Slipping out of 2nd gear

[wolcott]

Have a '98 RT with 21K on it. It slipped out of 2nd again today into neutral while accelerating lightly away from a stop sign. It has done this 3 or 4 times in the last few months. It seems to do it when I am under light load- when I am not hot-rodding it. 1)Has this happened to anyone with an older RT?

2)Final drive oil in it now is BMW dino changed about 2k ago. Should I drain the final drive oil and examine it (color, metal particles,) and put in a synthetic?

Maybe I'm not keeping the rev's up enough?

[David]

Check the linkage, first. It's may be loose.

[duckbubbles]

Michael-

With the mileage on the tranny, I would doubt that it is wear, but who knows how the previous owner treated it.

This may be a problem with your shifting technique. Maybe you are not getting it all the way into gear when shifting leasurely.

The long term effect may be rounding off of the gear engagement dogs in second gear, causing it to jump out of gear. The shift drum and fork can get worn and cause the same trouble.

I don't think the final drive has anything to do with it. You may try a brand name synthetic gear oil and see if that helps.

 

Frank

[wolcott]

Frank: you are right in that I doubt that the final drive oil has anything to do with it. My cancer meds affect my thinking sometimes. I'm writing about a shifting/tranny problem and my hands are typing final drive. Wierd! I currently am running the synthetic Shockproof Heavy (Redline) in the tranny- changed not too long ago. I had the shifting linkage apart a while ago, and lubed up the ball and socket connections with some white lithium grease. I will double-check that linkage (like David suggested) along with any other suggestions. I think I need to keep the rev's up higher too- some times I forget and think I'm on my sportster.