My 94 has been having an intermittent problem getting into gear under high loads. Today I downshifted into 4th to get speed for an on-ramp, and it was HARD to get it into gear. And sometimes under load it's really hard to get into 3rd from a 2-3 upshift. One time I had to stop the car to get back into gear because every gear i tried to get into would just not engage. Seems like the clutch isnt fully disengaging. I was thinking it was my slave, but under normal load you can upshift without even using the clutch. Probably going to replace the slave anyways because the boot is torn, but is there anything else that could cause this?

 

Adjust the clutch. FYI you said "hard"

 

Other causes can be slop in the drivetrain: Engine mounts, differential mounts, or a worn U-joint. Also, as already mentioned, the clutch may not be fully disengaging. If you have a torn boot on the slave, then replace it along with the fluid, bleed it, and adjust the clutch pedal under the dash.

Answer to your question: Yes you can shift without the clutch, but the rpm of the engine will need to match fairly closely to the RPM it is supposed to be at when engaged in the gear you want to go into, so you would need to fool with the throttle a bit to find the right spot.

 

It's your clutch hydraulics.