I know corvettes have notchy transmissions, but it seem slike myne is just horrible. I am thinking about taking it into the shop tmrw. It sometimes even makes me miss gears when shifting fast, b\c even if shifting using alot of force, it just stalls on the first notch for like a split second(no matter how hard you throw it) which throws off the clutch timing ALOT and slows the whole shift.

Does this sound normal???

 

Missed shifts=Technique. Is it "notchy" though, quite probably and some are moreso than others. But, the more you obsess about it the worse it gets.

 

No, its not the technique. Ive got that down. When the tranny randomly gets really smooth there is never one missed shift and on other cars its always perfect. Its not like the 2nd to third, im talking about even 1st to second, purely because it wont go in untill it stalls for liek 1\4 of a second on the notch, no matter the force.

 

I have the same problem from time to time. I find it a lot from going into first when I'm at a stop light... I'll put the clutch in, release the brake and get ready to go, and then It won't go in gear so the car starts to roll backwards, and I look like I can't drive my own damn car! I find that if I can't get it into 1st, then I slam in down into second and then back up to first. It works every time. It also happens from going to 2nd to 3rd, or 3rd to 4th. Its not THAT bad.... but its just enough to be annoying. It hasn't ever happened when I needed to go fast... so you won't hear me complain yet. I just wanted to let you know that you're not the only one out there.
When I was first learning to drive, my old Honda Accord used to grind sometime when you put it in reverse, so if you put it in 1st before putting it in reverse, it worked perfect. Not exactly sure of the mechanics behind it all, but I would imagine it has something to do with aligning the gears up, if they are still moving ever so slightly. But thats just what I tell myself to make me feel smarter.

 

Hey c6_blackhawk, thanks for the reply. The problem your talkign about is completetly different, that is a known problem for actually most transsmisions.

If it was just notchy when I was in regular driving that would be fine, but I am talking about when I need it to be going in, it doesnt.

I have heard before that sometimes that happens when something is wrong with your sychros and they do not properly align, hows that sound? Doesnt seem liek that should be my problem, on a 13k mile car.

 

I hope my post is helpful, but it will have some components that I KNOW will interest you and a component that is in reference to the old Camaro's T5 tranny that "might" be of interest to you.

Ok, here goes:
The "notchyness" that all Corvette transmissions have is caused by a plate in the tranny that has detents in it used to make the tranny stay in gear when there is no load on the gear set. Imagine a plate with detents in it and a spring loaded ball that will sit in the detent when in gear. This is the notch, and it has a purpose. The notchyness can be lessened by shimming the bolt that holds the ball so the ball does not sit all the way down in the detent. Do some google and CF searches on "antivenom mod" and you will find out specifics on how to reduce or even eliminate the notchyness. This mod has potential to cause extra wear on the tranny IF you rest your arm on the shift lever when driving AND it could allow the tranny to fall out of gear when there is no load on it, like when coasting down hill. If your transmission is in good shape, then this is what you need to be investigating.

Ok, now the part that might not help at all. I used to own a 91 Camaro with the T5 trans. This car had a hard time going into 3rd gear. Through much research on the web I found out that if you tended to "slam" through the gears quickly, you could bend the shifting forks inside the tranny by missing a gate. The result would be forks that no longer have the correct geometry to easily select some gears. Sooooo, if you like to shift fast and use a persuasively strong amount of effort, you might very well have not lined up a gate correctly and then pushed the lever hard enough to bend a shifting fork. This can be accomplished with just one or a few very hard missed shifts. I repeat, this info is for the T5 "world class" transmission in my old Camaro, BUT it might also apply to the Vette tranny as manual trannys work on the same basic design principles. However, the designs may differ enough that this does not affect Vette trannys at all. I simply do not know. If I were you, I would contact a forum vendor that actually works on Vette trannys and ask them about both items I have included in this post and find out what the experts think.

Hope this info was useful to you.
-Dale

 

I will certainly do more researh on the things you mentioned in your post, thanks. If that was gthe notchness then why is it randomly the tranny shifts like butter? Also I am not owrried about the averager notchyness or the feel from the notchyness, thats fine. I am worried about the fact that the notchyness turns into pretty much a wall when I try to get it in to the gear, because it gets stuck at that notch.

I am bringing her in to the dealership today, I will mention to maybe check out the fork, as that could be a problem

 

The randomness and severity you describe is the reason I mention the issues I had with my Camaro. Your problem sounds EXACTLY like what I experienced with my Camaro. The forks are internal to the tranny, so checking them is not a simple thing. I hope the dealership finds an easier to fix problem like an out of adjustment linkage or something similar.

Good luck,
Dale