360 manual gets stuck in third.

My 360 manual sticks in third. The same thing also occasionally happens in first. I’ve noticed that this happens particularly after accelerating hard to higher RPM’s. I’m able to get it out of gear but only after using a fair amount of force. My car is a 2000 360 coupe. Any ideas for a DIYer?

 

Thanks for the quick reply. Will check the cable/actuator. Yes; it’s a three pedal.

 

Great ideas. Will post updated findings.

 

I don’t think so. Seems to be independent of warmth. Happens predictably when accelerating hard to higher rpm’s.

 

Sorry, I should have mentioned earlier in the thread that I’ve already replaced the shifter bushing with the Hill replacement part. The problem seems to be unrelated to the bushing.
Also, as I’m assessing the problem I’ve been able to confirm that the engine mounts look fine.

 

I don’t have the problem in any other gears; just first and third. I have identified some abrasion of the cable plastic outer layer but nothing that looks like it could explain the problem either.

 

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Further updated findings. Hydraulic fittings/bleeder block look fine. Double clutching doesn’t help. I did find abraded shifter cable as posted recently.

 

Sorry as mentioned in other reply i should have explained that the oem shifter bushing has been replaced with Hill E part. Shifting feels much more precise but the getting stuck phenomenon was unaffected.

 

Problem solved! I want to thank everyone who responded with ideas for my problem. Turns out that it was due to binding of the cables as they course underneath the transmission where zip ties were used to secure the cable. The combination of overly tight zip ties and partially abraded outer sharing was causing the problem which felt remarkably mechanical (ie transmission internal problem).

 

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I’m sorry to have mislead you all. This poster is correct. I initially thought the cables were binding where there was some abrasion of the outer sheathing of the shifter cable because I thought the problem resolved after removing the diffuser/the rear under panel thinking that he additional pressure on the cables by the under panel was causing the problem.
Figuring out the real problem required getting the car back to my garage while being stuck in third. Jacking the car up for the umpteenth time, removing the under panel yet again I finally definitively found the problem and the explanation for why it was only occurring in first and third.
At the end of the shifter cable before connecting to the transaxle apparatus, two concentric mettalic tubes arepresent with the assembly held in place by a degrade plastic component. What was actually happening is that the outer was telescoping away from the owner to and in first and third gear positions had enough room to completely separate from the inner tube and thereby locking in position. I was able to get out of this position just by randomly and pulling on the shifter in different ways and eventually it would recannulate itself so to speak. Here are pictures of what was actually happening and once again forgive me for the missed diagnosis but I’m now 100% confident this was the problem. Here are some pics of the status when stuck.
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