Hey all, I just came across a 96 Accord EX-R With what looks like an H22A and I'm having problems getting into first while moving. Here's how it goes:

Let's say I'm coming to a stop, as I'm decelerating in second, and i try selecting first, It feels as if 1st is locked out until I come to almost a complete stop. Usually less than 5 mph

I CAN however select first If I bring the revs up by blipping the throttle but I usually have to bring the revs up a lot higher than necessary.

I have to ask, is there some kind of solenoid or lockout on these cars that keeps you out of 1st? (and I'm guessing reverse)

Is there any way of disabling it?

I hate having to bring my RPM up to 4-5k just to get the dogs to engage in 1st.

Thanks,

-Meat

 

Totally normal; what you're experiencing is the first gear syncro attempting to speed match two gear sets spinning at rather different rpms.

The best way to handle the situation is to down-shift to second as you're nearing a stop, and then shift into first.

 

You say you can get it if you rev. Are you double-clutching or just revving the engine?

 

put it in neutral as your costing to stop. then when you stop put it in 1st gear. any one that properly learn manuel trans should know you dont ever put it in 1st unless your stopped.

 

Well... ALMOST stopped; walking-speed or slower.

 

I gotta ask then, what makes 1st gear synchro different than the rest? I can make butter-smooth downshifts into any other gear.

Double and single clutching... Doesn't seem to make a difference.

Yeah... Bout that, I pretty much had to teach myself how to drive stick, I ask because going down passes and really steep grades, I like the extra braking force.

 

Not really a different synchro, it's just that 1st gear is lower so the rev-matching happens at a slower road-speed.

 

What JimBlake said; the gear ratio is just too tall to allow for the syncro to do all of the work. Imagine if you were to be riding a multi-gear direct-drive bicycle (i.e. a unit with multiple gears but no coasting ability) and you were to shift from a cruising gear down to first; how fast would your legs be moving the instant that first gear got engaged? The same thing happens with the clutch disk assembly, the syncro has to try to speed match the gears, and when you're trying to engage first when you're above a crawl, that means that the clutch disk must be accelerated to several thousand RPMs.

Like I wrote before, unless you want to double-clutch, then simply shift into second and then in to first; that will allow the second gear syncro to do some of the work of accelerating the clutch disk and make the job easier for the first gear syncro (even still, you probably shouldn't be trying to get it into first above say five miles per hour).