I have the same problem with shifting high and hard from 1-2.

One time I upshifted from 3-4 at redline and the thing went into 2nd. I've NEVER done that in ANY car I've had, so I don't know why it happened... it might have been my error, but it was just WEIRD? It felt like it went into 4th, but the car did a massive engine brake so my tires went ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr.

Like... ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrr

nah mean?

I have an '04 with 23k miles on it. I have an extended warranty, but it's $100 a visit ... so I think I'll drive it out for some time to see if it's just the build quality, or a malfunction.

 

My 04 started having 1-2 grinding issues at about 35k. Dealership said he couldn't duplicate it. At 48k my clutch went out due to the clutch pedal being broke. They warrantied the pedal but not the clutch after new clutch and pedal I can only shift into 2nd below 6k and 5th grinds in and out. Mazda tried to tell me that my clutch caused the damage and wouldn't fix. Used tranny from 07 with 19k going in next week w/ afe short shifter. Hoping for better luck with the newer tranny

 

I don't have enough arms to raise

admittedly I probably hammer on them as hard as can be done, never any issue getting it in as hard or as fast as I want until 2nd gear goes boom, the one exception was the last one that would grind up or down into 3rd gear due to a fractured synchro (1/3 of the ring broke completely off)

I'm pretty sure most of this is resolved now using the 75W140NS Redline gear oil

 

I don't think the autocrossers get much of a chance to use 4th.

 

Just got the car back today. Fixed! Finally. Brought it in once, they rebuilt the tranny, was only very slightly better. Brought it back in, they tore it back apart again, rebuilt it again, all better now!

First time, they replaced a bunch of forks and synchros. This time, they said they replaced 2nd gear as well (the main gear), and that's what the problem was. Whatever, I'm just happy I can sell the car without any issues now!

 

Just curious Mark, what is special about this oil that you think will keep the tranny together longer? I'd really like to find something that would add a little peace of mind (especially something I don't have to buy in $200 buckets like Uloooooser's magic oil), but I'd like to hear your take on why this stuff should make a difference.

 

hey Hog--where ya been!
Driver --yea. Hell before i got the axial shifter i went from redline in 3nd to 2nd on the straight coming out on turn 5 toward turn 6 at Road Atlanta. Whoa baby. Luck would have it that a "felt" the error as soon as i let the clutch out just a little!!
04 model made in jul 03--59K few thousand with s.c. on and original trans still going.
i like the RP max gear 1/2 75-90w and 1/2 90/140w. the thicker viscosity seemed to have helped me some.
olddragger

 

Most Pure Power products are around $10 a qt, and under $100 for a case of 12.

 

I haven't really been racing mine much at all, but somehow one of the retaining rings failed, and so a few of my gears got pretty messed up. Fortunately its still a warranty fix, but I'm wondering how the retaining ring could have failed.

Also, how big of a difference does the synthetic transmission fluid make? Is there a huge difference in brands as far as performance goes?

 

being able to move forward is a big performance advantage otherwise no, a very small hp difference maybe between the oils

 

Yeah... thats more of what I mean... kinda along the lines of which fluid works better for protecting the transmission

 

dude you dont need a new tranny! just adjust the pedal.. mine has gotten rebuilt 3 times...

this last time i couldnt get it out of 2nd gear.. or third.. I adjusted it and now its works lieka charm i can now get it into gear and out easily..

my buddy was having issue with his shifting as well.. i adjusted his and now his shifts are smoother

 

I've posted an adjustment thread on the forum somewhere, but that doesn't account for shearing all the teeth completely off gears and shattered synchro rings

it's a minimal issue for the general problem

 

I'm admittedly not a tracker or autocrosser, but I have a tendency to launch hard on the back roads (seriously back roads.) around where I love and frequently redline shift in first, second and third. Other than occasional grinds due to my generally crappy shifting, I've managed to shift with no issues whatsoever from first to second and chirp the tires every time almost every day I drive the car

FYI my 8 has original tranny fluid, 18,500 miles and is an '06 model. It has in no way, shape or form been babied at all and I regularly beat the devil out of it.

 

What do you need to do for clutch adjustment that makes it better?

 

I've been very happy with it since swapping over .
Only one track day which was a vast improvement . And just came back from a long trip through some very windy roads - shifting was superb ....

 

I'll never have a tranny problem...I have a spare in the garage

If I didn't it would have died by now

 

Thanks for the info, unfortunately I already purchased the tranny, but if I will try it before I put it in. If nothing else I'll have an extra and save on the labor. It also didn't help that Nelson Mazda here drained my royal purple oil out and said that it was to slick for use in the tranny. It had only been in for 500 miles. since they drained it and put back in conventional, it has not shifted smoothly. So, I would definitely agree that synthetic is the way to go. Hopefully my afe shifter will help some to

 

true clutch adjustment and proper useage is important!
1st time i drove my car I could tell that this was a trans than was not designed to jam the gears with. So I havent, on the road course "jamming" gears---we used to call it speed shifting-- is not really required---i am not chasing 10ths of a second like the autocross guys have too. Plus I usually only have to use 2 gears. on rare occasion 3. Use the box for what it was designed for , put a little better lube in it than the oem and it should do ok.
Dann I know exactly what you mean---that was funny
olddragger

 

I've been adjusting the clutch pedal the past two weeks, but mainly to get it in a position that I like. Is there something I'm missing?

 

well I had two of them in my garage, no such luck

 

amazing how that works.

spare tranny and motor. so far so good.. btw, got them after the first motor..

beers

 

I only have problems w/ downshifting from 2-1, the synchro isn't always there. Sometimes I will go to shift, it will start to do it's work, then it will just fall right through the synchro. ( this is during normal driving..) It isn't an all together bad thing however, as now I am practicing heel-toe, which will help alot on the courses : )

 

I have an '05 with 13K and have had a problem now at two events (the DC pro and a recent local event) where shifting from 1 - 2 at high RPMs she just wouldn't go, just ground like hell.

Thought moving to synthetic would solve it, sounds like the consensus is getting the dealer involved?

 

I'm at 54K on my '05 and just started having problems with 2nd gear. I'm hoping I have drive train warranty until 60K, I'll find out this week.