I am just about to place an order for a new '08 with the manual transmission. However, there have been SO MANY threads about the transmission being difficult to shift, especially when cold. I thought GM redesigned and refined the gearing on the '08's. Now I am somewhat leary about ordering the manual even though in my opinion it will make the car more fun to drive. I am CONFUSED!

 

Don't be. Of all the man trans I've ever driven, I can't remember one that was easy to shift, esp. 1 to 2, when quite cold out. And I even put in Amsoil in one trans. It helped, but just a very little.

The thing to do is to treat it as a warning: the trans, and all other driveline components are NOT warmed up, so don't push the car hard until they are! I think it's a great early warning system.

Go order the man trans and treat it well. The car will reward you in many ways, not the least of which is a long life.

 

 

Just go and drive one to see if you like it or not.
FWIW mine works great, no problems.

 

One of the problems with the forum is you don't see a lot of posts from people having no problems. I bought my 07 new and I had no complaints about the MN6. I improved the precision of the shifting with a MGW shifter; you can search all of the threads on that. Highly, highly recommended. But the car would just not be as much fun as it is with an A6, in my opinion. If you wanted a MN6, get it. You will be happy.

 

There are a high percentage of Grandma's here who will whine about almost anything...Go drive one...I've had a lot of cars...the '08 is no worse, and in most cases much better than anything I've owned.
When you consider the size of the gears and the torque they have to transmit, it's delightfully light. A friend of mine with an S2000 Honda (one of the best shifting cars on the planet) drove it and pronounced it "Honda Compliant"...he was pleasantly surprised..

 

Now THAT'S a helluva endorsement!

But I agree without having driven the S2000.

 

Thank you to ALL for your answers. I feel MUCH more confident now and will order the manual trans without reservation!

 

The manual is great. When warmed up it shifts like silk.

It only runs into the slow shifting when its sat over night and its 30* out. It is probably cold for 4-5 minutes of driving, and then warmed up for the rest of the day.

The shifter will be pretty tight for the first 1000 miles... but then it gets extremely smooth. I'm very happy.

 

+1 that's a big endorsement there...especially since the s2k shifts like butter...amazing. That being said, the vette shifter is pretty damn good. Easiest car to shift that i've owned and easiest car to shift that i've driven this side of a honda manual tranny. I'll have to look into the mgw though soon, improved precision is always a good thing.

 

Yes, have no reservations. I have had no problems with the manual trans. My wife says she can drive this car all day long.....she doesn't say that about the 911.

 

I have no real problems with my MN6. I put a Callaway shifter in, and its even better than stock.

 

It rarely gets into the 30's here, but the shifter on my '07 has been terrific. Smooth, precise, etc. No complaints !! I know, the '08 is a different box . . .

I'm neither a whiner nor a grandma, but I am getting rather annoyed with the clutch chatter . . .

 

I have an '08 MN6 and mine is just as reported on other threads. Stiff when cold so I just shift 1 to 3 or double clutch until fluid is up to temperature. Then it is smooth shifting. For me, I would only want a Corvette with a 6 speed and do not regret getting one. Might have an automatic only if drag racing was the main use.

 

Valid question, but no, get it if you were thinking about doing so. I've had 3 c5's and this new 08 all manuals. The 08 is a little notchy when cold, but is better than all of my c5's and 2 of those were zo6's. Don't worry about it and get it.

Kris

 

Don't miss out on the manual... One of the best I've ever driven.. Just baby it a bit until it's up to operating temps... very smooth shifting with good mechanical feel. My son has an M3 with a UUC shift linkage.. it's the finest shifting feel I ever experienced.. perfect.. The 08 vette comes close... Get the manual and be one with your car..

 

Ah yes, that's the other thing to note (and don't get worried if you feel it). It will be a little stiffer and notchier for the first (for me, anyway) 1500 miles. I found the effort, smoothness, etc. all got much better---noticeably better---at around 1500 miles.

To me, it was good from Mile 2, but to be able to notice the difference at around 1500 miles was kind of striking and memorable. Really, you'll enjoy it from Mile 1, and even more so after 1000 or 1500 miles.

 

Best 6 speed ever designed.

2008 Tremec TR6060 (MM6/MZ6) Corvette Transmission

Source: GM Powertrain

2008 Model Year Summary
Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual car transmission

Wider gears increase torque-handling capability
Stronger one-piece countershaft now standard on all versions
Housing strengthened to minimize flex and improve shifting
New synchronizer system reduces shift efforts
Integrated pump into front adaptor
Double-cone reverse gear synchronizer added for easier reverse selection
FULL DESCRIPTION OF NEW AND UPDATED FEATURES
WIDER GEARS INCREASE TORQUE-HANDLING CAPABILITY
The addition of wider gears is made possible through the use of special fine-pitch teeth synchronizers (below), which reduces synchronizer travel and creates extra space. First, second and third gears average a 15 percent increase in width as a result. The wider gears handle more torque.

STRONGER ONE-PIECE COUNTERSHAFT NOW STANDARD ON ALL VERSIONS
The larger, stronger single-piece output shaft that had been used in high-performance and high-load applications is now standard on all versions of the TR6060.

HOUSING STRENGTHENED TO MINIMIZE FLEX AND IMPROVE SHIFTING
The transmission housing is strengthened where the shifter rails are held in place with shorter spans. This reduces the chance that the rails will flex during spirited shifting, which improves the solid feel of each shift.

NEW SYNCHRONIZER SYSTEM IMPROVES SHIFT FEEL AND REDUCES EFFORTS
Patented fine-pitch teeth on the synchronizers and precisely matched machined teeth on the gear bodies reduce synchronizer travel, and further improve the quality feel of shifting. In addition, the shorter travel of the synchronizers effectively increases the ratio of the shifter itself, lowering shift efforts. The shorter travel of the synchronizers also makes extra space available for the use of stronger, wider gears.

FLUID PUMP INTEGRATED INTO FRONT CASE ADAPTOR
The fluid pump used on the higher-performance Z51 option and Z06 model is now integrated into the front case adaptor of the transmission housing. The re-design of the adaptor allowed it to be made stiffer, reducing flex and increasing durability. The new pump itself also has a significantly increased flow, aiding cooling during high-load conditions.

DOUBLE-CONE REVERSE GEAR SYNCHRONIZER EASES REVERSE GEAR SELECTION
The synchronizer for reverse gear is changed to a double-cone from a single-cone design, which increases the friction area of the synchronizer and makes reverse gear selection easier.

LOW MAINTENANCE
The 6-speed uses Texaco ATF Type III 1863 fluid and is certified "fill-for-life," requiring no fluid changes. The clutch is activated hydraulically, which automatically compensates for clutch disc wear, eliminating manual adjustments. The Tremec TR6060 six-speed has evolved from a design that aimed to require virtually no maintenance in all but the most severe conditions.

OVERVIEW
Both the standard Corvette and the high-performance Z06 use the TR6060 designated as MM6, which is validated to 500 lb-ft of torque, while the TR6060 with the Z51 option features higher ratios and is designated as MZ6. It is validated to 428 lb-ft of torque.

Design features include a combination of double-cone and triple-cone synchronizers on all gears. Synchronizers act like clutches to speed up or slow down a gear that is being shifted to. Double-cone synchronizers have two friction surfaces to effect this gear acceleration, and triple-cone synchronizers have three friction surfaces. The greater the friction surface, the easier the transmission is to shift. In addition, double-cone and triple-cone synchronizers are smaller in diameter than a single-cone synchronizer with the same friction area allowing the transmission to remain more compact. Bearings in place of bushings lower the friction of the shift rail movements for the Corvette, making the shifter feel naturally lighter and more direct.

Refinements common to the design of all six-speed Tremec TR6060 transmissions include needle bearings on all forward gearsets and 5th and 6th gear synchronizers located on a countershaft. The countershaft location of the 5th and 6th gear synchronizers allow those gears to be selected without affecting the 1st through 4th gearsets, contributing to ease of shifting.

The sixth-generation Corvette with the Z51 option uses the MZ6 version of the six-speed, with ratios developed for the M12 which was used in the Cadillac CTS-V. These ratios are higher in first, second, and third gears than the MM6, as well as a lower-ratio fifth gear to increase top speed for the Z51 option.

When the high-performance Z06 version of the Corvette was introduced for 2006, a stronger single-piece countershaft replaced the previous two-piece countershaft for the MM6. The output shaft was enlarged to a 32-spline unit, which is more durable than the 27-spline unit used in previous applications. Also in 2006 the 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission was introduced, and the bolt pattern for the rear of the case extension of the manual transmission was changed to match the same bolt pattern as the automatic.

Originally, the Tremec T56 evolved as a higher-torque capacity, six-speed version of the proven M49 five-speed manual transmission, and was introduced in the 1993 Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird. It was also added to the 1997 fifth-generation Corvette. For the 2008 model year, it has evolved into the TR6060.

Further applications included high-performance models, such as in mid-2004 the Cadillac CTS-V, which used the LS6 engine mated to the M12 higher-ratio version of the transmission, as well as variants that were used in the Pontiac GTO and Chevrolet SSR models.

2008 Tremec TR6060 MM6 11/1/2007
Type: rear wheel drive, six-speed manual overdrive transmission
Maximum engine torque: 470 lb-ft ( 637 Nm )
Gear ratios: MM6
First: 2.664
Second: 1.783
Third: 1.302
Fourth: 1.000
Fifth: 0.741
Sixth: 0.502
Reverse: 2.903
Final Drive Ratio: 3.420
Maximum validated gross vehicle weight: 4000 lb ( 1680 kg )
Case material: aluminum
Center distance: 85mm
Fluid type: Texaco ATF Type III 1863
Transmission weight: wet: 54.9 kg (121 lb ) 61.5kg
Fluid capacity (approximate): dry: 3.8L (4.0 qt) 117 oz.
Power take off: no
Applications: Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Corvette Z06

2008 Tremec TR6060 MZ6 11/1/2007
Type: rear wheel drive, six-speed manual overdrive transmission
Maximum engine torque: 425 lb-ft ( 576 Nm )
Gear ratios: MZ6
First: 2.966
Second: 2.066
Third: 1.426
Fourth: 1.000
Fifth: 0.710
Sixth: 0.562
Reverse: 3.276
Final Drive Ratio: 3.420
Maximum validated gross vehicle weight: 4000 lb ( 1680 kg )
Case material: aluminum
Center distance: 85mm
Fluid type: Texaco ATF Type III 1863
Transmission weight: wet: 54.9 kg (121 lb )
Fluid capacity (approximate): dry: 3.8L (4.0 qt) 117 oz.
Power take off: no
Applications: Corvette Z51

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I have had my 08 for 4 weeks and 2000 miles. I was not able to test drive a 6mn prior to ordering and I had the same concerns you have. I can say I am absolutely glad I purchased the 6mn. Yes it does have an issue cold when shifting into second gear. But the thing has so much torque it is no issue going from 1st to 3rd or 1st to 4th for a few miles. I granny shift until it warms up. I keep a heated garage so it not an issue going to work and it is not an issue if over 60 degrees. I think the shifter works great and do not have any issues finding gears. It is butter smooth when warmed up. When driving in town and I feel like going easy I use 1st, 3rd and 5th. It is getting 22 mph in town driving easy and about 16 MPH being more aggressive. The clutch fees fine. The only issue with the clutch is I am already seeing some discoloration of the clutch fluid. I figure I will change out the reservoir at every oil change. If I had to do it again I would order the 6mn, it is a blast to drive.

 

Have you driven a manual shift C6? If not go drive one and see for yourself.

My 2005 6-speed has been an absolute joy...maybe not 100% perfect but pretty damn close...no problems worth complaining about. I love driving my MN6.