into any gear.... i stopped hoping it would slide into 1st like it did before...nothing natta. i tried reverse... nothing. i tried reving it to see if it would happen to slide into a gear, nope. so the neighbors kids helped me push it home....this makes me think more and more that it is the clutch but i am not professional, so any thoughts?

 

had to move the car due to people coming over... had to put it into gear with the car off and then start it...with the clutch fully pressed the car just started moving forward. i didnt have to give it gas all the way to the back yard....this leads me to believe that it really is the clutch.

 

clutch hydraulics... either the master cylinder or the slave. Hopefully it will turn out to be the master

 

if it were part of the hydrolics wouldnt the fluid level be low?

 

usually, but not always. I suppose it could be a bad pressure plate though

 

First, are your bell housing bolts tight? Loose bell housing bolts can cause the transmission and engine to be mis-aligned and will definately cause the clutch to drag.

Mine is atx, so i'm not sure what that slave cylinder set-up looks like. But if you can see the pushrod coming out of the slave cylinder and the release lever it pushes on, watch it as someone presses the clutch to the floor. You should see some motion there. Also, the pushrod should be in contact with the release lever at all times (the release lever should never just flop around, not even a little). If it does, and if the hydraulics are ok, then you might have a bent release lever (fork), it may have come off it's fulcrum, the release bearing may be bad, the pressure plate may have gone to pot, or the pilot bearing (or bushing) might be shot and dragging.

 

i had to move the car again today. had to do the same thing by putting the car in reverse before it was turned on, it still wanted to roll with the clutch all the way in. once i got to the drive way i went to put it into drive to straighten up but it would not come out of reverse. i had to turn the car off, put it into 1st then pull foward. then it would not pull out of 1st without the car on.