Gear grinding

[schernov]

The whole skip a gear or double clutching is madness. Trans should be smooth.

 

[rubberduck]

The whole skip a gear or double clutching is madness. Trans should be smooth.

mine works fine, just need to yank that stick. I do often go 2nd to 4th, skipping 3rd.

 

[sonny200]

There is already a thread about this. Search it up - Manual trans owners--both 4 and 5
Also, when cold, just double clutch it. That seems to work best.

Yes -- double-clutch until it warms up is the remedy for this. This is what I have to do when it gets colder outside or the car has been sitting awhile during the warmer months.

 

[hawk02]

OP, at what speed are you typically shifting from 1st to 2nd? I find the shift from 1st to 2nd much smoother higher in the rev range say around 25 mph. Shift at less than 20 mph and I have to give it a little more force, especially when cold.

 

[schernov]

Yea under 20 mph when crawling between lights ...

 

[rubberduck]

3.5K to 4K rpm is a good range to shift for normal driving. I don’t like to get below 2K.

 

[GoPlz]

Mine was bad from day one. Upshifts and downshifts into 2nd. Didn't matter how warm the transmission was or how many miles it was driven before shifting. Eventually with enough complaints I got them to tear it down (under 7,000 miles). They ended up rebuilding the transmission, telling me the 2nd gear synchro was the issue. They comped me multiple thousands of dollars and an extended B2B warranty for my time and trouble.

Since that rebuild the transmission has been an utter delight. Night and day difference from what it was before.

Notchy is one thing, but if it's awful, make them aware, because in my experience it doesn't get better.

 

[piranha971]

I almost bought a car that had its transmission replaced due to this issue.

 

[schernov]

Just a small observation. I changes diff fluid at 30k.... and it smoothed out 2nd gear action. Logically it does not make sense.

 

[TruckeeTaurus]

OP, at what speed are you typically shifting from 1st to 2nd? I find the shift from 1st to 2nd much smoother higher in the rev range say around 25 mph. Shift at less than 20 mph and I have to give it a little more force, especially when cold.

I shift to 2nd usually around 25 or above. I’ve been doing the double clutch method and it’s a helluva lot better. Once the car is warmed up it’s much less of an issue.

I’ve also been a lot less concerned about forcing it when it is sticky since starting this thread and seeing all the replies. It’s not actually grinding, just feels clunkier than al the other gears.

 

[hmrh]

This is apparently a gm transmission characteristic corvette and camaro owners have been discussing for years. I got manual transmission fluid flushed at my 15k mile service and it freshened up the transmission and clutch feel but 2nd still needs to be man handled or it’ll pop out.

This is when cold. Warm I don’t think I have noticed much of an issue.

Sporty downshifts to second are fine when you’re ripping it but this is like me driving at 5am before my morning coffee and the shifter pops out of 2nd during a turn.

 

[rubberduck]

Sporty downshifts to second are fine when you’re ripping it but this is like me driving at 5am before my morning coffee and the shifter pops out of 2nd during a turn.

There’s the issue, always drink coffee before driving with a cold transmission.

 

[CT4-Venom]

There’s the issue, always drink coffee before driving with a cold transmission.

That tracks!

 

[schernov]

So it was 20F in chicago last night. Drive it after it sat outside a few hours. Trans shifting did not degrade. So I guess that's good.

 

[wfdeacon88]

So it was 20F in chicago last night. Drive it after it sat outside a few hours. Trans shifting did not degrade. So I guess that's good.

Damn so if my 4BW, 22K miles, is pretty rough in 2nd gear when cold, I should probably take it in to dealer?

 

[schernov]

Yea. Take it in ask for a tech to drive it.

 

[MunkieBunz3]

If you could send a complaint to NHTSA for your shift issues, it could have them start to look into it. I've been to multiple dealerships trying to get this grindy 2nd gear shift resolved.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem#/

 

[Z51L9889]

My 4BW is the second vehicle I've owned with a TR-6060 (first vehicle was a '15 Chevy SS). When the weather is cold (below freezing), the 1-2 shift tends to be balky, and will very rarely grind the synchro a bit. The problem goes away once the gearbox gets heated up a bit, and I've never had any issue at all if the outside temp is above 40F. Both cars had the same exact behavior. I found if I pay attention when I shift and make a conscious effort to engage the gear, I don't have any issues. I tend to agree with other comments that this is normal for this transmission, although it is a bit aggravating.