Just purchased an 89 crx si. Anyway, of lately i've been having problems shifting into gear, like i'm forcing it to go in. Once it goes in, it goes pretty easy into the higher gears, except third, in which there's like a grinding like i'm going between third and fifth. Well a few days ago, after parking into a parking lot, i couldn't get into gear at all. I tried tightening and loosening the cable, but nothing would work. The only gear that i could even try to get into was reverse, but it would just grind away.
Thinking this whole thing was the clutch or the pressure plate, i purchased a kit and installed it with a friend. On the old parts, i noticed that the pressure plate had deep grooves from where the throw out bearing was touching it. So after putting the kit in, putting in oil, and reinstalling the clutch cable and all, i still have the same problem. The only consolation is that the clutch is softer now.
When i try to put it into gear, the rpms drop, like the clutch is stuck or something, but we just put the new one in, i'm stumped. However, i checked the selector arm, and noticed that there was alot of play where it connects to the tranny, so i'm gonna replace that too. Could there be any other possible problems? I didn't see metal shavings in the oil when i drained it.

 

Is your bitch pin in?

 

Bitch pin?

 

It's that pin that goes through the shift linkage, and it's a bitch to get out, hence, "bitch pin." It helps stabilize shifting and gives your shifting a more solid feel.
You'll find it where the shift linkage meets the transmission under a rubber boot. Push the rubber boot back and you'll see either an empty whole (if there's no pin) or you'll see where the pin goes in.

 

Sounds like to me, you need another good used tranny. Don't know for sure though. I just put another used tranny in my 91 CRX Si a few months ago. It shifts like shit as compared to my original one that i messed up smoking the wheels, trying to hit second while doing so. It would not go into first at all after this mishap. The tranny i have now, grinds everytime i hit third, at higher rpm's.

 

When i was down and dirty in there, i saw that pin and it was in there. That small arm that holds the shift linkage in to the tranny seemed pretty snug, so it doesn't seem like thats the problem. Got a short shifter in the mail yesterday and have those parts still on order. I talked with a few people who say that the shifter and linkage could be the problem, well we'll see.
To be honest, i just want to be able to make it work for some time until i can afford an engine swap, check my other thread about engine building, swapping, turboing, looking for different suggestions on affordable yet reliable way to get around 250 hp. Anywho, i'll post what happens when i put the linkage in. Thanks for all your help!

 

Okay, put in the new linkage, and still the tranny won't let me shift. On the plus side, with the short shifter and new linkage in, the shift feels much smoother and shorter.
Talked to a few shops: one said that the clutch isn't disengaging properly, although i just put a new one in, and since the car can go into gear while it's off, then the tranny should be fine; another shop said it's not the tranny itself but it could be the synchros, bearings or forks inside of it that aren't letting me shift, but if it were that, how come i can shift when the car is off?(although when it's off, the easiest gear to put it into is either third or fourth, i can't always directly put it into first). The forks are around thirty to forty, but the fixing the synchros is gonna cost around nine hundred!
I don't wanna put nine hundred dollars in the current tranny because i'm gonna end up swapping the engine anyway. Used trannys i found are around 200-300 on ebay. I'm lost here, if anyone has a suggestion on what it could possibly be, i would really appreciate the help, thanks in advance.

 

I have a used tranny for a CRX Si!
PM me if you are interested.

 

Okay, i put in a new flywheel and car started to finally shift, but when i put the car down and adjusted the cable, it doesn't shift anymore. I think i finally pinpointed the problem: it's the clutch release system. The release arm has about a 1/4 inch of play before it even starts moving the release bearing, so i think replacing the release arm and fork should fix the problem. However, a mechanic who took a look at the tranny said that that could be it, but it could also be a 89 tranny and an 91 engine problem. He said the 91 engine may require a longer travel for the release bearing to work, but the 89 only goes out a little bit, or visa versa. Does that sound possible? I hear that 89-91 trannys are the same online, however, clutch plate, pressure plate, and flywheel are different for 89 and 90-91(90-91 are the same clutch kits and flywheels).
I think it could just be the release arm and fork, because the clutch only needs a fraction of an inch to disengage, and since i'm losing a fraction of an inch because of the arm, that could be the problem.
Also, when i pressed on the clutch pedal last night, the piece that holds the clutch plate in place snapped; it still works, but it has to much play now too. If anyone is selling the actual clutch pedal assembly, please pm me, and if anyone can tell me how hard it is to remove, i'd appreciate it. Thanks for the help.

 

I'm pretty sure you need a 90-91 tranny.

Go to www.car-part.com and search for a tranny for an '89 CRX Si, all you will see is '89 trannies. Then search for a '90 or a '91 tranny. You will see '90 and '91 trannies, no '89 trannies. I take that to mean they aren't interchangeable.

Good luck.