View Poll Results: Is your shifter notchy or smooth?
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Manual Transmission Notchy or Smooth? Poll!
#1
Manual Transmission Notchy or Smooth? Poll!
Please let me know if you feel that the shifting is notchy and what year your car is. Mine is 2007 and has been notchy for 6500miles, has only gotten a little better and Redline helped a little too but still not what I expected. I test drove a 2004 which was super smooth, I thought mine just needed to break in but it is still notchy.
#4
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Join Date: Jan 2006
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What? You don't like the snickety snick gearbox?
I have the axial flow short shifter. Every shift is heard and felt.
I switched to redline 75-140NS and my transmission became louder. Louder than my engine.
I have the axial flow short shifter. Every shift is heard and felt.
I switched to redline 75-140NS and my transmission became louder. Louder than my engine.
#5
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Join Date: Aug 2007
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Depends entirely on how aggressively I'm shifting and how long I've been driving.
It's always very notchy in the mornings and the shift into second gear. 3rd gear is usually pretty good about just falling into place, as is 4th. Rev matching helps of course.
I've got the AFE shifter. It really lets you feel the syncros working.
It's always very notchy in the mornings and the shift into second gear. 3rd gear is usually pretty good about just falling into place, as is 4th. Rev matching helps of course.
I've got the AFE shifter. It really lets you feel the syncros working.
#7
05 with BHR pedal, AFE shifter, eneos GL-5 fluid(courtsey of charles), Mazsport SS clutch line and still notchy as hell
also act clutch and BHR flywheel
also act clutch and BHR flywheel
Last edited by Mr.&Mrs.Magic; 11-11-2008 at 06:33 PM. Reason: add on
#9
So Zoo has the pedal and it helped. Magic has pedal and Short Shifter and it's still notchy. Anyone else have experience that points to the pedal as the culprit? I've heard people blaming the pedal and others blaming the shifter. I remember I test drove a 5spd miata which was just perfection, and actually the used '04 RX8 I test drove was almost too slick. I like some resistance but sometimes my '07 RX8 actually won't go into gear (clutch on the floor, no grinding, I just apply what I think is a reasonable amount of pressure and it feels like I'm pushing on a wall). That is rare, mostly 2-3, the rest of the time it just has slightly too much resistance and is vague. The clutch also feels way too vague, it feels like it engages at a different place each time. Any advice?
#11
Is there a DIY for this somewhere? Is there just a bleeder valve somewhere? Any chance I could get the dealer to do it? I've always been kinda sketched out by the shared reservoir, and my brakes feel a bit spongy too, but I always attributed that to the firewall flex.
#16
Again this is the only connection I can think of between clutch pedal and smoothness. I may not be due to the clutch at all, could just be the syncro design or shifter design or who knows what else?
#17
Here is a link to the TSB I mentioned:
http://www.finishlineperformance.com...4-06-1641a.pdf
This problem is only supposed to occur for '04-'06 cars and only at high temperature (but you have to assume the under-hood temp will get high enough after driving for a while anyways)
http://www.finishlineperformance.com...4-06-1641a.pdf
This problem is only supposed to occur for '04-'06 cars and only at high temperature (but you have to assume the under-hood temp will get high enough after driving for a while anyways)
#18
Registered
Mine started off pretty notchy, but once Zoomy broke in (couple of thousand miles) it smoothed out. It's like butter.
Had the same experience with a BMW some time back: notchy til it broke in, then smooth for the life of the car.
Ken
Had the same experience with a BMW some time back: notchy til it broke in, then smooth for the life of the car.
Ken
#19
I'm surprised, so far 64% aren't fully satisfied with their shift action. For a car/company so heralded for it's MTs I thought it must just be me. Of course probably people who aren't happy with their shifter are more likely to look at this thread...but still.
#20
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Missing option: Grinding
At least I figured out how to put it into reverse everytime without it grinding.
Edit: Mine is notchy but notchy isn't necessarily a bad thing.
#23
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Join Date: Feb 2006
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You don't truly appreciate the RX-8's gearbox until you get a daily driver.
#24
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Mine is pretty notchy in the monrings, but not so much in the afternoon. I'm running a 50/50 mix of Redline MT-90 and MTL...looking at switching it up to Redline 75w-90 and Redline ATF though. Just want to play around with the mixtures right now.