Andysherman

Looking for voices of experience before spending $$ on new shifter... recently having difficulty with 1-2 shifts, often won't get into gear & feels hard to get it to "notch", if that makes sense, all other shifts are ok... albeit seems more sloppy now. Assuming it's the OEM shifter itself (and it has the rebuilt lower box swapped in last year), planning to go with MGW replacement. Just wanting feedback on full confidence that it's the shifter & not tranny gear/synchro wearout...

h8snow

2012 GS mine is slow to shift till warmed up. Might check your master cylinder fluid make sure it stays clean change often.

Andysherman

Appreciate the reply... clutch M/C is good, new fluid w/oil changes...

Dutch08

I had exactly the same problem. In my case the notch would be less as the trans warmed up. I did all of these things (over 2 years) trying to fix the problem and now it shifts perfectly.

• MGW shifter - much improved gear selection, tight, precise but can make the "notchy" feel more pronounced because its short throw you have less leverage.
• MGW shifting - as a forum member told me don't shift "old school" into the gates, shift by a push/pull and let it handle the gates ( ??? but worked for me!!)
• Ranger method - kinda worked, but definitely recommended.
• Venom mod - improved shift effort, a little less notchy except when cold. well worth the $3
• Skip shift eliminator
• Replaced all fluids in transmission and differential
• LS 7 clutch, new slave w/TO bearing, remote bleeder, flywheel, pilot bearing ----- pilot bearing was dried out and nearly frozen.

Now I'm not saying that you need a new clutch but all of these things made a small but noticeable change to my shifting feel. I think my 05 Z51 @ 55k shifts wonderfully now.

Andysherman

Thanks... have done everything you've detailed except obviously the clutch & shifter.. The MGW was on my want-to-do list anyway, so I think that'll be what's done next. There's 85k on the car, clutch itself still has a great feel, so no plans to replace that anytime soon!

Dutch08

LOL - another person looking for the perfect shifting 'vette !!!!

So I'll add this ... I used Mobile1 Dex III ATF in case it makes a difference. Also the MGW has a threaded stem, it you screw the stem (at either end) further in or out, it changes the leverage quiet a bit and you can fine tune the feel.

Andysherman

Thanks... the CF console looks great, did you wrap that yourself?

CJKC6

I found that the shifter on my 05' was exactly as you are as describing. Switched to Redline synthetic and got the 1-4 skip eliminator. They helped some, but it just seemed inherent to T56 trans. I specifically got an 08' to get the LS3 and the newer trans -- def better shifting! Sorry I don't have a solution but wanted to let you know you're not imagining it.

Dutch08

Yep, (so far) I do 100% of my own work. The wrap is 3m DiNoc. I tried ViVid but thought it looked cheap.

cgladish

i have only had two issues that I've noticed ( in 2-1/2 years ).
the 2 - 3 shifts I have to be a bit more patience then other gear switches. I've enough about switching another
shifter. i may do that when i need to replace the clutch. as far as i know, it's still the original clutch ( 154k miles ).
the other issue is one i had on my previous car too ( '98 Z/28, T56 ). when making a left hand turn from a stop
( i.e. left turn lane ), the 1 2 shift feels very notchy. initially i thought that maybe i was putting extra pressure on it
( from leaning on it due the left turn ). but even being aware of this, and purposefully shifting normally,
it will still have a notchy feel. otherwise, no issues.
well, i do have a one time issue. after a rather aggressive run, the clutch peddle only gave back up about half way from the floor.
after i pulled it up manually, it shifted fine.

SladeX

Try a little test when shifting 1-2, try a quick pull back similar to a pull back 3-4 shift. I see a lot of people putting a lot of side pressure inwards going 1-2 which tends to add more of a notchy feel to the shift. This feel gets worse as the stock shifter wears along its components and gets some extra slop. The MGW shifter eliminated this feel in both my camaro and c6

bigron1212

What worked for me...its not perfect but I'm 98% satisfied.

MGW Shifter
Venom Mod w/1 washer
Amsoil Tq Drive Trans Fluid
Change Clutch fluid every 2-3 months using Prestone Dot 4

My car is a 08 with 41k miles on it. Clutch is strong still.

Spaceme1117

This may be obvious but have you done the shifter alignment procedure?

1Willy1

mine poped out of second 3 times , but I really don't think it was fully in gear due to the notchyness you talk about , I didn't click it all the way in

I wouldn't go crazy and start thinking big stuff just yet, id bet a short throw shifter would fix it completely

steig

Amsoil made mine feel smoother. Used Amsoil in my C5 and just changed my C6 fluid. Both cars, Amsoil made shifts smoother

Andysherman

I tried your suggestion, SladeX, & that seems to do the trick... today it went into 2nd every time, could feel the "click" of engagement. Still feels really sloppy, will order the MGW, but may wait until Carlisle to see if any discounts can be applied for the show...

GS-Zero

No matter what, you won't look back after doing the MGW. However, your problem may not be the box, but the hydraulics. Could also be the 1-2 synchro. For me, the problem only stopped after there was nothing left to replace.

First step:

Put the car on a lift. Get in the driver's seat and shift into 1st, keeping the clutch pedal fully depressed. Have someone check to see if the wheels are moving. Do the same for 2nd gear. If the wheels move even a little bit, you're looking at a hydraulic issue. Master cylinder is the most likely culprit, slave cylinder is next. If the wheels don't move at all, install the MGW. If the problem persists, it's time for a transmission overhaul. Do carbon cone synchros and bronze fork pads while you're in there, if that's the case.

captain vette

i have the same situation with my 2011 GS i always have to pull hard and be concentrated when shifting from first to second all the other gears can be shifted very easily though.

Ahrmike

Redline D4 ATF for my trans. I swap it out every other oil change.

Angel23

I had slightly similar issues in my 2009 c6 with 35k miles. Ended up trading it on a c7 for that reason. 2nd gear was notchy and rough only on upshifts from 1st. I would get a grind on all 1-2 shifts (occasionally popping out of gear) in any ambient temperature under 70 degrees. Swapped stock shifter for mgw and lower box and my issue cleared up. I replaced the mgw with a rebuilt box and oem shifter and the grind returned. Last day I owned it I took off after about a 30 min ride and the 1-2 shift grinded so bad, I thought the tranny fell out of the car. Give the mgw a shot to see if it cures your problems, and gives you a positive engagement. I think my issues were more extreme