Manual 5 Speed hard to shift cold

[nvu]

Have you tried putting it into 1st with the engine off?  It should slot into 1/2 and pull out with normal force.  If it's normal with the engine off and hard with it on, likely something clutch related.  Maybe not releasing fully on very cold days.

[Fairtax4me]

NOT ALL GEAR OILS ARE CREATED EQUAL!!!!!!!

Bottom line: Subaru HPGO is what you need

 

Expanded version: The additives in different brands of gear oils are what make them unique. SUBARU REQUIRES a VERY SPECIFIC additive package for the manual transmissions. It has to play nice with brass synchronizers AND with the hypoid ring and pinion gear set in the front. This is NOT something that all gear oils are capable of, or designed to work with.

 

Motul 300 is a synthetic gear oil that's closer in design to a GL4 oil, so it has the shear stability to handle the demand of a hypoid set, but it's not super slick like many GL5 synthetics, so it works great for the synchros in the Subaru transmissions. It's also about $25 a liter, and you need 4.

 

Subaru HPGO is a GL5 oil designed specifically by Subaru with an additive package to work specifically with their manual transmissions. Every dealer carries it. Or you can often get it online a bit cheaper. Usually something like $12-15 a quart. Put it in the trans, put it in the rear diff, those are what it's made for.

[GeneralDisorder]

You should not use ATF. It does not have adequate high pressure protection for the hypoid differential.

 

GD

[sparkyboy]

Sparkboy, the big difference here is that rev matching didn't help at all.  I haven't seen this tranny open so I don't know exactly how it works, but it has a 1-2 gear or something on the bill and often there will be a gear that simply slides on a shaft disengaging with 1st and engaging to 2nd.  To me it felt like it wasn't even getting to the synchronizer.  It felt like the gear that should be sliding on the shaft wasn't easily sliding, I say that because in the driveway with the parking brake on and the clutch in all the way, it wasn't only hard to put into 1st or 2nd, but it was hard to pull it OUT of either gear to the neutral position.  And that was true after a few times in and out.  But hey, I think tomorrow morning may be the coldest day to what's left of winter so waiting is an excellent idea.  See how it acts all summer long.

Does your trans have the pull type clutch cable? It kind of sounds like the clutch is getting worn out or just needs some adjustment by tightening the cable if she shifts alright in warm weather. I admittedly know very little of anything past phase one years. Maybe if she gets worse over time then crawl the junkyards or CL for another trans is the step I would take then you would have at least one trans to open up and see all the goodies inside

[Souperoo]

Does your trans have the pull type clutch cable? It kind of sounds like the clutch is getting worn out or just needs some adjustment by tightening the cable if she shifts alright in warm weather. I admittedly know very little of anything past phase one years. Maybe if she gets worse over time then crawl the junkyards or CL for another trans is the step I would take then you would have at least one trans to open up and see all the goodies inside

No it's a hydraulic clutch.  Like I said before, it's only done this once.  It's below freezing now so after some coffee I'll go try it again.  The hydraulic clutch works like the brakes (without a booster).  A little master cylinder like on the brakes compresses fluid and that fluid moves the the slave cylinder which moves the clutch arm.  The fluid level is good.  The master cylinder could be going bad.  If the slave cylinder was going bad I believe it would leak fluid.

[1 Lucky Texan]

hmmmmm.....wonder if pumping the clutch pedal 2-3 times before shifting could be a good test?