JustinMP3

Has anybody else had this problem in an MP3 or MP5? Sometimes I grind when downshifting too, yesterday when I was racing I was going from 3rd to 4th and it went 3rd to 2nd NOT GOOD why?
I tried to shift strait back to 4th but for some ungodly reson she went back to second gear. I am getting a clutch upgrade soon so hopefully that will end this shifting problem. Any advice or expeariences are welcome!

Ambient

Yeah it happens to me. Anytime I perform a quick solid shift from 1st to 2nd above 6300rpm it grinds into second gear. It's just a quick grind like the synchros aren't matching up.

Kinda pisses me off. The way I want to shift, is a quick clutch-in and shift at the same time...but I end up having to mash the clutch in and granny shift into second to keep it from scraping.

ZZOOOMM

I thought I was a crappy driver, but I had never had this problem until I go my MP5.

Traveler

You have to make sure the clutch hits the floor before you shift. I've noticed that the dis-engagement point is much closer to the floor than on other cars that I've owned. I've done the same thing going from 1st to 2nd. When I hit 10,000 miles I'll be switching to redline synthetic for sure.

Ambient

Good call, I'll switch it out now, the car is in the shop today and tomorrow for some more go fast goodies anyways.

speedbump

I too have noticed a "bit of a problem", when shifting into 2nd gear.... so now I "double clutch" it and it seems to ellminate the "problem".

I've just ordered a "B & M " quick shift kit and hopefully my transmission will operate better.

Later, Speedbump.

rowan

Hmm.. I'll have to remember this... because I have the same kind of trouble with second gear (and also if downshifting to first)...
It doesn't grind for me but it hardly ever goes in smoothly .. takes like a full second before it will slide into 2nd gear. 3rd and up don't have the same kind of problems, they just go in easy although are rather notchy.

I also want to get the B&M kit to get the shorter throws but maybe I should just check out switching the fluids to get better response from the system first.

Cheers "TheMan"

Are there any potential problems with swapping fluids out too early? (I am only in the mid-5000 km's and have been in for first 4-month service only)..

Doomer_MP3

TheMan,

I'm a bit confused, and I'd like the silky smooth shifts . Are you saying you put Motul 600 into the brake and clutch system, and Redline Mt90 is the transmission fluid? Is there much involved in changing out either brake/clutch or transmission fluid? Thanks man!

Chris

LinuxRacr

Isn't it true that 1st and Reverse have no synchros? Just a question, so all those endowed with wisdem on the matter, this is not a time to jump the guy who doesn't know!

rowan

Right, thanks for the reminder But then there are those really slow corners on AutoX where 2nd gear gets totally bogged down. Guess I just need more practice. (Either rev-match smoother and faster, or slip the clutch a bit so it doesn't think it should stall).

So no one can think of any problems with putting in synthetic transmission, brake, and clutch fluids? Not like staying away from synthetics in the engine until x# of miles?

(PS
You know ... sometimes if the car is still moving even a little bit .. and even though I have the clutch all the way to the floor ... it'll make a little crunch putting it into reverse. I know you shouldn't shift into reverse until you're totally stopped but with the clutch all the way down shouldn't it not make any difference?

zeus

In my opinion the clutch actuation sucks. Even when properly adjusted and bled, it still doesn’t fully disengage until the pedal’s on the floor. I used a pipe wrench to ‘custom adjust’ the pedal mount, reset the throw aduster, used DOT 5 silicon fluid and power bled everything. That fixed the engage point to just below mid throw where I like it, but the tranny was still notchy.

After 15k miles the syncros smoothed out and I changed tranny oil. Man was that some ugly oil. It shifts fast and solid now without letting up on the throttle much, and I just have a shortened stock shifter too. My point is, I really didn’t think the syncros were ever going to smooth out but they did after enough abuse.

JustinMP3

Ok I am not the only one with this question so lets straiten things out. What goes into you break and clutch system the best, (usually dot 3 brake fluid) and what exactly do you put into your tranny (what transmition fluid, for 5 speed) or gear lube in the 5 speed. just so we can clear this up. so I dont put the wrong ******* fluid in my shizznit and ***** it all up. Thanks

jstand6

This used to be true but most cars built after the mid-70's have synchronized first gears. Very few cars have synchronized reverse gears and I can't see the reason for it unless you are into some serious stunt driving.

As stated before, shifting into first gear while the vehicle is moving over 10mph is always going to be difficult. For some really skilled driving, learn to double clutch while downshifting. I learned out of necessity as I had an MG Midget roadster that didn't have a synchronized first gear and terrible synchro's in the other three gears.

The whole reason behind double clutching is to match the transmission and engine speeds close enough to shift gears without the use of synchronizers. For downshifting into first gear at speed, double clutching is essential:

1) Disengage the clutch (push the pedal in) and place the shifter into neutral. Keep the pedal pressed down.
2) Blip the throttle while releasing the clutch pedal a few inches. (This spins up the transmission gears)
3) Push the pedal back in and place the shifter into first gear.

This technique needs to be done quickly and accurately. It takes a whole lot of practicing and experimentation. You have to figure out just how much to blip the throttle depending on the speed you are going. You have to figure out how much of the clutch to engage (releasing the pedal). You have to feel how much resistance the shifter has going into first gear. Once mastered, it's an excellent technique that is better for the car and better for your lap times.

DO NOT practice this on a crowded road! Remember, you only have two feet and neither of them is on the brake pedal while doing this! You do the majority of your hard braking before downshifting to first. Do this at a speed above 25mph and you'll be bouncing off the rev-limiter.

I hope this helps!

-Jerry

kc5zom

Amen to that.

carguycw

To address the first part, this is really an autox-specific answer, but it is *almost always* faster in an autox to leave the car in 2nd. It is almost impossible to smoothly downshift into 1st while driving hard, no matter how good of a driver you are, especially in a car with short gearing like a Protege. I have been told by several top-notch autox drivers (national trophy winner types) that this shift usually blows more time than just letting the car bog in 2nd, especially because you will usually have to immediately upshift into 2nd again.

To answer the second question, there are no negative consequences to changing your brake and tranny fluid right off the showroom floor. The reason you shouldn't use synthetic oil in a new engine is to allow the piston rings to seat properly. This does not apply to gearboxes.

However, I should qualify this with one statement: you should NEVER put synthetic *engine* oil into a tranny. This doesn't really apply to Pros because they all take gear oil, but many other modern cars (which your friends may own) take engine oil in the tranny. Synthetic *engine* oil such as Mobil 1 (as opposed to Redline MTL/MT90 or Mobil synthetic *tranny* oil) is not "sticky" enough to allow tranny synchros to work properly, and will trash them in a hurry, sometimes in a matter of hours