Transmission 1-2 Shift Grind

[tony h]

I too have to be careful to avoid the 2nd gear crunch when cold. I find that slow shifts at low revs work, very rarely do I grind the gears when cold as a result.
In any case, I was always told never to rev cold engines as the various metals expand at different rates - best to slowly warm the engine before giving her stick?
I have a normal shift on mine, is this problem exaggerated with a short shifter installed?
Could this characteristic manifest itself more with short shift than normal shift?
Tony h

 

[timcantwell]

Your "grinding" has nothing to do with your short shift, rather it is the combination of cold tranny lube and your synchros. This phenomenon is very common with Ferrari. The Ferrari trick is to skip 2nd until the gearbox warms up.

 

[tony h]

Hi Tim

I hear what you are sayin....I dont have a short shift on my GT - just wonderin if this is more of a problem for those that do??

THose Ferrari boxes can be a bitch until warm I agree...

Tony h

 

[dr914]

Your "grinding" has nothing to do with your short shift, rather it is the combination of cold tranny lube and your synchros. This phenomenon is very common with Ferrari. The Ferrari trick is to skip 2nd until the gearbox warms up.

Yup that is what I do, skip 2nd until the trans warms up. When I first got my car I actually thought that it had a defect until reading this thread. Porsches (that is what I do) are stiff when cold but never grind.
Grinding into gear though is never good no matter what anyone says.

 

[Nardo GT]

Yup that is what I do, skip 2nd until the trans warms up. When I first got my car I actually thought that it had a defect until reading this thread.

Grinding into gear though is never good no matter what anyone says.

I agree..but you and I seem to be the only ones concerned. Everybody else here passes it off as "typical" or "expected". Funny though, I am a used car dealer and I drive many, many standards each year and none grind or crunch. I have an 01 Dodge pu with a 5-spd and 105K miles...no crunch. Had many Ford Rangers, full size Ford pus, Chevy S-10s and full size Silverados, Focus, Escorts, Cavaliers, Corvettes, 350Zs, Miatas....yada, yada yada...no crunch. I still think a $160K car shouldn't do it, hot, cold or otherwise. Period.

 

[2112]

Not arguing for or against whether it should happen but in my car, when cold, I just make the 1-2 shift slower than usual and hold the shifter against the left side of the "gate" more firmly than usual as I shift and there is no crunch or grinding.

 

[nota4re]

I'll admit that it is kind of a don't care situation for me as I am always being very careful and baby-ing the car anyway through the warm-up process. So it is always first to third when cold.... maybe the first few minutes of a drive. I think if I drove more frequently it might get old but doesn't seem to bother me now.

 

[BlackICE]

I'll admit that it is kind of a don't care situation for me as I am always being very careful and baby-ing the car anyway through the warm-up process. So it is always first to third when cold.... maybe the first few minutes of a drive. I think if I drove more frequently it might get old but doesn't seem to bother me now.

I do the same.

EP never had a problem with shifting to 2nd! :lol

 

[shelbyelite]

I agree..but you and I seem to be the only ones concerned. Everybody else here passes it off as "typical" or "expected". Funny though, I am a used car dealer and I drive many, many standards each year and none grind or crunch. I have an 01 Dodge pu with a 5-spd and 105K miles...no crunch. Had many Ford Rangers, full size Ford pus, Chevy S-10s and full size Silverados, Focus, Escorts, Cavaliers, Corvettes, 350Zs, Miatas....yada, yada yada...no crunch. I still think a $160K car shouldn't do it, hot, cold or otherwise. Period.

Come on Nardo.... Tell us how you really feel! All these little problems bother you so bad that you bought four of them? LOL
Every vehicle of any make has it's issues. Bring me any car ever made by man and I can find things that are not "perfect". At the end of the day, just enjoy it for what it is.

 

[Nardo GT]

Come on Nardo.... Tell us how you really feel! All these little problems bother you so bad that you bought four of them? LOL
Every vehicle of any make has it's issues. Bring me any car ever made by man and I can find things that are not "perfect". At the end of the day, just enjoy it for what it is.

Shelby I only posted that just so you would respond!

 

[shelbyelite]

Shelby I only posted that just so you would respond!

 

[RPM217]

Go to NSX Prime (the same as this, only for NSX's ) and do a search for 2nd gear grinding, you will see the same exact problem and cure. When I got my NSX 8 years ago, I brought it into the dealer with the same complaint, they checked the car out thoroughly and told me the car was fine. I found that totally unacceptable until I joined Prime and saw that my complaint was common and just learned to warm up the car avoiding 2nd gear until it was properly warmed up. Kind of funny that I've since learned the GT was using the NSX transmission as a target to match/beat. Two great cars, two smooth transmissions (when warm), and two cars that can grind second when cold!!!

 

[GTdrummer]

Just be grateful the Ford does not have the stupid skip shift like the Vipers and Vettes. My Vipers especially the newer ones shift into 2nd smoothly , however. (its just the rest of the gears that aren't as smooth as the GT) BTW, how did Ford avoid the nannie skip shift??

 

[nota4re]

Kind of funny that I've since learned the GT was using the NSX transmission as a target to match/beat.

True that the NSX was tested extensively and the benchmark for the GT - but it was mostly in the design of the shift cables to achieve the pinnacle of smothness (NSX) which is also a shift by cable design.

BTW, how did Ford avoid the nannie skip shift??

The nannie skip shift is far from a requirement - but it could be a ploy to improve measured fuel economy on the EPA test cycle and reduce or eliminate the gas guzzler tax. My GT's window sticker shows a $2100 guzzler tax. Personally, I'm soooo glad Ford didn't try to mess with the shifting!!!

 

[paul b]

It seems everyone is convinced Fords transmission oil is the only way to go. It seems other car forums have members trying every lubricant possible on almost every transmission ever built to overcome similar problems.

 

[BlackICE]

How many stock transmission can hold up to almost double the stock torque input! I would guess like most things there are design tradeoffs and the cold 2nd gear grind was lower on the list. I can live with that in exchange for the transaxles holding up to Whipple and TT upgrades. I think the Nissan GTR doesn't have a grind problem, but I doubt that you can double the HP and have it stay operational for very long.

 

[RPM217]

How many stock transmission can hold up to almost double the stock torque input! I would guess like most things there are design tradeoffs and the cold 2nd gear grind was lower on the list. I can live with that in exchange for the transaxles holding up to Whipple and TT upgrades. I think the Nissan GTR doesn't have a grind problem, but I doubt that you can double the HP and have it stay operational for very long.

Nissan GTR has flappy paddles, not a manual transmission so I too doubt it grinds going into second gear!

 

[BlackICE]

Nissan GTR has flappy paddles, not a manual transmission so I too doubt it grinds going into second gear!

I know that, but can it handle a 2x increase in stock torque without breaking like the FGT can? The point is tradeoffs between robustness and quiet operation when cold.

 

[tony h]

The GTR gearbox is fraught with problems. They have been known to fail and they are not as good as the hype suggests. I sold my UK 2009 because I just got fed up with it. Put it into reverse when cold and nothing, nothing, nothing then thump, its engaged...same when going into first when cold. When it was warm and in neutral, it was like you had to take the slack out of it when you had engaged drive before you could set off, otherwise it just engaged violently. The car had all its gearbox allignment checks etc but it was still the same.
BTW - GTR boxes rattle when stationary which I was told is a characteristic. They also have squealing breaks which is something to do with the bells and rotors and the build up of break dust etc.
The 2nd gear grind is absolutely nothing in comparison to the GTR and its characteristics....if anyone has had a GTR I am sure they will recognise these issues.
Tony h

 

[PeakCompletions]

I for one am honestly amazed by the ruggedness and design of the stock gearbox having found its limit in Miami last spring... I am pretty happy with the limit :biggrin

The tranny is happy holding 2000 hp and shifting however fast you can grab the gears below 7200 rpm.... at that power level and above that rpm range you have to drive with one hand and hold it in gear :ack:ack:ack

Pretty amazing that it held that long to be honest... :banana:banana:banana