Nate03

Hi all,

2 Questions - please....

I have a bout 1200 miles on my 04. I've hit a very brief grind going from 2 to 3 on 3 or 4 occasions since I've started driving the car.

It has only happened when I am rushing the shift and seems that I am not timing my down of the clutch pedal perfectly with my move & push of the gear shift.

If I am meticulous & patient about the shift it never hits a grind.

I am coming out of an 11 year old Miata into the S (btw - great move) - there seems to have been a bit more room for error in the Miata.

Q1) Do you think its me or is there something in the 04 that perhaps needs attention/adjustment to eliminate any gear grinds...

Q2) Do you think its too early to switch to synthetic MTF? If yes at what mielage would you recommend switching to Synthetic MTF?

Thanks
Nate

ninegrand

1- yep , sounds like it's you

2- Don't use synthetic in the tranny!!

Check into Honda MTF, Redline MTL, MT90, or maybe GM synchromesh when the time comes.

Congrats on the car and enjoy perfecting the shifts

Nate03

ooops...
I thought Redline MTF was synthetic - that's what i want to put in ... at what mileage can I change to Redline or Honda MTF's?

thanks
Nate

ninegrand

You can do it any time you want (or so I would think) but may not make a change in the feel or performance with only 1200 miles.

For me I have found Honda MTF to work and change at least every other oil change (6000 miles).

Sebringer

Had a slight 1>2 crunch with my '04. 3k miles now- much better. Never had problems with 2>3>4, though....

shaolin

it's u. when i first got it i grind too. i heard people on board talking about how much grinding they got. after driving for a while now... i haven't been grinding for at least... i forgot.
practice more then i think you'll do better.

i think the reason i don't grind is because the way i hold my shift knob. i don't hold my shift knob. i only push or pull. try that maybe it'll help.

WPS

happens when the transmission is cold? or anytime

Cayenne_S2000

I'm not sure why people are grinding their gears on their S2000s. This is by far one of the easiest sports cars to shift in. Most likely, it's either your style of shifting or the car was abused when it was on the lot. Before I purchased my 04 S2000, I test drove another one on the lot. It had close to 100 miles on it. The shifter/clutch was in terrible shape. I had trouble finding 2nd and 3rd. When I test drove a 2003 and another 2004 on the lot, it was a night and day difference. I would bring it in and have it checked out just in case. Might as well since you're covered under warranty.

S2oooNvegas

i had the same grind, 2>3, but i shift like a mad indian throwing a spear. so, id say just keep practicing your leg/arm/throttle timing. cause now i have 4200 miles, and i havent ground it in 2000 miles, only 5 grinds total for me EVER. so yeah, once the carbon fiber wears in, it seats real nice, and way reliable. oh yeah BTW. search for road rages advice, i just switched over to LE 607 in my diff, oh man, real nice. and the fluid was nasty, just like in his wine glass test. im still waiting to hear the results of people playing with the trans, i dont want warranty probs with the carbon fiber parts not accepting different fluids,later dave.

Road Rage

As our old IBM programmer's guides said "Probable User Error".

The thing that matters most is the friction modifier used to control the synchro action - most gear lubes (GL4 or 5) are so slippery that they can mess up and even damage synchro rings. Honda used to recommend engine oil for its transmissions, and that is even more slippery (lubricious)!

Red Line is synthetic, but that does not make it improper for the MY04 carbon blocking rings (which i warned about first in a long ago post).

If you read the VOA's I posted on both the Honda MTF and the Red Line MTL, you will notice that they use nearly identical amounts of calcium, which i believe is the main friction modifier additive. So i would expect them to have similarly good to excellent shift feel, but the Red Line will last much longer. Read the UOA on Honda MTF for some sobering info - it was pretty well gone at 18k miles!

I have never had a 2-3 problem, and only one 1-2 shift problem, and it was entirely my fault - I did not fully depress the pedal, and let up in mid-shift. Duh!

The S2000 tranny is amazing - just let it warm up properly, like any fine mechanical device.