Now the transmission/clutch is acting up...

Fixed the fpr, fix maf issue, haven't gotten around to noisy rear end yet, replaced the starter, don't have money for belt tensioner, both battery terminals literally fell off in my hand after removing electrical tape and needed replaced, idler pulley is now getting noisy, and now it's locking me out of all gears at idle when cold. I'm quickly losing my faith in this Ford... I've had it for no more than 2500 miles. I can handle having to double clutch it into 5th or just shift very slowly, but this is BS.

Went to Burger King today to grab a quick lunch inbetween classes, went to put it into reverse to back into parking spot, nope. No other gears either. Had to shut it off, put it in first, started, car lurched forward ever so slightly. Happened again in the school parking lot, but this time I forced it into first and car lurched a bit and rear end made an engagement sound. If you wiggle it between first and 2nd when it's locking me out, you can hear the rear end 'clunking' so to speak, so it's not like the transmission itself is actually locking me out of the gear. I think it's the clutch. When it does it, throw out bearings get very squeaky. Can bad throwout bearings show these symptoms? After driving my frustration out on the half hour ride home, it seems to be fine now. What gives? Any ideas? Today is the first day that its been run under 30*, so I'm wondering if something in the clutch could be cold and sticking. Also, when it was locking me out, the revs would hang with the vehicle speed whenever I pushed the clutch in, but it would free rev if you hit the gas. It's like the clutch is half-ass sticking.

My first thoughts were stretched clutch cable, and I'm not sure if throw-out bearings have any bearing on this issue either. Oh yeah, after the half hour drive, bearings became completely silent too.

I'm so glad this car waited until it was 25* out and 40MPH wind gusts which makes a wind chill of about 10* to start going to hell. I need a forced air heater for my garage if I'm going to keep this car running this winter...

Thanks in advance, guys.

P.S. It's a 1995 Sapphire Blue GT 5.0 5spd (duh) with ~132k mi and PO said it has a newer king cobra clutch.
 
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^ +1 on the MM kit. I've got the Steeda kit, and have no issues, but the MM kit is said to be superior and for close to the same price I believe.

Regarding the TOB going silent after awhile of driving, I've had that happen. First start up of the day when I had a bad TOB, it'd sound like hell, scratching and screeching all day long. After driving it for maybe 15 mins or so, it'd become silent. :nice: Still needed replacing though!
 
Four days later and it still hasn't done it again. But I am worried that I may have either damaged it from jamming it into gear or it has damaged itself. When shifting into 2nd and 3rd occasionally it will sound like something vibrating and I can feel it in the shifter. Makes a similar noise to throwout bearings and wondering if that might not just be them.

Had it happen once where I went to shift into 3rd at low speed and it wouldn't go, so I pulled it back into middle of neutral and back up and it was fine.

What do tranny rebuild kits cost for these? 130 some thousand mile tranny, gonna want whatever should be replaced, replaced.
 
Video

Check out this sweet noise that seems to have developed since being locked out of gear. Could I have forced it too hard and bent something? Dumb dumb dumb...



Video View attachment 236379



I don't normally rev it in neutral then try to put it into first, but that's the noise I get between shifts of 1-2, 2-3, and sometimes 3-4. Don't think I've gotten it in 5th yet, but I've had to double clutch that in the past to keep it from grinding or just take my time shifting. To me it sounds like synchros, which is something that would be taken care of if I were to rebuild. It's not gears grinding, I know what that feels like in the shifter and this is a much milder feeling.