93 Camry stuck on 5th gear - Is this a bad Clutch or Tranny or both?

[newbie888]

Hi,

I was driving my 93 Camry on the freeway and felt a few tugs, then the gear stuck on 5th. I can no longer shift it (up or down) and smell odor coming from the clutch. The mechanic believes the clutch is gone and something may be broken as well. The car starts but shut off if I release the clutch. It also moves if I push it when the engine is off. Does this sounds like the transmission is bad? What else it could be beside the clutch? Any idea what the problem may and/or suggestion on what I should check on the car?

Thank You

[JohnGD]

Sounds like the clutch is engaging and disengaging as you step on the pedal. Because the engine idles fine but stalls if you engage the clutch. The clutch should still be ok.

If you can't get out of the 5th gear then it may be a linkage problem or a problem with the shift mechanism of the 5th gear. I would check the linkage for binding first. Remove the ends but leave the brackets and just try to shift. At least if you rule out the shifter/cable then you know it's inside the transmission.

Then it may be interlock problems before the gears/shift collar (gears/collar are fine but the shifter fork won't move). Or it maybe a shift collar problem (cable/interlock/shift fork are fine but the shift collar binds).

But if you wasn't shifting on the highway then it maybe something inside the transmission. Probably closer to the gears/shift collar than cable/interlock is my guess.

Originally Posted by newbie888

Hi,

I was driving my 93 Camry on the freeway and felt a few tugs, then the gear stuck on 5th. I can no longer shift it (up or down) and smell odor coming from the clutch. The mechanic believes the clutch is gone and something may be broken as well. The car starts but shut off if I release the clutch. It also moves if I push it when the engine is off. Does this sounds like the transmission is bad? What else it could be beside the clutch? Any idea what the problem may and/or suggestion on what I should check on the car?

Thank You

[chronoti]

had this before it sounds like a shifter cable issue, check to make sure the cables are find, driving only in 5th is bad for the clutch and may glaze the flywheel (just need to get that resurfaced)

[newbie888]

I took a quick look at the car yesterday. The shifter in the car will not move, it's very hard when I tried to pull it down to neutral and seem to stuck in the 5th gear position. I'm afraid to break it if I pull it too hard/many times. I'll check the shifter cables when I have more time. Since I can't move the shifter out of the 5th gear position, is there a manual release process I can perform to dis-engage it? Any other things I should check before disconnecting the shift cables?

Thank You!

[JohnGD]

The two shift cables are attached to the transmission and held there with a washer and a clip. Pull the clip, remove the washer, detach the cable ends.

Then try to shift.

If the detached cables are still hard to shift then you know the problem. But if the shifting becomes butter smooth then it's inside the case.

[newbie888]

I finally got the chance to check the shifter and the cables. I disconnected the 2 cables attached to the transmission and it shifted fine in all direction. It looks like the problem is inside the transmission. I'm not handy enough nor have the right gear to remove the transmission to look inside. Is there anything else I can check myself b4 bringing it to a professional? Thanks again to all the help.

[JohnGD]

There isn't a whole lot you can do if a single gear is binding inside the case besides tearing into it.

Which of the two levers is binding when you try to move it?

When was the last time the gear oil was changed/checked?
I'd first check to make sure it's at the correct level (just below the 24mm fill plug next to the radiator). I'd change the gear oil (Redline MT-90 75W90 is commonly available at parts store) as the last step before going to a shop.

Other than that call around and find an ATRA transmission rebuilders association member shop (they do both autos and manuals). Some are better than others, so see if you can get references/recommendations:

http://www.atra.com/shopfinder

Originally Posted by newbie888

It looks like the problem is inside the transmission.

Is there anything else I can check myself b4 bringing it to a professional?