eisenfaust

So, I'm obviously late to the party on this whole clutch delay valve thing, but it got me thinking.

My transmission, while its awesome 99% of the time, is occasionally balky. Fast upshifts from 1-2 and 2-3 will sometimes grind, even with the clutch *fully* depressed and to the floor prior to selecting the next gear. Its a real PITA.

I've encountered the problem several times when shifting slowly, as well. It feels as if the shift forks are half-engaging the gear. The lever slots about 50% of the way into its gate and then meets resistance. If P keep pushing, grind. If I clutch out and try again, everything is fine.

It seems to happen far more frequently on agressive shifts though.

Does anyone have any experience with improved shift quality in regards to the grinding issue?

Its really starting to infuriate me. Ive never driven a car this prone to grinding. It seems totally random. Ive driven nothing but manual transmission cars since I started driving 10 years ago, and no transmission has been this finicky. Ive changed my timing, my grip on the lever, ive tried changing the way I pull on it, nothing works. It still happens about once every time I go for a spirited drive. And only on upshifts.

I'm putting GM synchromesh II in sometime soon. While I'm in there, im going to pull the valve.

S2oooNvegas

my advice...

first thing. drain out all the honda MTF in there, and update to the new stuff. (white cap) HUGE difference. i just did so this week, after replacing 2nd gear and everything involved with it.


2nd thing, go out after said work, and either have someone watch your foot with a flashlight, or just practice making sure your timing is awesome, and your clutch pedal hits the floor on every shift. i have a lazy clutch foot, and i know it. i also notice if i shift under 5k, the shifts are very notchy, all the time. yet they are astroglide smooth if im revved up proper, push the clutch FAST and pull the gear quick. this car is precise, and very finicky. at first i called the gearbox a pile, and blamed the car, then i took a good friend out with a flashlight, and railed the car for about an hour. he took notes, and said basically 85% of the time, i either pushed the clutch in HALF way, or NOT AT ALL!!!!!! i was bent. my leg and or brain are lazy. LOL.

hehe, hope this helps. lates dave


p.s put in the new LE607, in your diff. its LE1605 bomb stuff. laters

eisenfaust

To me it happens under full throttle 1-2 and 2-3 shifts. I'll cut the gas, hit the floor with the clutch, pull the lever, then GRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIND. Abort, retry, fail. >_<

I'm going to get the new fluid in there ASAP, see if it helps.

iam7head

first thing you need to do is see if the slave cylinder is fully functional, if you have a leak seal, sometime you can't build up enough pressure for the rod to fully extend and you can get a grind there. not common in s2k tho'

assuming you are the only owner of the car, shifting fast contribute to syncro wears, which is not something easily fixed.

forget the new OEM MTF(yes, i said it) and use GMSMFM, they saved countless honda tranny grinds just by using it. it's not a magic product but it help on the syncro wear.

all else fail, learn how to drive a real manual, you don't really need a syncro to be honest,if you know how to double clutch, rev match.

honda dont just sell the syncro, they pair it up with the gear as fast as i know.

GrandMasterKhan

has you tranny ever popped out of gear? There is a TSB on the ALL the 04 s2000s and some of the 05+ s2000s. Where the tranny will pop out of 2nd gear under hard deceleration. Mine did it mostly in 1st while trying to take off from a dead stop.

I know this isnt your exact issue but its possible there might be a connection.

eisenfaust

I'm fully aware of how to revmatch and double clutch. I rarely downshift without doing so.

Downshifting is butter smooth. I can get any gear I want, any time I want, almost flawlessly.

It only ever grinds on upshifting 1-2, under heavy load. No amount of rev-matching technique is going to affect upshifts. Smooth upshifts are all about proper timing and coordination of disengaging the clutch and moving the lever smoothly.


No popping out of gear, though. I'm the second owner, and the car is CPO, so if it continues to get worse I'll take it in.

I'm switching to the GM asap. Last time I was under the car, I examined the tranny, and I dont have any visible leaks. I need to get a friend to actuate the clutch for me and check for full slave operation, but I'm fairly sure its working, since the problem would affect all gears if it were the clutch.


Its honestly not a HUGE deal. I dont have much cause for agressive 1-2 shifts. Most driving scenarios I encounter call for second and third gear. Its just annoying as all **** to come out of a 1st gear hairpin hard on the throttle, go to get second, and not be able to. Totally screws with your rythym. 2-3 has only ground once, and that was my fault.

Its also a PITA because I *need* full accelleration through 1st and 2nd gear getting out of my neighborhood. I live on an island in the middle of SF bay, and our only way off is to merge into the fast lane of the I-80 Bay Bridge from a dead stop. Taking your time is a good way to get rear ended.

95%+ of my shifts (especially the upshifts) are calm and deliberate. I never "bang" or "slam" a gear change, even when I'm being agressive. I shift with a gentle but firm touch on the lever, and feel for proper engagement. The grind occurs midway through the shift, after meshing has started. I can feel the shift forks start moving the gear into place, the slack is taken up and the lever is tracking properly, then just before full engagement, it grinds.



Khan:

Is the tranny popping-out-of gear on *de*celeration or *a*celleration? You mentioned it being a problem when starting in 1st. Ive never really noticed a problem because most of the time, if I'm braking, I'm also downshifting. Very few instances where that isnt the case. So my hand is on the shifter and I'm actively controling it as I decelerate. I never approach a stop or a corner without getting into the proper gear (or first, for a stop). Lesson I learned on bikes: always be in the most responsive gear unless you're cruising on the freeway. So when I slow down to a stoplight from 3rd or 4th, its "blip-shift-3rd, blip-shift-2nd, blip-shift-1st"

iDomN8U

Are you grinding coming out of first or going into second?

secrets2k

hi i have a 04 s2000 and it will grind from 1st to 2nd alot on fast shifts but after that i cant get it back into first does anyone know what this could be? thanks

eisenfaust

It grinds on the way *into* second.

First is fully disengaged, the lever slots halfway into second, then grinds.

This with the clutch pedal against the floor.

I mean, its rare. Its not a chronic problem. We're talking one in 500 shifts. It just happens more under hard accelleration. It happened twice on Saturday coming out of uphill first gear hairpins. Hasnt happened since, and I've driven a lot since then. Last time it happened before that was a week or two previously.

I reallly think that better fluid will help it.

SBlueS2k

is it under warranty??? if so take it back to honda??? i have an 04 with 15k miles with a 03 slave cylinder no problems what so ever..