I am having trouble shifting smoothly from 1st to 2nd gear on most occasions. When shifting from 2nd-3rd and up I can shift smoothly but for some reason I am having trouble shifting smoothly in these gears.

Can somebody give me some advice on how to go from 1st to 2nd smoothly? I am not talking about racing application but more driving miss daisy style.

Thanks,

Mark

 

Keep it at a low rpm. That should reduce the jerk a little bit. Your not going to be ultra smooth due to the gear ratios of the six peed. I do have an automatic however every other car I have had has been a manual and I consider myself a good driver. Have you tried that?

 

yeah to an extent. I try to keep it low so it reduces it a little. Maybe somebody else has a little tip.

 

I can shift 1-2 on my 6spd smoothly during daily driving.....I just ease off the clutch......when I race I almost dump it.....dunno how to explain it, but its like a "quick slip"......

It's not that hard....try moving your seat a little back? I know 6spd maximas have a high engagement point....so if u sit further away....as u ease off the clutch u have more control since your sitting further, and the clutch engagement is high....

 

Mine is the same way, the release travel is not very linear. Other manual trannies that I have sampled have been much more consistant in the way they "bite". Like others have said, I just try to keep the RMPs low and let it slip a little on the 1st to 2nd "maybe 1-2 seconds longer than a 2nd - 3rd.. etc". Sorry to use your thread but its is kind of the same subject... does any one know if it is a bad practice to hold the clutch depressed during things like waiting for a light to change or at a drive through. Is there a bearing that is being worn down to fast in that case? Also, does shifting w/out the clutch burn up the syncros on our tranmissions? (for example, lightly pulling towards 2nd gear as you are rolling to a stop until it falls into gear or pulling it out of gear w/out using clutch when rpms are matched"

 

Yes it is bad to over use your clutch when it is not needed...i.e. waiting for a long a$$ red light....or going to a drive thru.....it willl wear down the THROW OUT BEARING....and yes the part itself is only like $30 bucks or something....but the labor involved to change it is very costly......so Just be smart and pop it into neutral.....

About the clutch-less shifting....I wouldn't try it....becuz the clutch was designed to seperate the tranny and engine...so use it for what it was designed for....don't try to be cheap and "save" the clutch's life by not using it.....

 

yeah i also have problems shifting from 1-2 smoothly..i usually keep shift at about 1500-2000 rpms and its a bit let of a jerk, but when i get the rpms up, the jerk is a lot more severe...i also learned something new today go me!! i had no idea that leaving the clutch in at a stop light, etc. was bad...wow, i do that all the time

 

I've found that on my 6 speed, I need to ease it from 1-2 while keeping revs relatively low (between 1500-2500 rpms), as opposed to "dropping" it into engagement at higher rpms...

Does even make sense?

 

i always make the 1-2 change pretty slowly during daily driving...i just ease on and off the clutch..that combined with keeping the rpms low seems to work the best

 

Wow I do the exact opposite of everyone else so far. I usually get to about 4000 rpm's in first gear, press in the clutch, blip the throttle so the rpm's go to about 4200-4400 then shift to second. Works well for me and my passengers never complain. But if they did I'd tell them to shut the he!! up.

 

You should blip the throttle when you are downshifting crispy. Thanks guys. When the clutch goes would replacing the clutch with a better aftermarket one that grips better help this problem or hurt it? Would the tranny bite better going from one gear to the next with a better clutch?

 

I think that depends if ya get a lighter flywheel or not... I think an aftermarket clutch/flywheel actually makes it harder to "grip" so ya need to give it more gas to prevent stalling....

 

try to get the clutch out as fast as you can....the more you feather it on the way out the more damage you are doing to your clutch.. I know people who feather it like crazy in first gear to make it smooth out of first. they have just made it a habit.

 

IT's not so much about keeping the RPM low as it is matching them the RPM to your speed.
The idea is to already have your RPM where it should be after you shift when you let off the clutch. No matter your speed this will result in a smooth shift.

Once you've shifted, if you release the clutch pedal with your RPM too low, the cars nose will dive down. RPM too high and it will lurch forward. Watch your tach as you let off the clutch. If it swings much in either direction as you release the pedal then the RPMs weren't closely matched.

The shift from 1st to 2nd is hardest because the car is more sensitive to throttle input in the lower gears. These cars can be harder to drive smoothly because they have a lot of torque and are very responsive.

To be smooth you need to figure out what RPM the car will run after you shift and be sure it is already there as you let off the clutch pedal. Once you get that down you'll be able to shift smoothly, without dragging the clutch, even at higher REVs. You'll also be able to skip gears and downshift several gears at once without jerking the car around.

 

10 char

 

I do that too. I also blip the throttle when upshifting. I have found I get smoother shifts that way. But, whatever works.

 

QFT..
I always shift 1-2 at 3000-3400r/pm... The result is usually a smooth shift as the engine catches for second around 2000r/pm. If I sense it will be a bad shift, I let the clutch out slower than usual so that it is a smooth shift. If you do this you can't let the r/pms drop to idle or your car will jerk around which can be embarrasing with passengers...

 

Originally Posted by Derrick2k2SE
IT's not so much about keeping the RPM low as it is matching them the RPM to your speed. The idea is to already have your RPM where it should be after you shift when you let off the clutch. No matter your speed this will result in a smooth shift.

Derrick is dead on point. Rev matching is the secret.

 

I, too, have the same problem going from 1 to 2. I also get resistance from the shifter action upshifting to 3rd. Like the linkage is hitting something. I upgraded to ES shifter bushings which had no effect on that problem.

Another manual transmission pointer to keep in mind is to not rest your hand on the shifter all the time. For some reason it shortens the life of the tranny components.

 

You can't get any better explanation than this. The only other thing I can add from my 15+ years of driving a stick is don't let completely off the gas when you shift, this will help you to keep your RPMs up so as to better match them with your speed. Crispy probably lets almost completely of the gas, that's why "blip'n" the throttle works for him. The thing is to just be aware that this is how you will get smooth shifts, so try different ways and use the one that you are most comfortable with. There is also a thread kick'n around here somewhere that talks about a simple mod to reduce clutch pedal stroke...maybe in the how tos.

 

You might try a short shifter. I have the HP autoworks and now since my shifts are quicker, there is less time for the rpms to drop. Much easier to match revs. Also, my shifts are smoother when I get on/off the clutch as quick as possible.

 

In addition to all this good advice, you can also consider slowing down your clutch release. I've noticed that the clutch engages early and disengages late in the travel. By slowing the disengagement, the clutch will absorb more of the impact of power transfer between the engine and transmission. That should reduce the jerky feeling you and many others are feeling. I've just gotten used to that jerkiness, but it does get annoying sometimes.

 

i have the same problem trying to master the 1-2 shift and also even starting up into 1, i switched to sneakers in the morning instead of my dress shoes, i can't drive right with them

anyway, i found a good rule of thumb is the more you come up with the clutch, the harder to go down on the gas, you need to ease in and out of it, its a trade off type thing

i discovered this after drinking several beers one night and racing home, i wasn't drunk, but it was just enough to help me "relax" and do it the right way, i shifted perfect for the first time, normally my feet are very heavy and jerky, just practice and you'll get it

and always try to learn from your mistakes

 

well, that sounds like a testament to drinking and driving. i'm sure driving stoned has the same effect on precision shifting uh... or is it that you think you're driving well but too stoned to realize that your car is bucking violently what am i talking about again? "I have no idea whats going on" HEY "thats the tune to funky town"

 

yeah yeah I know it's 6 years old thread but it exactly shows my ever there problem....1st to 2nd shift is a real schet...No matter what I do , shifting at lower rpm , higher rpm , redline 75w85 ,Amsoil , new clutch , pushing clutch all way down , half way , keeping some gas during shifting .... My Toyota 1982 I drove for more than 8 years had much better transmission.....

So :
1.Is it bad tranny ?
2.Is it bad clutch and/or cylinders ?
3.Gear oil ?
4.Shifter control unit ? BTW do you think an 04-08 6spd shifter control unit can work on a 5.5 gen ? I am thinking of probably changing this and the 6th gen unit is much cheaper (158$ vs 389$) ........

 

mahanddeem, it reads like your 1st-to-2nd gear problem is much like the infamous 3rd Gear Crunch, which is a design flaw in the 3rd gear synchronizer. If that's the case, other than upgrading your transmission to the 6.0 gen 6MT (which redesigned that aspect of the transmission), the only thing you can do is button things down so there is less movement when you go to shift. To that end, there are 3 things you can do:

• ES bushings underneath the shifter assembly.
• NWP Torque Link Connector.
• ES polyurethane bushings in the engine torque mounts.

This shifter bushings are really inexpensive, and relatively easy to install. Plus, the kit comes with new banjo bushings for each end of the cable. All in all, it's a great upgrade for tired old rubber.

The Torque Link Connector is relatively inexpensive, and also very easy to install. However, the NVH can be a bit much to take if you're not into that sort of thing.

While both the shifter bushings and Torque Link Connector are inexpensive, DIY mods, the ES bushings in the torque mounts are only DIY if you have the tools, skills and patience. Otherwise, the cost for a mechanic to do this can get high because the OEM bushings are a PITA to cut out.

I've had my 5.5 gen now for 9 years, and learned how to drive "around" the 3rd gear crunch for so long that it just became normal. It wasn't until a few years ago that I installed those 3 mods, and with each one I discovered the crunch become less prevalent. (Particularly with the engine torque mount bushings. That change was night & day for me.) My point is... the crunch almost never happens anymore. Instead of expecting the crunch, and being pleasantly surprised when it doesn't occur, now when I drive I no longer expect it to happen, and am surprised when it does. Between the two scenarios, I'm happy to accept the latter.

Good luck, buddy.

 

I've done all of those but the NWP torque link. The shifter bushings changed the feeling real easy and the bushings changed how I let the clutch out, you get a little more bounce since the bushings don't take it like the stockers did.

It was pretty easy to do the shifter bushings, that was all of 10 min. The ES bushings, I spent more time waiting for the old bushings to burn out. There is a steel collar inside of the mount that you can get our with a maul and a screw driver then push the new ones in with a bench vise.

The other thing that I did was try different fluid. When it is cooler is when I notices the most "feedback" from my transmission. Once it is warmed up then it is minimal. I bought the car at about 40k on the clock and swapped to the redline MTD or something like that trans fluid. It was good for awhile but then went back to how it was. At about 70k I put Nissan fluid in there, and this help slightly. I have not read to see what spec the Nissan fluid is, however when I had my tbird, GM syncromesh was recommended. This may be the next fluid to try otherwise I have another quart of the Nissan fluid.

If I shift at or under 2k between 1-2 & 2-3 then the notchiness isn't there. If I want to **** at 3k between 1-2 and 2-3 then the notchiness is there when its cold. When its warm, not really. If I am going for 4k+ shifts, I am typically driving more aggressive than I should be and don't notice.

 

Thanks Rochester , But if you look closely to what I posted when I bumped this topic , you'll see that I suffer from bad shift quality from 1st to 2nd ... I don't have the famous 3rd gear crunch ....Shifting to 3rd is fine most of the time as long I am patiently shifting into it and not rushing it ultra fast...And talking about the ES bushings I did all those both inside car and out in the engine bay (when I disposed the pack it was empty , used all the bushings) ,to be honest with you and everybody I have got ZERO benefit from those bushings , the shifing is exactly the same and it was 2 hours waste of time for me at least , probably because my old bushings were fine I don't know......I don't know about the torque links and not very optimistic it would solve my issues ... The only benefit I have got from chaning the bushings under the shifter is now I have a good understanding of the shifter mechanism and what I think is that many of our crappy transmission problem is from the control unit itself...Also another observation is that when the stick is in 1st and you move it directly backward (like when you shift into 2nd) the 2nd cable (let's say the regulatory cable) is sloppy and does not hold position like it should (it's like it returns back to neutral for a bit of time than re-take its position) which made me suspect I have a worn shifter unit .... And I wounder if a 6th gen shifter control unit would work on a 5.5 gen maxima...
thanks

P.S. Also it is a very resonable idea that bad mounts may put the shift cables , transmission and engine in not perfect alignment for the shift quality to be smooth .... especially when a high torque is coming from the engine to the transmission driving at 1st and 2nd and during the shift between them...

 

Where did you get Nissan fluid from ? and for how much ?

 

http://www.courtesyparts.com/75w-man...956_7699_9249&

From here but it looks like it is unavailable...does this mean my virgin bottle is a collector's item?!?!


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NISSA...item2c573f881f

$18 a qt? That is with shipping...

http://www.nissanraceshop.com/produc...id-999mpmtf00p

$8.75 a qt w/o shipping.

 

All these are 75w85 GL4 ... The correct specification is 75w90 GL4

 

I know what gear your problem is; I was just thinking of the similarities in the problem, and thought a little engine stability would help. G'luck. I know how much is sucks having to baby a particular gear.

Um, gear oil... I'm loving the Redline MT-85.

 

I didn't get a manual with my car and purchased the fluid using the parts search for vehicle & year and this is what it gave me so it is what I used. When I was searching the forums the requirement was to make sure it was GL-4.

 

The car manual for sure calls for 75w90 GL4 ... But as long as some people (including Rochester) like Redline 75w85 it should work fine...In my case Amsoil worked better..