problems downshifting from 5th gear while highway driving
 

my protege5 recently had the clutch components replaces because of very bad chatter problems (flywheel, plate, i believe)

the car has 33,000km and no longer chatters BUT now has a problem that I never encountered before. when highway driving in 5th gear at about 120km/h it grinds when i try to downshift to 4th gear to pass someone.

its almost as if the lock that prevents you from putting it into reverse is kicking in - but i'm NOT putting it into reverse, i'm dropping it into 4th. i've had the car for over a year and never encountered this problem before (for those that are going to claim driver error ive driven standard for over 10 years)

need to get some advice, will be calling the dealership when i'm back in town this week! is this something they will say happens every now and then? am i trying to downshift too hard and perhaps there is a new mechanism to prevent it?

hmmmmmmmm might be your 4th gear syncro, just a thought. or maybe your clutch isn't fully engaging. causing the grinding noise. either way i would have it looked at.

if its done this ever since you just got your clutch replaced? if so, take it back to whomever did that work and have them fix your NEW problem.....seeing as how it seems to have manifested itself when they did the clutch work.

my tranny would grind every time you put it into third and finially everything inside broke at once, the rebuild bill was 2500 bucks....thank god for warranty

Why are you putting it in 4th to pass.

In our cars the gear ratio's are so close together that you shouldn't have to put it in 4th, especially if your going 120Km/hr.
That is why they designed it that way.

i use 3rd gear to pass sometimes. :D just noise, no go though.

your tranny shouldn't grid, take it back. i shift 5-4 all the time
and since the ratio's are so close (only like a 400rpm difference)
the syncro's shouldnt need to do much work.

when you shift, do pause for a breif split second to add slight
pressure on the gate before actually entering the gate?
that helps preserve your syncro.