Quote:
Originally Posted by TX
When I shift from 1st to 2nd, even at very slow speeds such as 10-20mph I feel a grinding in the shifter. These are very VERY lazy shifts with seconds in between 1st and 2nd causing total loss of momentum.
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Best shifting is done when rpm drop to the rpm of the next gear. Letting the engine drop to idle (happens very quickly on this car) is not the best for synchros either, but definitely way better than high rpm shifts.
But let's discuss the main issue. The 1-2 shift on this tranny is horrible. I don't abuse my car at all, and haven't tried to shift quickly at high rpm, but just can't find any combination where it feels smooth consistently. Mine doesn't grind, but it crunches into 2nd. It's hard to describe, but it's been the same since day 1, and I've also been driving manuals for 25+ years. All other shifts are butter smooth too.
I've been thinking about replacing tranny oil, but don't want to be the first. And nobody has done it, so will probably just change it with stock oil soon (only 6K miles here), but would love to put something else. Only problem is potential warranty issues.
What I've noticed is the slightest deviation from the gate results in the crunch I referred to. I say that because maybe one out of 50 shifts goes in like butter, but most others are notchy/crunchy/clunky, or a combination of those
. And I shift with my fingers, not the whole hand. And have a ZHP knob, which helped a lot. And trying to engage 1st when cold at anything other than 0 mph forget it. When hot maybe 5 mph at most. On other cars switching to Redline oil made all the difference in the world, but that fluid seems to lose its magic very quickly. Maybe Royal Purple or Amsoil? But again, want to read at least one testimonial before doing anything. Anyway, I've tried pushing the lever to the left, right, and just can't find how to make it better. Sometimes it just happens that I clear the gate perfectly, and 2nd goes smoothly. This is not a big deal, but I'm also disappointed 2nd is not like all other gears. This tranny would be close to perfect if it did IMO. Funny thing is I never have a problem downshifting to 2nd from any other gear. IT's only the 1-2. Weird, huh? I'm going to scrutinize my shifting more carefully when I drive, and try to see if a change in technique yields better results. That's one of the things I like about manual cars; you can always try to be smoother. Have a great weekend gang.