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Series I Tech Garage The place to discuss anything technical about the RX-8 that doesn't fit into any of the categories below.
View Poll Results: Is your shifter notchy or smooth?
2004-2006 Smooth
33.04%
2004-2006 Notchy
52.17%
2007-2008 Smooth
6.96%
2007-2008 Notchy
7.83%
Voters: 115. You may not vote on this poll

Manual Transmission Notchy or Smooth? Poll!

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Old Nov 3, 2008 | 11:46 AM
  #26  
Jethro Tull's Avatar
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Can't vote.

'07

A bit notchy when cold, smooth as silk once warmed-up.
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Old Nov 4, 2008 | 03:55 AM
  #27  
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i have axial flow short shifter, agency power stainless steel clutch line, and using royal purple and it is a little notchy when cold but smoother when warm.
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Old Nov 4, 2008 | 06:17 AM
  #28  
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took a few thousand miles to break in, but its like buttah n0w
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Old Nov 4, 2008 | 06:17 AM
  #29  
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05 RX-8 30k miles, Notchy when on start up then once I get on the highway real nice and smooth is that normal? And is there anything i can do to fix it?
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Old Nov 5, 2008 | 06:19 AM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Jonathan11
05 RX-8 30k miles, Notchy when on start up then once I get on the highway real nice and smooth is that normal? And is there anything i can do to fix it?
well i guess its normal because majority of us experience a little notchy when cold then smoother when warm. but if you did not change your tranny fluid, i guess maybe you should give that a try and it should help.
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Old Nov 5, 2008 | 06:32 AM
  #31  
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I just did my 30k service changed the tranny fluid noticed a small difference so i guess the tranny flush actually did some good to the car.
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Old Nov 6, 2008 | 10:40 PM
  #32  
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From: hollywooood!
switched out the RP and still got it as the weather got colder... and its not even a synthetic trans fluid.

the tranny is so sensitive to weather... i think its worth noting. i truly don't think i'm the only one here who has notchyness on any given fluid during cold weather.



off topic: whats our synchro material? is it bronze, copper, CF???
anyone?
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Old Nov 7, 2008 | 05:18 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by TrochoidMagic

off topic: whats our synchro material? is it bronze, copper, CF???
anyone?

I'm interested in this as well. Mine gets better as it warms up, agreed, but even warm my tranny ha definite issues getting into gear sometimes, particularly 2nd (even at very low speeds/RPMs
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Old Nov 7, 2008 | 07:18 PM
  #34  
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^ thats how i found out the synchros in my first tranny broke
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Old Nov 7, 2008 | 08:01 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by SiLVeRE8
^ thats how i found out the synchros in my first tranny broke
Uhhh how bad was it? Would you mind describing how it was when the synchros were "broken"? I have zero experience with this sort of stuff.

I literally am at 59,800 miles. If I need to get the tranny looked at, now would be the time.

Currently, I can always get mine to go in eventually, but it definitely helps to double-clutch. Usually when trying to go into second, it feels like the shifter is hitting some sort of wall half-way into the slot. If I rev-match well, then this happens less.
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Old Nov 7, 2008 | 08:11 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by elysium19
Uhhh how bad was it? Would you mind describing how it was when the synchros were "broken"? I have zero experience with this sort of stuff.

I literally am at 59,800 miles. If I need to get the tranny looked at, now would be the time.

Currently, I can always get mine to go in eventually, but it definitely helps to double-clutch. Usually when trying to go into second, it feels like the shifter is hitting some sort of wall half-way into the slot. If I rev-match well, then this happens less.
this is sign of bent shift fork and bad synchros. I just paid 1900.00 for this repair. Might want to have it looked at before 60k otherwise give it 500 more miles and be buying a whole new tranny for about 1k used.
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Old Nov 8, 2008 | 12:41 AM
  #37  
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Thanks for the info....

Grrr I just rememberd that my warranty IS already up now, b/c of the car sale date not because of mileage. I guess I just need to hope it doesnt get any worse. It's not really that bad at the moment, certainly livable, I just REALLY hate thinking in the back of my mind that something's not right with the car and that enthusiastic driving could be making it worse.....

I'm running 50/50 Redline MT-90 and MTL....aside from that (reportedly good) mixture, anything else I can do to help keep things running decently? Keeping my eye out for a good used or rebuilt tranny....
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Old Nov 10, 2008 | 04:33 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by G3tR3DDY2GR3DDY
this is sign of bent shift fork and bad synchros.
I wonder how all that happened?
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Old Nov 11, 2008 | 05:34 PM
  #39  
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Yeah..... I understand the transmisison in our cars is reportedly not particularly strong/durable. At the same time, it works fine for most people. I'm not relatively hard on my clutch and tranny, so I'm trying to figure out if there's something intrinsically bad/weak about it, or if I shouldn't worry so much, because I take good care with it. Always hard to tell these things...
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Old Nov 11, 2008 | 08:29 PM
  #40  
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I've ordered two quarts of the Motorcraft XT-M5-QS oil. I'll put it in after I receive it and see how it is. However, I've heard it takes some time for it to break in.

Last edited by LionZoo; Nov 12, 2008 at 11:51 AM.
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Old Nov 11, 2008 | 09:08 PM
  #41  
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^^what is that lion? care to share with me what that is at the meet?
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Old Nov 12, 2008 | 11:50 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by TrochoidMagic
^^what is that lion? care to share with me what that is at the meet?
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=270393
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Old Nov 13, 2008 | 06:00 PM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by elysium19
Uhhh how bad was it? Would you mind describing how it was when the synchros were "broken"? I have zero experience with this sort of stuff.

I literally am at 59,800 miles. If I need to get the tranny looked at, now would be the time.

Currently, I can always get mine to go in eventually, but it definitely helps to double-clutch. Usually when trying to go into second, it feels like the shifter is hitting some sort of wall half-way into the slot. If I rev-match well, then this happens less.
i was definite that my tranny broke when it grinds everytime i drop it down from 3rd to 2nd even with rev matching. sometimes it would not even want to engage second gear at around 7k rpm. i thought it was the shift fork in the beginning until i brought it to the dealership and they found out the synchros were messed up, so they ended up replacing my tranny under warranty. i also got them to install my act clutch and flywheel for my during the tranny replacement. and now its been 27k on my 2nd tranny and it seems pretty healthy, but once in a while it feels a little notchy when cold.

Last edited by SiLVeRE8; Nov 13, 2008 at 06:03 PM.
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Old Nov 26, 2008 | 10:15 AM
  #44  
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Guys, I have a question about the tranny warranty (the 5 years/100,000KM warranty).

I have a 04 model (build in dec 2003) and it seems that Im suffering of almost every symptoms/recalls/TBS

Regarding the tranny, I have the grinding when shifting from 3rd to 2nd, hard to engage 1st gear, hard to engage 4th when redlining 3rd.

Oh, and my clutch has always been very very hard to depress (specially compared to brand new RX8 that I was able to try in showrooms/dealers).

I believe it's the synchro, though it could be the whole shift fork thing as well.
Also flywheel damage blabla.

Is that (or any of that) covered by the warranty or not? If not, what does the tranny warranty cover then??

It seems that my dealer always try avoiding to repair my car under warranty or simply deny the problem.

Help, I need some info please
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Old Nov 26, 2008 | 11:20 AM
  #45  
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I voted Smooth for my 2004 manual tranny, but I need to qualify my vote. It seems to shift more smoothly when driving the car hard. The tranny can be a little notchy on the 1st to 2nd shift when just putt-putting around town, using low RPM's. The only way I've been able to minimize that little notchiness is to make sure the clutch pedal is firmly planted against the firewall and also by depressing the clutch just a hair early (just before letting off the throttle).

Otherwise, the tranny works great and as I mentioned, works wonderfully when driven hard, upshifts or downshifts.

-1.3L
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Old Nov 26, 2008 | 09:12 PM
  #46  
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Does anyone knows what the Tranny warranty covers if it's not synch, shift bent or hard clutches ?
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Old Nov 27, 2008 | 10:39 PM
  #47  
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def notchy but it's time to change the tranny lube so hopefully that will go away with the change....Hopefully
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Old Nov 29, 2008 | 03:11 PM
  #48  
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COLD= 1st to 2nd almost impossible without double clutching.

WARM= Smooooooth
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Old Nov 29, 2008 | 07:31 PM
  #49  
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^ was that during WOT of just normal driving?
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Old Nov 30, 2008 | 10:04 AM
  #50  
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yeah all gears are good cold....except second but if i hold in the clutch for like 2 seconds it goes in fine once I shift into 2nd a couple times it does not do it and smooth as silk.....somedays it does not do it at all though even with a fastshift
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