billy14870

Background info:
I have a 95 GT, with a fox body t5. The bell housing, complete trans, and clutch fork are all out of an 88 GT. The car has a Duralast clutch kit. Now before anyone jumps in and asks if I'm sure that I have the right parts installed, this car has had the EXACT same setup since 2008 with NO issues what so ever.

The problem:
The car won't go into any gear while the car is running and sitting still. If I shut the engine off, the car goes into each gear perfectly. I can still drive the car if I shut the car off, put it in first, push in the clutch and start the motor. The car will stay in place while in first gear, with the engine running, and the clutch pushed in. As soon as I let the clutch go, the car takes off like normal.

When did this issue start:
I park my car every winter. This March, all of the salt was washed off the road and there was no snow, so I decided to take it on a first drive since December when I parked it. I started up the car, let it warm up, then took it on a drive. The car drove like it should until I was about half way through a 20 mile ride. I came to a stop sign, stopped, and once traffic passed I went to put the car into first gear, and t wouldn't go in. I tried other gears and it wouldn't go into anybody of them. So I shut the car off and noticed that it would go into gear fine with the engine off. So I put it in gear, started it up, and drove it home.

What I have tried:
1. I thought that maybe my clutch wasn't releasing all the way. So I pulled the transmission, and installed a brand new flywheel and complete clutch kit. I used all of the exact brand/model parts that I had used previously. I even opened up the transmission and inspected everything. The transmission was in great shape with no internal wear or damage. Put the car back together. Still no change.
2. I posted in a mustang page and so many people were swearing to me that my clutch cable was "stretching". I even told them that my clutch pedal felt perfectly normal. Nice and tight. They still kept insisting that it was my clutch cable. So I went ahead and ordered a maximum motorsports clutch cable, aluminum quadrant, and firewall adjuster. No change. I then decided to tighten the cable as tight as it could possibly go. It still wouldn't go into gear while running. I then tightened the cable to the point where the clutch fork would hit the bell housing, it still wouldn't go into gear.

I'm lost now. My next consideration was that the Clutch fork somehow bent. I pulled the clutch fork out and it does have a slight bend, I think it's supposed to be bent though. I'll post a picture of the fork in the comments If it lets me.

dawson1112

Id say your clutch fork is either bent or its not staying on the pivot ball.

88 orangepeel notch

+1 ^^^

I agree, now is there anyone that can lend you a hand ? Have them push the clutch in while your under the car with a mirror and light to see if for some reason it's bending while there's pressure on it ?

My car does this once in a while also, but not all gears. There's times where it won't go into first when I first start the car and I have to slowly release the clutch to get it into gear. I've always considered that normal and it never bothered me.

jwog666

i have seen the pilot bearing in the crank seize up, this will drag the input shaft of the trans and cause hard shifting. did you install a new one? at this point there is only 1 thing that can cause your symptoms......the input shaft is still connected to the crankshaft. since you have replaced just about everything, the suspects are clutch release fork/pivot and the pilot bearing