whenever i really take a shot at shifting quickly from 2nd to 3rd (like the last two times i raced the same guy in an ss camaro), i miss and hit 5th about 50% of the time. i seem to recall a short shift kit (pettit maybe?) that claims to help make 3rd easier to find. does anyone have any experience with any kit or other improvement that can help with this problem. i have been improving by concentrating on making that shift, but i have to believe the shift pattern has something to do with it because i can't ever recall missing in any other of the 5 spd cars i've owned.
thanks,
andy

 

i have the pettit shortshift kit and while it helps a little i still miss that shift sometimes. the last time i did that i took out the 5th, reverse synchro, so be careful. i'm going to try a torque brace after i get my car running good. try a search on the torque brace.-garrett

 

torque brace would help out a lot as turbogarrett said.

 

And motormounts!

 

I had this happen to me my first time at the dragstrip.

You DON'T NEED a short shifter, torque brace, motor mounts, or any of that crap.

THIS is what you need to do -- make sure you push in the clutch completely when shifting. I know how that sounds but trust me, once you actually focus on doing that, you will stop missing the 2-3 shift. You can shift much faster during the 1-2 and 3-4 shifts so it's not noticeable during those shifts.

I expect to be flamed for that statement but it was true for me. I used to blow the 2-3 shift in every racing situation I was in. Since Ed (Red_line 53, thanks Ed!) pointed out to me the clutch issue, I have only missed one 2-3 shift in the last year.

 

Pettit short shift will definitely help but its still easy to hit fifth especially when you are racing.

Someone on the forum made a lockout for the shifter a while back. Basically you had to hold down a button on the shifter to go into 5th.

A guy named Todd in Jacksonville with a 3 rotor did this and it worked great. You could jam the shifter into 3rd as hard as you wanted and that thing would never hit 5th.

 

practice

 

oh yeah...I guess you could do it that way too.

 

Like they tell you at racing schools, move your seat up a few notches so you get maximum clutch pedal extension. It's not like cruising laid back.

 

I also think practice is the key.

Nearly all transmission damage comes from a user mistake. Human nature is that you push the lever forward with all the force within your body that you are trying to use to beat the other guy.

In reality, you need to shift from second to third like you are holding an eggshell in your hands. Pushing harder or forcing doesn't make the ET drop any.

If you palm the shifter while in 2nd and direct it forward it should (and will) naturally move to 3rd gear. If you "shift" it on your own you will likely hit 5th or something else.

 

Everybody is all wet... Except shifting slower will help and missing the shift is the MAIN reason people break the 5th gear syncro. The 5th gear syncro does not wear out, people break it by missing the shift.

In 94 Mazda changed the "shift select spindle" to make it harder to miss the 2-3 shift. The shift select spindle is mounted on the side of the trans right near the shifter on the right side.

What you need to do is go down and order one of these parts from the dealer, make sure you ask for a 94-95 to get the correct part.

I changed mine out and greatly reduced the number of times I miss the 2-3 shift. I still do miss it occasionally but 75% less than I used to.

 

Jeff, I have a 95 with the "corrected" spindle and it still happened to me EVERYTIME I was in a racing situation. I think the info in my (of course--) and WVrx7's posts will help most people with this issue. I think in 95% of cases, it is "operator error" and nothing to do with the car.

 

I don't know, maybe it is just me but I have only missed it a couple of times or so, and looking back it seems that I was so caught up in the race and not making a good shift. I agree with practice...I think a good shift doesn't have to be "lightning speed". I think a nice, accurate shift can be accomplished quickly without thinking you have to rush and accidentally miss. At least that's what I've been telling myself. There's my .02

 

It's largely mental in most peoples' situation. I've only picked up 5th instead of 3rd once (in my bud's FD, sorry Nick!) and it was ugly. I think about it like this---after the clutch is depresses, ease the shifter into neutral first for a split second and then thrust that sucker towards the Mazda (or in my case Efini ) emblem at the front of your baby. Voila, perfect shift .

 

OK fair enough. Mazda thought it was a problem though for 93s and changed the force required to get the shifter over to 5th for 94-95.

It made a difference in my R1.

If your missing it EVERYTIME, then yeah, change your technique.

 

Missing a shift is almost never a car's fault. People miss the 2-3 shift because they are intent on slamming the shifter into position as quickly as they can and they screw it up. Shifting "slowly" only takes a couple tenths of a second if you are attentive, the few hundredths of a second you gain by slamming the shifter do not equate to a gain in lap time and in fact set you up for all sorts of horrible things to go wrong inside the tranny. Fact is a synchro tranny can only be shifted so fast anyway, it's not a dog box.

Shifting the tranny .1 seconds quicker than your competitor does not gain you a .1 second advantage because you are both already in motion.

Bad motor mounts can certainly contribute to the problem. Short shifters make you think you are doing a better job because they are sprung so heavily; personally I don't like them and have yet to find a need for one.

 

Slowing down your shifts will help but, if you are in a racing situation you would odviously want the advantage of shifting fast. Before I installed my torque brace, I would have to consentrate to hard on shifting correctly. I would still miss a shift. Since I added the torque brace, I haven't missed a shift since. Plus your car will feel more solid and refined. Buy or make your own. Trust me!


Also the torque brace if cut down on some of the wheel hop.




Trey

 

i used to hit 5th all the time, if you want to avoid that, just aim for 1st gear when shifting from 2nd. and it'll go into 3rd with no problems.

 

Your right this will cure that problem as well but its not a clutch issue at all. The reason you can find third better is because when you push the clutch in all the way you actually allow the motor and driveline to untwist. If you have ever seen a car on the dyno you can see the engine torque over under full throttle and high boost. When you shift quickly from 2nd to 3rd at high RPMS/Boost. The driveline is so torqued over ( Trans shares mounts with motor) that you cant manage 3rd gear. Essentially shifting slower or holding the clutch in longer allowing the motor to come back over has the same effect. The real cure is to stablize the driveline. This is accomplished by putting more solid motor mounts, using an engine torque brace and also adding higher tension springs on the transmission. There are springs on each side that help keep it stable. You can actually put a much higher tension spring that will help keep the trans from twisting as much. The Driveline in the FD was designed to transfer torque to the rear wheels allowing the driveline to twist slightly. When the cars power output is modified the driveline twist is too prominent and actually has a negative effect on driveability such as missed shifts, torn motor mounts etc. The cheapest way to fix this is a torque brace. Its an easy install and makes a big difference. it doesnt actually go to the source ( Motor mounts) but it helps counter act it. A little twist is good. Very little. So I would use a shock type torque brace like the FEED unit. This is avaible from JT-Imports in Japan. Also motor mounts made from urethane work great but require engine removal and cost around 400-500 just for the mounts. The springs on the sides of the trans are very cheap and are available at a local Pep Boys for like 8 bucks. I do not have a part # I am sorry but if you call up BPR in Salem Mass. Barry has done this Mod. I am sure for a price he can hook you up. From what i understand ARI said Barrys car shifts very slick while putting down 500 RWHP.

 

ZoomZoom:

What you say makes sense, and to be honest, my car is only putting down around 260 rwhp, not quite in the big leagues.

All I can say is that the technique works for MY car and I still shift very quickly from 2-3. Perhaps when I make a lot more power some time in the future, I will need a torque brace or other device, but for now, a simple mental change worked great (and the price is right!).

 

Buy a b&m short shifter. They have springs holding the shifter into the 3-4 shift gate. this is like having two to three times the spring pressure as the factory shift select springs. I don't even hold the shifter when i shift into 3rd. Just hold my palm on the shifter and force it forward. Haven't had any problems yet.

 

Oh i wish it was that easy. But may help the near stock FD.