VS Ute, V6 Manual - clunk into first?

[alchemist]

Hi everyone

I have recently picked up a 97 VS Ute, v6 Manual which drives very well with no real issues with the driveline. Gearbox works fine but every now and then it starts to play up then goes back to normal.

What happens is every now and then it goes into annoying mode, where if you come to a stop, clutch in and select first gear, release the clutch and it pops out of gear, then you hold it in 1st and then release the clutch, it clunks badly then works fine throughout all the gears, but I do notice it feels like the gearstick isn't going all the way up into each gear but it seems to work ok, except for the bad clunk in 1st gear.

Once it clunks in first when you release the clutch, you can take off without changing gear, then stop with clutch in, then clutch out again and it doesn't clunk, its only a once off thing when you go into 1st from another gear.

Then after a while, it then goes back to normal, clunks are not apparent and the gearstick seems to move further up into the gears (as in the movement of the stick)

The stick does generally feel a bit loose, so I don't know if something is worn... but hoping it's an easy fix to stop it from going into this annoying mode.

Cheers

[smokyJ]

The stick does generally feel a bit loose, so I don't know if something is worn... but hoping it's an easy fix to stop it from going into this annoying mode.

I had all the bushings replaced in the gear box. Wasn't too hard or expensive, just time consuming. Made it feel 90% new again! Felt like it gave it a new lease of life. Mine had a heap of play in the stick when it was in gear. No help with your clunks though sorry

[05 Senator]

I dont know much about gear boxes but my old vl did that too. think it might be the sychros ay. i never fixed mine so i cant say how hard it was or wot it cost. just giving you an idea of whatit could be