Just to clarify, are you saying the shifter handle won't move between gears even when the truck engine is off? If that is occurring, then something is binding or needs adjustment inside the T5 gear box. Has the T5 been rebuilt?
S10 splines: If you have a T5 from an S10, then the splines of the shaft are not cut far enough along the length of the shaft to allow proper clutch disc travel. Something will need to be modified. The options are many.
S10 Pilot tip: Cutting the pilot tip is done by some folks to prevent the pilot tip from bottoming out on the crank. If you cut 1/2" to 3/4" off the pilot tip, then you should be fine. Don't cut any more off.
S10 Sleeve: The sleeve that the release bearing slides on (also called an input shaft bearing retainer) is usually fine if you cut off enough to expose all the splines. It sounds like you cut off 1.5". That should be enough.
An energized shaft problem: If the shaft pilot tip is binding in the pilot bushing or bottoming out on the crank then the input shaft will be "energized" and cause difficult or impossible shifting. The same will happen if the clutch disc cannot move away from the flywheel properly. If the S10 shaft splines are not lengthened (or some other modification done), then the clutch disc can bind and cause problems.
Release bearing: If the release bearing is wrong, then it would just grind like not using the clutch at all.
This photo shows 3 different T5 shafts. Notice how the Jeep and Astro shafts have splines that are cut further along the shaft than the S10.
Astro van, S10 and Jeep input shafts for T5Also compare the V8 Camaro with the S10.
V8 Camaro and S10 T5 shafts I hope you will give feedback so we can all understand how you solved it once you discover the problem.
