Bad shift fork, or bad third gear?

D1984

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So recently my third gear "disappeared" on my MT-82. It's a stock trans with the stock clutch on over 120k miles. Since switching to Amsoil MTL, removing the helper spring, and running DOT 4 fluid it has shifted pretty well besides the occasional 3rd gear lockout (and sometimes 4th) during hard driving (drag strip).

Last week I downshifted into 3rd to pass somebody quickly on the highway, and I also hit a rough patch on the road at the exact same time, and all the sudden it was like my 3rd gear wasn't even there. No signs of anything abnormal before that, and I've NEVER had any grinding in any gear. I tried upshifting into 3rd, nothing. Downshifting into 3rd, nothing. Releasing the clutch was like being in neutral, just no engagement and free revving. No check engine lights or abnormal noises or anything like that.

I've been driving around since then by just skipping 3rd gear and the car drives perfectly fine. The shifter will "select" 3rd but there is just nothing there.

So what do you guys think? If my gear exploded wouldn't the pieces get knocked around and mess with the other gears too? And if I shredded some teeth off, I would think that trying to get into 3rd would result in grinding instead of just air.

I'm thinking bent shift fork. If it's a bad gear I was gonna do a Ben Calimer stage 1. I just hate having to bring it to my dealer to have them pull it apart and diagnose it when a new transmission will cost me about the same as the labor for all that BS
 

D1984

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although seeing the size of the internals vs. size of the case i don't see why broken parts haven't interfered with my other gears
 

5lho

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Anything fragged in there has caused collateral damage, guaranteed. At least every bearing and seal is wasted for sure but, don't be surprised if other hard parts are toast too, once you open it. I had a bearing fail, no provocation, on my 2012 and it nuked the entire 5th gear cluster, the tailshaft housing and every bearing and seal. The trans shifted fine through all this, it just whined like an 8-71.
 

D1984

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Anything fragged in there has caused collateral damage, guaranteed. At least every bearing and seal is wasted for sure but, don't be surprised if other hard parts are toast too, once you open it. I had a bearing fail, no provocation, on my 2012 and it nuked the entire 5th gear cluster, the tailshaft housing and every bearing and seal. The trans shifted fine through all this, it just whined like an 8-71.

Mine isn't even whining, grinding, nothing. No noises at all. I've been driving it like this and have maybe put 500 miles on it since 3rd gear went out and still nothing. Very weird
 

Smalls5oh

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Are you sure its not a linkage issue? Just wondering if something is going on there. If third gear came apart, it would be grinding/popping/whining like no other.
 

D1984

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Are you sure its not a linkage issue? Just wondering if something is going on there. If third gear came apart, it would be grinding/popping/whining like no other.

I might have my dealer take a look at it externally. I pay 80 bucks an hour for labor so it won't cost much. I just don't want them to take it apart because that's like 10 hours of labor
 

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