Brutal 1-2 missed shift
 

I had a little tango with a WRX. We both agreed to have a little stop light fun. I got the car sideways for the first time ever with a good launch, wound out to red line and missed 2nd gear. It just would not go in. I didn't force it in or get it into gear but I sure did hammer it hard with a good slam. Now I'm worried and I'm like holy f%&k. What kinda damage did I do?

The car seems fine---NO crunchy syncros and I'm shifting all right. But I'm still worried. I occasionally miss a shift and get that rare grind but only because I re-adjusted my seat and I misjudged clutch heigth. Other than that, I've never had a brutal mistake quite like I just had. Anyone want to share the robustness of the RX8 tranny or lack of it? Am I okay?? It seems to be fine. Am I worrying too much? I have no idea why it didn't go into gear.

Other than that, I think I would have had the WRX. I caught up to the guy later and he said he heard my mis-shift.

FYI: I think the RX8 is faster.

As long as you arent having issues you are fine. From what I have gathered, its a pretty weak tranny.

1) street race is not allowed
2) nothing cool about going sideway on the street
3) you know it's possible to shift without clutching right? not good, but possible
4) ur fine. don't do it again.

what year was the wrx?

the transmission moves under extreme conditions. so does the engine.

street racing is bad.

You probably broke a motor mount.

street racing=bad
you are prob fine i have missed a shift before on the track and nothing it is ok just learn for next time

If it helps keep you from street light racing, the WRX would have taken you either way.

unless the wrx didnt know how to drive.

my rx8 doesn't know how to drive either. That's why I sit in it. But even after 4 years, it still can't drive on it's own.

:lol: yeah, mine still doesnt either.

The gearbox has been fairly durable for me. I've missed plenty of shifts but it seems as good as new.

The stock transmission...I don't have much faith in. But I don't think a missed shift would hurt it.

my rx8 drives itself =D.. it kicks ASS, ghostriding in a manual is teh fun lol. freaks my friends out cause they think it can't be done.

you're slower than a wrx unless you've got some decent mods. Get the RP short shifter, I had the same issue before... would feel like I was hitting a wall at times when going from 1st to 2nd at any decent rate of acceleration. Got the short shifter and havnt had that issue since.

follow up
 

Yeah, I know I was going to get all the street racing is bad comments, tsk, tsk. I can't say it's not deserved and in some respects, much appreciated.

I still think I would have taken him.

Broken motor mount...hmmmmm.....I doubt that is the case but it makes sense that the drivetrain twisted causing a mis-shift. It happend right when I was against the rev limited or nearly so. I was too concentrated on the drag to be paying attention.

The RX8 is faster than a lot of people give it credit for if you rev the piss outta it.

I have no idea what year the WRX was. It wasn't the STI, of course. He had some kind of fart can on it. I don't know why anybody puts those things on. They actually HURT power.

Earlier before the stop light drag, I took him on a rolling start and he couldn't catch up. I know the Rx8 is faster.

Still, I've been upset all evening over the brutal slam shifting. Oh well. I had a 95 V6 Ford Contour that had crunchy synchros once. That sucked. Then I got an SVT Contour. The tranny was supposed to be the weak link in that car but I never had a problem with the SVT. I ran Mobile One ATF with half a bottle of friction modifier in the tranny. I also always blipped the throttle in neutral a couple of times evertime I started it up cold to splash lubricate the tranny. I don't know if the same applies to the 8 but I've been doing the same thing. It can't hurt.

Stupid mis-shift. Dang it. It's gonna haunt me all week.

Thanks for the comments.

nope, still would have taken you. the impreza wrx can run 13s all day long. thats a full second better than an rx8 in the 1/4 mile.

only if it has STI written in pink on it ......

The secret is to pull towards you, not straight back.

This is a little shameful, but there have been two occassions where I accidentally shifted into second around 80mph, a little engine braking occured but the trans:sad: survived both incidents =(

stock wrx is even if not faster than the rx8. if you took off from a dig wrx still has advantage with awd. full exhaust on wrx and the rx8 goes backwards. i own both cars, the rx8 is pretty slow in a straight line. :eyetwitch

I took down a WRX on the track two weeks ago... so it can be done. I dont know if it was a 12 year old drivin... but i still beat him on the 1/4

A few things HAVE to be said about the comments lol
A) he asked about his tranny, not what everyone thinks about what he does with his car lol
B) The WRX is by no means a 13 second car from the factory, or in deed with minor mods. It needs cranked boost, better exhaust and a better intercooler location to get that fast. I have beaten WRX's on the track and on the street and currently all I have done to my RX-8 is nothing. If you are in fact losing to WRX's that bad then I suggest racing lessons or a good rotary mechanic to diag your car. The WRX is a very poor 5 speed tranny, I have driven the car both on the street and the track. Yes, the first two gears would keep the WRX even with the RX, but AWD starts to hurt the power in the car, and idk if any of you really know about AWD (it robs more power than a 2wd car, even a rear)

that isnt to say that the WRX is slow, or would be killed by RX-8's everywhere. They are about even for performance, and it comes down to the driver. In a battle between a WRX and the 8, its best man wins. STi is of course and horse of a total different monster, and you better be pushed 300+ with a turbo kit to have a prayer

I'm curious as to how getting the car sideways is a good launch.

you gotta be dumping it over 7 to do that... its not something that happens accidentally, even under pretty agressive accel's.