Grinding into Second Gear?

[azdefender]

I am looking at purchasing a 1994 D90 (3.9 liter) with 72K miles on it-- It seems to be in good condition for the year and miles, however when shifting into second gear it "grinds" slightly--
If I am very careful I can shift into second without a grind, however under normal driving and shifting, second is the only gear that does this? It also does not really "like" going into second when downshifting-- It will do it but does not do it easily--

Is this "normal" wear for a D90 with that many miles--
Clutch was replaced less than 10K miles ago and it works fine-
What is the fix and is it expensive?

Are there other things/quirks that I should "beware" of or look out for on this year and model?
Is the '95 or '97 with the 4.0 engine a much better vehicle? and should I concentrate my efforts on finding one of those instead?

Best regards,

Jim:tounge

[azdefender]

Oops forgot to mention -- Reverse on this transmission is up and to the left- (is that the LT77)?
Best regards,

Jim

[Glenn_Guinto]

Jim,

That IS the LT77. I have no experience with the LT77 but my R380's second is a bit slow compared to other manual shifts I've own. There is a thread a bit below this one that has more details on these trannys. The syncros are known to fail prematurely if not treated right. Using synthetic fluids and double clutching can help quiet things down, not to mention prolong the life of your gears.

Other than the usual tire-kicking that one would do when buying a used car, watch out for rust. These things rust like crazy, especially if buying it from the snow belt states. Goodluck, D90s are very fun vehicles!

[azdefender]

Glenn,

Thanks for the response-

I will take it to the dealer to have them check it out-- BTW --It is almost identical to yours (different tranny)- - Right down to the white paint-

Best regards,

Jim

[scot]

I have a 94 and have had both transmissions. My old LT 77 had the terrible "CLUNK'' and had to be replaced. Watch out for that. My new truck came with the R380 and I immediately noticed the second gear problem which is most likely a bad synchro. I have been driving it for 4 years now without any problems despite the fact that the sychro is totally gone.