Streetk14

Okay, so this might not be the vest place to post a possible transmission issue... but this problem is something that would really only apply to a car making the kind of power our FI cars do. Don't want a bunch of waxers in the "general" section trying to tell me how to shift.

Anyway, I've noticed an issue trying to grab 3rd at times. It only happens when I'm spinning in 2nd up near redline and am trying to nail 3rd. If the rear tires are hooked up, no problem at all. Only happens when I have tire spin present in 2nd. When it happens, it's like I'm just missing the gate. No grind or anything.

If I had to guess, it's from the drivetrain moving around. The shifter and box are mounted to the torque tube, so maybe it's just a technique issue on my part when it happens (i.e. 3rd gear gate will actually be in a different spot due to drivetrain shift).

I was pretty happy with the '13 shifter setup that came in the car, but I recently replaced it with the latest MGW (w/ lower box) thinking it might help this issue. Shifts are shorter and crisper, but this problem hasn't changed.

Thoughts?

winters97gt

I'm going to say either your clutch or the MGW. I loved mine in my 4 mustangs, but drove a Vette with one and wasn't a fan. That's why I've stuck with LS7 shifters in my 4 vettes.

schpenxel

Is the LS7 different than the Z51 shifters?

An aftermarket shifter came on my car, I think it's an MGW.. and it uses an aftermarket **** which I absolutely hate.

I have the original for the car ('05 Z51) but haven't gotten around to trying it. If the LS7 one is better I may give that a try.

edit: looks like MGW may make a different shaft that'll work with the stock shifter. Hmmm may have to look into that

(sorry for the thread hijack! My guess is that while spinning the sudden change in gear speed makes it a heck of a lot harder for the synchronizers to do their thing, but admittedly my knowledge of transmissions is very limited)

1MEANGS

Street, I have the same issue w/ my GS, when my car hooks I have no problem making 3rd but with some slight tire spin near redline it's as if I get locked out of third for some reason... I also have an MGW shifter but this happened before the shifter install from what I remember! That was part of the reason for the purchase of the shifter and it remained the same /: looks a lot cooler tho and feels like a tighter shift and obv shorter so can't complain, but it's def embarrassing when I'm doing hwy pulls vs friends and I miss 3rd gear like an ******* ha

Kadorja

That's weird I have an MGW and I have 0 issues hitting 3rd while under wheelspin. I generally stick to 2nd gear rolls and spin them right into 3rd until it bogs down and hooks. I never had many issues with the stock shifter either.

How many miles on the drivetrain?

1MEANGS

I have like 29,750 ish miles on the car... I just assumed my problem could be the stock clutch worn out after 700 wheel and being beat the crap but maybe not...

old motorhead

Andy just needs a bigger cam and a lesson on how to shift that thang

Streetk14

That sounds very, very, similar to my situation. My issue was definitely there with the stock shifter too, so it's not a shifter thing. Happened to me at Willow Springs at my last event the one run where I spun. Decided to try the new MGW shortly after that.

After I posted this last night, I took the car out and beat on it some. Did a bunch of rolling 2nd gear hits to try to get to the bottom of it. Seemed like if I totally flat-palmed the ****, it wouldn't do it. The one time it happened (using my usual shifting technique), I let off and held the shifter in the "blocked" position. Then I moved it around a little to see what it was doing. Turns out it was hung up between 3rd and 5th. So maybe I need to adjust my 3rd gear technique with this car.

I didn't have this issue with my '08, which made more top end power and also had an MGW. But my '13 GS likes to do it to me for some reason. Car just rolled over 4000 miles, and it's been intermittently doing it since well before that. It's a GS, so basically a Z06 diff and 30-spline TR6060 w/ Z51 ratios.

That's a possibility

Detoxx03

What clutch are you using? I somewhat similar issues with the garbage LS9R I had in the car. It would slip in 2nd, wouldn't let me bang 3rd, and go to the floor in 4th. I wasn't making the power I make now either. The Mantic has been butter.

StealthFRC

Mine does it 1-2 shift with my zr1 6060 in my c5. I honestly think it's a trans issue, it totally blocks you out of gear like hitting a wall. Only does it to me at the track for the most part

Streetk14

Stock low mileage LS7 clutch. No other strange issues besides this. But I don't think it's a clutch issue based on what I found last night. For some reason it wants to hang up between gates in this situation.

I've noticed the shifter feeling a little funny when doing 1st gear burnouts too. It's gotta be from the drivetrain shifting under torque. This motor makes more midrange torque than my old car, and has more traction. Though I'd think with the drivetrain torqueing over to the passenger side, that I'd be more likely to get hung up between the 1-3 gate since muscle memory tells you that's where it "should" be.

Guess I'll have to mess around with it some more. Could just be operator error on my part. Seems to be more common on Z06 and GS cars for some reason.

Slo-Poc

Sounds like the clutch problem that most people are having. I would change it out sooner than later to avoid any unnessesary wear on transmision parts.

1MEANGS

I don't disagree ESP being on the stock clutch still w/ 700 wheel lol

Streetk14

I appreciate everyone's input, but I really don't think it's the clutch. Pedal feel is great, and no other sign anything is amiss. No problem banging any gears as fast as I want, except for the occasional 3rd gear miss with tire spin.

I had an issue like this in my M3 that I'm thinking was clutch related, but it would block out like a wall was there and usually wouldn't go into gear until I clutched out and tried again. That's kind of how this felt at first, but then I realized that I was trying to force the shifter "in between" gates when it happens. The clutch wouldn't be the cause of that.

Don't know why it wants to go to that position in that particular driving situation though. Guess that's the real question. I've heard from one of the ZR1 guys that poly engine/trans mounts took care of the issue on his car. Makes my drivetrain shift theory hold some water.

neverstop

for what it's worth I don't have this issue at all, car shifts into 3rd great even if spinning at the top of 2nd, at >700whp with RPM built t56, mgw shifter with box, super fresh RXT triple clutch. I would think your tr6060 would be even smoother?

Streetk14

I've had two TR6060 LS3 C6s, and the first one didn't do this. That was a 2008 narrow body car. I feel the trans in my '13 feels better in most situations, but it likes to do this weird thing. Otherwise it definitely feels improved over the early 6060 models -- which it is. GM made improvements over the years.

That said, I had a stock C6Z T56 in my '08 for a while as a loaner. Night and day difference in shift quality and effort. It came out of a ~1500 mile car, so it was factory fresh. I definitely prefer the 6060.

Pitufina

I am with the folks who said the clutch is the problem. I went to the track last night and I could only do one semi clean pass. The stock clutch can't handle the the extra power and when combined with sticky tires it just becomes a fuse. I barely slipped it out of the hole with drag radials and it felt weird at the top of the rpms 5k+. It felt like the car was moving forward but less authority, and tried to hit 3rd twice and it was a wall. Finally went in but at this point I knew the time was not going to be what I expected...11.34@121 ouch!! I ran those times cam only before! 2nd pass and the clutch just slipped and begged for mercy lol My car has 31k miles and about 2k with the ECS kit.

neverstop

no doubt the tr6060 is smoother and shifts easier which is why I'm surprised you are having issues relative to my t56? and why I don't think it's the MGW. That being said my t56 is INCREDIBLE how much better it is after being rebuilt by rpm to stageV spec, way smoother than any other t56 I've ever driven.

it's all preference of course but I really like my MGW with the lower box, so much less play and smoother imo now too, plus the spring-centering mechanism makes 2-3 shift easier and faster.

my $0.02 says clutch issue.

schpenxel

I tried the washers on the detent spring thing today and have to say it made a huge difference. I am very surprised and quite happy. It's not nearly as notchy now

Streetk14

The T56 is known to be the more durable transmission from what I know. Just not as smooth, and definitely higher effort.

But what I'm dealing with seems to be specific to this car and/or transmission. Not a normal TR6060 thing, as my last one didn't do it. I guess I need to do some more experimenting. Last time I was out messing around, it seemed like it was avoidable if I made a conscious effort when making the shift with the spin present. That would rule out the clutch.

On the new MGW with billet box, I like mine except one thing: the **** location. At least if you get the attachment for the stock C6 ****, it feels like the **** is either too far back or too far forward (depending on how you mount the shifter). The **** attachment is offset, and I've tried it both ways now. At first I mounted it as MGW suggests, but it just wasn't comfortable. Maybe my arms are just long? I dunno.... Now I have it the other way, but it feels like the **** is too close to the HVAC controls when in 1st or 3rd. But I like it better this way. Haven't decided if I'm going to keep it or not yet.


Now that does sound like a clutch issue. Sticky tires + prepped surface + big power + slip = no bueno for the stock clutch.

In my case, it's only an issue when the tires are the fuse. When it's hooking, it's never been a problem. That's the strange part. If it hadn't been for me catching the shifter caught up between 3rd and 5th last time it happened, I'd probably think it was a clutch release thing too. I'm still thinking it's powertrain shift combined with error on my part. Seems like it can be avoided, but I haven't done enough testing to totally confirm that.