I just picked up my 6sp and I have had it for 5 days. This is my first 6sp so I really don't know if it is doing what it should. It only has 220 miles on it and I haven't been doing a good amount of bucking, but no gear grinding. Here are my issues.

1)It seems to make a not so nice shift from 1 to 2, sort of notchy.

2) 1st is not very clean to downshift into when the car is going about 5mph.

3) This morning I could kind of hear clink when entering each gear.

4) If I am in 3rd and put pressure on the stick upwards is sort of vibrates like it is touching something it shouldn't. Doesn't do this in any other gear.

5) I didn't have another car to practice on but since I am not shifting perfectly do you think I am killing car during it's break in?

Please address all of these and the more the better, as I don't want to bring it to the dealer if this is how it's supposed to be.

 

Blip the throttle slightly when you shift from 1 to 2 to help the synchros mesh. That ought to make it much less notchy.

Blip the throttle while pushing the stick up into first, again to help the synchros mesh. The shifter should glide up into first much easier.

Probably nothing to worry about, as long as it goes away by the time the car is warmed up.

Probably nothing to worry about--there's lots of spinning, moving parts in a transmission. As long as nothing's whining or grinding, you're probably OK.

Everyone has to learn some time. As long as you're not riding the clutch or trying to shift without it, you shouldn't be hurting it. Your transmission is made to be used, after all

 

The "notch" feedback of upshifting from 1 to 2 is almost a signature of TSX; a lot of it has to do with the design of the car.

Very rarely that I need to downshift to first gear unless I'm crawling on an incline slope. The 2nd gear goes a long way.

 

www.standardshift.com

 

GREAT GREAT site but if he has TSX specific questions, we are probably a better resource. My TSX is also my first MT and after a few months, here's what I learned...

1. Don't be afraid to step on the gas pedal...I mean really step on it. Alot of problems I had in the beginning is not giving enough gas. The RPM would drop crazy fast when I shift (even at high rev) but now it's much nicer. Coming from an automatic, I usually just apply constant pressure to the gas pedal but with the TSX, I have to apply pressure gradually.

2. Slow down the clutch release from 1st to 2nd to smooth out the shift. You can also increase the throttle for the same effect. It's probably bad for your clutch right now, but better to wear out the clutch then the transmission. Once you get used to it, it should be all good.

3. I never have the need to downshift to 1st unless I have to stop. The TSX is very jerky at low speed. Pretty annoyin but you will get used to it.

 

You'll need to do more than just blipping the throttle to downshift to first smoothly.
Try double clutching.

1 -> 2 shift notchy? Describe notchy.
Most problems with 1 -> 2 are smoothness. Let the RPM's drop a bit before releasing the clutch.

I also have the 3rd gear vibrations... not severe enough for me to be overly concerned about.

I dunno about killing the car, but I definitely have to say you're brave for buying a $30k manual car without knowing how to drive it

 

When you shift from 1-2, let it have a little more time in neutral. So pull it from 1 to neutral fast, let it be there for 0.5 seconds and then into 2. The gap in RPM between 1st and 2nd gears is large, so you will have enough time to do this and release the clutch at the right RPM.

That's true, because the synchros have to work to get the input shaft up to 5mph speed which is like 2000rpm. What you can do it make it smooth is to go into neutral, release the clutch, tap the accelerator to blip the rpm up to 2000, clutch in and shift into 1st, while the RPM is still up.

Cold transmission fluid. Let it warm up a bit and it'll be smoother.

Happens on all TSXs. That's because the 3rd gear linkage is tighter. But don't put pressure on the stick as it forces the gears to press harder together and cause more wear.

As long as you don't overrev, lug the engine or do high RPM clutch dumps, you'll be fine.

 

A good friend and auto parts dealer extraordinaire mentioned to me more than once, that holding your hand on the shifter when not shifting, it going to cause premature wear on the transmission, basically what you described above.

In short, unless you're shifting gears, keep your hand off of the shifter.