2010 GT500 Shifting Issues

[CaliGT500524]

Hi there,

I have been having what I believe to be an issue for quite some time now. However, I am not sure due to not being familiar with specifically how GT500s are supposed to shift. I occasionally have shifts that dont smoothly engage, but they also dont grind; it's more as if it skips into gear. Kind of difficult to explain overall. But I feel like it should be smooth but notchy all of the time, except for maybe warm up periods.

I have changed the clutch about 10,000 miles ago with everything being changed: release bearing, clutch master cylinder, clutch assembly itself, pilot bearing, etc.

I am not sure it is the synchros, but it is a possibility. I have heard talk about the stock shifter being sloppy, and folks changing out the shifter for an MGW shifter for instance, but I don't quite know what people mean when they refer to "sloppiness". I am looking for overall what the GT500 shifter feel is supposed to feel like.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Black Cobra '99]

From what I understand, I think its a normal characteristic of the TR6060.
The 11/12 GT500 are the ones with the serious problems, they get locked out of 2nd gear until the synchros wear and start to grind. I don't think your synchros are the problem.
The MGW shifter is a great upgrade so its a win-win, you can upgrade and see if that changes anything.

 

[RedVenom48]

MGW 2 is the best option for GT500 shifters.

As for the trans itself, a swap to a fully synthetic fluid should improve the shift feel. The 3 popular fluids are Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF, Amsoil ATF signature and Redline D4.

If you ever have to have the transmission out for an overhaul, the Tremec hybrid synchro rings should be considered a manditory replacement part. Bronze shift fork pads should be installed as well.

 

[Catmonkey]

How has it changed since the clutch install, or did you own it then? Sounds like what you're describing could be an engagement issue. Is the clutch engagement close to the floor?

 

[CaliGT500524]

How has it changed since the clutch install, or did you own it then? Sounds like what you're describing could be an engagement issue. Is the clutch engagement close to the floor?

Clutch engagement seems to begin at about 1/3 of the way up from the floor. To be honest, 10,000 miles was a long time ago in terms of time span and I dont quite remember how it shifted before. I suspected an engagement issue, so I recently replaced the clutch master and it seemed to help but then kind of quickly degraded. I'm thinking that the bleeding process of bleeding the new master helped more than the actual part replacement.

The clutch is a McLeod RST by the way. It really doesn't grind in the sense like you miss a gear and have that horrific noise or get too excited and lift off the clutch before engaging or anything like that. I dont race the car, so it only sees roll on acceleration not hard launches and burnouts.

I should mention that when I double clutch it seems to help a lot. So maybe it could be a synchro thing, in the way that by double clutching I am helping the synchros do their job more easily.

 

[CaliGT500524]

MGW 2 is the best option for GT500 shifters.

As for the trans itself, a swap to a fully synthetic fluid should improve the shift feel. The 3 popular fluids are Mobil 1 Synthetic ATF, Amsoil ATF signature and Redline D4.

If you ever have to have the transmission out for an overhaul, the Tremec hybrid synchro rings should be considered a manditory replacement part. Bronze shift fork pads should be installed as well.

I have heard of the hybrid synchro rings, and the potential upgrade that they can bring, but I dont really have too much issue going from 1-2 even under good load. Maybe I will have that done when it is really time to rebuild the trans.

I replaced the trans oil with Royal Purple Synchromax about 2,000 miles ago to try to remedy the situation. I think it helped a little, but not enough to have great shifts 100% of the time. I have like 3 different shift feels that occur: Great and smooth, but notchy like I assume its supposed to be. Not horrific, but not terrible; whereas it feels like it skips into gear without being smooth, and then on warmup it really feels to slam into gear sometimes, but I assume that could just be a warmup thing.

I should mention that if I double clutch, I generally have the shifts that I would expect from the car. So it could be an engagement issue, or it could be a synchro thing perhaps because I think by double clutching I am helping the synchros do their job a little bit more easily.

 

[CaliGT500524]

From what I understand, I think its a normal characteristic of the TR6060.
The 11/12 GT500 are the ones with the serious problems, they get locked out of 2nd gear until the synchros wear and start to grind. I don't think your synchros are the problem.
The MGW shifter is a great upgrade so its a win-win, you can upgrade and see if that changes anything.

Wow, never heard of that! Thats is pretty bad.

 

[RedVenom48]

I wouldnt worry about upgrading synchros until your transmission is ready for a rebuild. Look up on youtube a video by DocsBoosted about hybrid synchros. Repairs were done by a local shop here in Phoenix thats a Tremec dealer.

Id swap that synchro max out sooner rather than later. I ran it for about 6 months in my car. Shifts were fine at first, but as the months went on the quality of the shifts really fell off. When i drained it to replace it with Redline, the fluid was glittery.

I ran the redline for over a year. Changed it out as part of routine maintenance and it was similar to when it went in, no glitter. I imagine Mobil 1 and Amsoil would offer similar protection and results!

 

[StrayBullitt]

Op I can relate to some of your shifting issues and the way you describe them.

I changed to Mobil 1 syn ATF and I feel like that made a 15-20% improvement, it was just enough to be noticeable. Shifting always feels like a 2 part ordeal for me, a notch to neutral and notch to the next gear. I like how that feels on the street, but it was a struggle at the Track, so I am giving a Barton shifter a shot and see how it does.

I'm done stressing about it though.. is what it is, if the shifter helps I will be happy, but if not I'm just going to go with it until it either gets worse or starts grinding, then probably reach out to Ben Calimer.

 

[Black Cobra '99]

Op I can relate to some of your shifting issues and the way you describe them.

I changed to Mobil 1 syn ATF and I feel like that made a 15-20% improvement, it was just enough to be noticeable. Shifting always feels like a 2 part ordeal for me, a notch to neutral and notch to the next gear. I like how that feels on the street, but it was a struggle at the Track, so I am giving a Barton shifter a shot and see how it does.

I'm done stressing about it though.. is what it is, if the shifter helps I will be happy, but if not I'm just going to go with it until it either gets worse or starts grinding, then probably reach out to Ben Calimer.

I strongly recommend MGW's shifter, its a completely different design and thats what makes superior. Tob made a great thread detailing the MGW shifter and the difference between it and OEM (and every other shifter since they use the same OEM design)

 

[StrayBullitt]

Tob made a great thread detailing the MGW shifter and the difference between it and OEM

Very cool, I'll have to check it out. I got a good deal on the Barton from a member here and it looks like a really nice piece so I'm going to give it a shot, just haven't been able to put it on yet.

 

[Need 04 Wine]

From what I understand, I think its a normal characteristic of the TR6060.
The 11/12 GT500 are the ones with the serious problems, they get locked out of 2nd gear until the synchros wear and start to grind. I don't think your synchros are the problem.
The MGW shifter is a great upgrade so its a win-win, you can upgrade and see if that changes anything.

Heard 4th can be a bugger too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CaliGT500524]

I strongly recommend MGW's shifter, its a completely different design and thats what makes superior. Tob made a great thread detailing the MGW shifter and the difference between it and OEM (and every other shifter since they use the same OEM design)

I just looked up his write up and it was very good. I think that I am curious overall, as to whether this shifter ends up being too much for the street. Or, does it just clean up all of the sloppiness in the stock unit and therefore makes the shifts much smoother. I realize there are sacrifices when modding sometimes, but I wonder in your experience, is it too much on the street? Thanks!

 

[fullboogie]

If "double clutching it" seems to help, I wonder if you have air in the line. It almost sounds like you are having disengagement problems.

 

[Black Cobra '99]

I just looked up his write up and it was very good. I think that I am curious overall, as to whether this shifter ends up being too much for the street. Or, does it just clean up all of the sloppiness in the stock unit and therefore makes the shifts much smoother. I realize there are sacrifices when modding sometimes, but I wonder in your experience, is it too much on the street? Thanks!

I went from the stock shifter to MGW's, it made everything about shifting better with no added NVH (crazy I know). The sloppiness is almost gone, there is still some in neutral. The shifts are a lot smoother but still have some notchy-ness which I really like. You might want to consider the extended handle, because some people felt the standard handle needed more force to move. IMO it added just enough from stock.

 

[CaliGT500524]

If "double clutching it" seems to help, I wonder if you have air in the line. It almost sounds like you are having disengagement problems.

It could very well be the case. I thought I was having an issue with the clutch master cylinder so I changed it. I think the bleeding process may have helped more with the shifting than the actual part replacement did. If I bleed the system (with a vacuum pump and 20 psi of pressure) the shifting feels pretty good. After a few days of driving it degrades again. I should've mentioned this earlier but my main goal here was to see what kind of shifting feel is to be expected from our GT500s. I'm not sure where I could be having a leak into the system from.