I have a 5 speed 02 wrx wagon with about 38,000 miles on it. I have never been able to put it into first while moving, no matter what speed and how much i double clutch. I could hold the shifter with firm pressure against the sycros and nothing would happen until i came to a stop. The other day while trying to shift into first at a light, I got the dreaded grinding, scared teh crap out of me. My question: Is it worth taking the car to the dealer to try and get my syncros replaced under warranty? Only power mod is a catless uppipe which i would pull off if i took to the dealer. I don’t want to go though the trouble if they are going to blow me off.

Thanks

Have you done many hard launches by slipping the clutch? Could be that your clutch is wearing... I have just over 40k and my car does this too... when i press the clutch in and try to put it into gear right away I get a grind, but if push the cluth in and hold it for a couple secs before putting it in gear I get no grinding. My guess is that it's getting wore out. I've done a few launches and I've been Stage 4+ for over 15k miles too... that might have something to do with it:p .

Not sure they will cover this, you're over 36k. Do you have an extended warranty?

It's a 5/60 powertrain warranty.
My car has ground first gear from a dead stop since ~20K miles and I'm at 45K now. Dealer said they would replace the syncros under warranty if they can reproduce the problem.
I'm stock, fwiw. I'm not sure if I want to push for the warranty work because it is probably a *design* defect rather than a *manufacturing* defect and I honestly don't trust the dealer to put things back together properly after the work they did replacing my leaking fuel lines.
Let's just say I won't be considering the new Legacy unless they put the 6 speed tranny in it.

Autologic: If you can't get the car in first by double clutching you're not doing it properly. Double clutching should work even if there are no syncros in the tranny.

Originally posted by Stanley

Autologic: If you can't get the car in first by double clutching you're not doing it properly. Double clutching should work even if there are no syncros in the tranny.

I second that. My first is not the best either but if I really need to I can always get it in with double clutching. It really helps, IMO. Good luck with the warranty too.

It depends on how I "double clutch." If I put the car in neutral, clutch out, rev match (take foot of gas), clutch in, and push shift lever forward it will never slide in. Now if instead of blipping the throttle, if I hold the petal slightly down to hold my rpm's steady I may or may not slip into gear at a slow role. Basically if I have my foot off the gas when I’m try to shift in the rpm's will drop before the gear will engage. I have no problem shifting into any other gear at any appropriate speed.

i have never been able to downshift into first at anything over 5 mph. even when the car was new. ithink it is adesign thing more than anything else.

are some trannies turds and others good. I have close to 44,000 miles on mine, have about 20 drag passes at the track, and have never replaced the fluid, and can shift into first around 10 mph consistently without grinding.

My 04 has 12k miles on it. I can't go into first unless I'm almost at a complete stop, but if I double clutch, I can get it into first at around 15-20 mph without a prob.

I can do mine without any sort of double clutching. Just pushing in the clutch once and pushing it into gear. I was actually thinking of this post on the road today, I am able to consistantly put it into first at 15mph or under, above 15 mph, get a little grind, about 17 mph. But under 15 it goes in smoothly with barely more effort than upshifting.

Originally posted by Autologic
Basically if I have my foot off the gas when I’m try to shift in the rpm's will drop before the gear will engage.

Why don't you try giving it a couple hundreds of extra revs before you clutch in again? That way by the time you slide your gear in RPM will drop to the appropriate level. I think that's the standard way to double clutch, and it works all the time. But of course that can't beat properly constructed triple cone synchros. Oh well.

I've never had this problem either... I can shift into 1st at above 10mph and get no grind at all. 15k miles and still using the stock tranny lube. The only problem I do have is getting it in reverse after its been parked for awhile.. but this is normal and all I do is roll forward a little and then it slides right in.

Maybe some trannies received more attention then others ;p

03 wrx here

I just made a similar post re. the "dreaded grind" in first. There, I asked what damage is done (and to what part of the car) when you have a rough shift into first (from a dead stop). No one said. Does anyone know?

Bump, sometimes i'm just sitting still at a stop light...with the clutch all the way in, i shift into first and it grinds a little and then goes into first gear. Scares me every time it happens.

Bump :)

This is my post, but check:
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=558361