[Z06] Smooth shifting
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,074
Likes: 296
From: San Francisco CA
Originally Posted by sqeznbi
I got stuck putting chevron dextron atf in my z just to go get some mobil one, anyway the 99cent chevron atf made a huge difference, much smoother shifting , accel, quieter. Im sure if i would have left it in there it would have broken down much faster than top brand aft's. Man made synthetic oil's could not be that different but i know the time and money invested in the additives is what makes the oils superior.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
I went with the mobil 1. When i changed out the chevron fluid to the mobil 1 i did not feel any difference , i only put about 10 miles on the chevron fluid so i didnt expect too. I have recently changed it again and with fresh mobl 1 I did feel a difference like wheni put in the chevron atf.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,074
Likes: 296
From: San Francisco CA
Originally Posted by sqeznbi
I went with the mobil 1. When i changed out the chevron fluid to the mobil 1 i did not feel any difference , i only put about 10 miles on the chevron fluid so i didnt expect too. I have recently changed it again and with fresh mobl 1 I did feel a difference like wheni put in the chevron atf.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
Actually the chevron atf was not rated as high as the mobil one. It seemed to be a very generic label, nothing about special additives or thermal protection levels as the mobil one did. Its funny but i run valvoline non synthetic in my other vehicles which do not call for synthetic, but run strictly mobil one 10/30 in my z. If i had to use a quart of pennsoil in one of my cars because my oil level was low i would change it out as soon as possable. This is only due to the act that i use to have to put visegrips on the pushrods of pennsoil motors and pull and twist to get them out. The waxy buildup was unbelievable. My personal oil order is valvoline, castrol, quaker state for non synthetic and i only use mobil one for synthetic. oh and kendall for new motor breakin. 20/50 in my big block cars 10/30 in my z and newer cars.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
All you guys who run different oil in your differentials than gm you still run the gm additive or do those other company's have there own for there oil. All i know is without the additive you will destroy your diff.
Premium Supporting Vendor
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 5,364
Likes: 38
From: King George VA
Originally Posted by sqeznbi
All you guys who run different oil in your differentials than gm you still run the gm additive or do those other company's have there own for there oil. All i know is without the additive you will destroy your diff.
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Instructor
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 220
Likes: 1
From: East Windsor NJ
Originally Posted by Ranger
Fast driving is like any other athletic endeavor, a combination of techniques and practice to embed muscle memory. Think about the difference between two b-ball players' foul shot percentage. One averages 62%, the other 89%. Why the difference? Practice, practice, practice.
An Enzo's F1-derived paddleshifter completes its shifts in 400 milli-seconds per shift. Think about that; it's 400/1000=4 tenths. So accelerate through three full shifts and the engine has been "clutch-in" for 1.20 seconds. That's with an automatic...an F1 auto at that. So how long does it take you to make three shifts with an M6/M12 manual tranny? If you practice, you can beat the Enzo shifts. And guys that achieve the really fast times at the drag strip, do so, in part, by fast shifts. Note I didn't say "power shifts." Just fast shifts.
Here is a good drill for improving shift speed and eliminating missed-shifts.
Step #1
Check your hand position.
My advice is always keep your thumb OFF the shifter.
Pull the shifter with cupped fingers (no thumb).
Push the shifter with the heel of the hand, no fingers.
To go 1-2, pull the shifter straight back (remember cupped fingers and no thumb.)
To go 2-3, push the shifter toward the radio (remember heel of the hand and NO thumb). This will allow the strong centering device to find the 3d gear shift gate.
To go 3-4, same as 1-2.
Step #2
Using the step-#1 hand positions, Do shifting drills.
My experience has been that the magic to strong shifts under heavy acceleration (with no missed shifts) is practice, practice, practice.
To reduce wear, I practice with the oil warm (over 100 degrees) and engine off and omit the throttle but include the clutch.
1-2, 2-3, 3-4...repeat. Sets of five. I do perhaps 50 sets per week, usually 5 sets at both ends of my daily commute, and then 10 sets between passes in the staging lanes. This routine embeds muscle memory and makes each shift a preparatory queue for the next.
I suspect that practicing these step would end missed shifts for most owners.
A second and related practice is taking care of your clutch. Pedal woes lead to tranny issues, because of incomplete disengagement of the clutch during shifts. Changing the clutch fluid regularly helps keep the pedal acting normally.
More clutch fluid details are here and here
Following these approached, I've got 533+ passes is three Z06s without breakage and with three still very smooth trannies...and the record stock/near-stock for the 2001 C5Z, 2002+ C5Z and now C6Z.
A lot of that comes from doing these shifting drills.
Ranger
An Enzo's F1-derived paddleshifter completes its shifts in 400 milli-seconds per shift. Think about that; it's 400/1000=4 tenths. So accelerate through three full shifts and the engine has been "clutch-in" for 1.20 seconds. That's with an automatic...an F1 auto at that. So how long does it take you to make three shifts with an M6/M12 manual tranny? If you practice, you can beat the Enzo shifts. And guys that achieve the really fast times at the drag strip, do so, in part, by fast shifts. Note I didn't say "power shifts." Just fast shifts.
Here is a good drill for improving shift speed and eliminating missed-shifts.
Step #1
Check your hand position.
My advice is always keep your thumb OFF the shifter.
Pull the shifter with cupped fingers (no thumb).
Push the shifter with the heel of the hand, no fingers.
To go 1-2, pull the shifter straight back (remember cupped fingers and no thumb.)
To go 2-3, push the shifter toward the radio (remember heel of the hand and NO thumb). This will allow the strong centering device to find the 3d gear shift gate.
To go 3-4, same as 1-2.
Step #2
Using the step-#1 hand positions, Do shifting drills.
My experience has been that the magic to strong shifts under heavy acceleration (with no missed shifts) is practice, practice, practice.
To reduce wear, I practice with the oil warm (over 100 degrees) and engine off and omit the throttle but include the clutch.
1-2, 2-3, 3-4...repeat. Sets of five. I do perhaps 50 sets per week, usually 5 sets at both ends of my daily commute, and then 10 sets between passes in the staging lanes. This routine embeds muscle memory and makes each shift a preparatory queue for the next.
I suspect that practicing these step would end missed shifts for most owners.
A second and related practice is taking care of your clutch. Pedal woes lead to tranny issues, because of incomplete disengagement of the clutch during shifts. Changing the clutch fluid regularly helps keep the pedal acting normally.
More clutch fluid details are here and here
Following these approached, I've got 533+ passes is three Z06s without breakage and with three still very smooth trannies...and the record stock/near-stock for the 2001 C5Z, 2002+ C5Z and now C6Z.
A lot of that comes from doing these shifting drills.
Ranger
Ranger,
I have been practicing the shifting drill you describe above, but have another question. When you are racing, how to you use the clutch? Do you hammer it to the floor or just depress it part way until it disengages? Do you power shift with the throttle to the floor or lift the gas a little....Or is it some other combination I have not thought about?
HeadHunter
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Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 10,649
Likes: 31
From: Central Florida
Originally Posted by HeadHunter1
Ranger...When you are racing, how to you use the clutch? Do you hammer it to the floor or just depress it part way until it disengages? Do you power shift with the throttle to the floor or lift the gas a little....Or is it some other combination I have not thought about?...
At clutch-in, I depress the clutch well beyond the engage-disengage point, essentially to near the floor. I do not do a minimal clutch-in. Rather I follow a safer course to ensure a full disengagement during the gear change. That clutch-in depth is highly repeatable due to the muscle memory retention from the drills.
I recently started to powershift the 3-4 but am still doing some lift on the 1-2, and 2-3. How much lift depends on track conditions. I try to focus on not exceeding available traction. Spinning excessively is the enemy of fast times. But so is time spent with the clutch-in.
Power shifting definitely increases the risk of serious damage to the tranny. So if you are going to do it, you gotta be precise, fast and very clean.
Ranger
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
From: South Texas
Originally Posted by sqeznbi
Has anyone done the antivenom mod without changing the fluid and noticed a difference . Im about to go get the washers but i just changed the fluid 500 miles ago so i will see what happens.
The washer was the icing on the cake...really smooth now.
Ron P
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 220
Likes: 1
From: East Windsor NJ
Originally Posted by Ranger
Hi HeadHunter1,
At clutch-in, I depress the clutch well beyond the engage-disengage point, essentially to near the floor. I do not do a minimal clutch-in. Rather I follow a safer course to ensure a full disengagement during the gear change. That clutch-in depth is highly repeatable due to the muscle memory retention from the drills.
I recently started to powershift the 3-4 but am still doing some lift on the 1-2, and 2-3. How much lift depends on track conditions. I try to focus on not exceeding available traction. Spinning excessively is the enemy of fast times. But so is time spent with the clutch-in.
Power shifting definitely increases the risk of serious damage to the tranny. So if you are going to do it, you gotta be precise, fast and very clean.
Ranger
At clutch-in, I depress the clutch well beyond the engage-disengage point, essentially to near the floor. I do not do a minimal clutch-in. Rather I follow a safer course to ensure a full disengagement during the gear change. That clutch-in depth is highly repeatable due to the muscle memory retention from the drills.
I recently started to powershift the 3-4 but am still doing some lift on the 1-2, and 2-3. How much lift depends on track conditions. I try to focus on not exceeding available traction. Spinning excessively is the enemy of fast times. But so is time spent with the clutch-in.
Power shifting definitely increases the risk of serious damage to the tranny. So if you are going to do it, you gotta be precise, fast and very clean.
Ranger
Thanks Ranger! Your expert advice is greatly appreciated.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 136
Likes: 0
well i couldnt find a 13/16 copper washer so i got a 1/2 copper washer and dremmeled out the center hole. I installed it and without changing the fluid i did feel a difference in the shifter. It was easier to shift under normal load but the same when i was on it hard. I would guess that when im shifting at full throttle i pull it much harder so the little ball has less effectivness. oh, the washer was .075 torqued to 18foot lbs. I notice my car feels faster after i wash it.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 32,074
Likes: 296
From: San Francisco CA
Originally Posted by sqeznbi
Actually the chevron atf was not rated as high as the mobil one. It seemed to be a very generic label, nothing about special additives or thermal protection levels as the mobil one did. Its funny but i run valvoline non synthetic in my other vehicles which do not call for synthetic, but run strictly mobil one 10/30 in my z. If i had to use a quart of pennsoil in one of my cars because my oil level was low i would change it out as soon as possable. This is only due to the act that i use to have to put visegrips on the pushrods of pennsoil motors and pull and twist to get them out. The waxy buildup was unbelievable. My personal oil order is valvoline, castrol, quaker state for non synthetic and i only use mobil one for synthetic. oh and kendall for new motor breakin. 20/50 in my big block cars 10/30 in my z and newer cars.
You use Mobil One brand for all your synthetic fluids. What do you use for your transmission and rear end differential?
Racer
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 326
Likes: 1
From: Cologne (Köln) Germany
Originally Posted by dwjz06
Dave,
It is a new bolt to replace the original one that has a spring and ball type plug that is at the top of the tranny. This is the part that makes the notchy feeling in the trans. I bought one but have not installed as yet. There are those that have also tried to shim out the original bolt as well with copper washers. There is a thread on this on the other forum if you do a search on Antivenom shift mod it should get you in the right place. PM me if you want more info. Take care, Don
It is a new bolt to replace the original one that has a spring and ball type plug that is at the top of the tranny. This is the part that makes the notchy feeling in the trans. I bought one but have not installed as yet. There are those that have also tried to shim out the original bolt as well with copper washers. There is a thread on this on the other forum if you do a search on Antivenom shift mod it should get you in the right place. PM me if you want more info. Take care, Don
Thanks, Robert
