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C6 Manual Shifter Is Rough

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Old May 26, 2005 | 08:53 AM
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Default C6 Manual Shifter Is Rough

This is my second Z51-- 6 speed and the shifter seems pretty nochy and rough. Is this normal?

Is there a way to make it smooth?

The car already has 1000 miles on it so it is as good as it will get I think. Seems that the other car was smoother.

Thanks.
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Old May 26, 2005 | 09:35 AM
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hurst shifter will solve those problems
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Old May 26, 2005 | 10:48 AM
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Originally Posted by rbl
This is my second Z51-- 6 speed and the shifter seems pretty nochy and rough. Is this normal?

Is there a way to make it smooth?

The car already has 1000 miles on it so it is as good as it will get I think. Seems that the other car was smoother.

Thanks.
it also rattles, when is the hurst one in, GM should pay for it
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Old May 26, 2005 | 11:42 AM
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If it still feels rough, I would take it back to the dealer for inspection. These shifters are smooth when working right; long, but smooth. If you don't mind the higher-effort, a good short-shifter would help; don't know if they are available yet.
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Old May 26, 2005 | 11:54 AM
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I still think it'll keep smoothing out over more miles....
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Old May 26, 2005 | 02:22 PM
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Default not a matter

Not really a matter of miles as much as a matter of shifts. Mine took 2500 miles to smooth out but seems whenever I did city driving and the GW bridge it got smoother faster. I did however replace it recently with a Hurst and after a month of driving the Hurst is beginning to smooth out a bit better. Takes time.
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Old May 26, 2005 | 03:39 PM
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Thanks for the input folks!
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Old May 26, 2005 | 04:18 PM
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I had the same problem as soon as i got my car, first 400 miles were so bad, i really thought i had a broken car, i really did, after 400 miles it got quite a lot better at about 1100 miles now, it's not too bad, but if i take a drive in a german or japanese high quality car(such as a bmw or infinity) there is a huge difference. the *** and german cars shift so so smoothly, i don't mind if the shifter was designed to be rough; like the old muscle car's if it is not behaving like it should i would like to take it into the shop. i am taking it to supposedly the best corvette shop in ohio to ask the chief machanic drive it and tell me what he thinks. that's the plan some time next week, i will update this thread and let you guys know what he says.
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Old May 26, 2005 | 04:27 PM
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Yeh, if your not happy bring it in.
My C6 has a nice shifter, I'd say maybe 1/3 longer and 1/3 harder to shift than my old Miata. But that Maita was shifter nirvana!
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Old May 26, 2005 | 07:59 PM
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My experience has been that it shifts fine under normal driving conditions or even most performance driving. I have had a number of occasions, though where I have REALLY been getting on it (powershifting) and the trans would not go into gear. I've logged a lot of miles in two C4's with the ZF6 both on the street and track and never had this problem... I would have to say that I am less than 100% satisfied with the manual trans in my C6.
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Old May 27, 2005 | 08:23 AM
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I've been noticing that 3rd is a little "notchy". I'm probably going to swing by my dealer, and let my service writer drive it, just so I can get it "on the record".

Aside from that, it does feel alot tighter, and more difficult to shift, than the "euro cars" I've owned in the past (BMW, Porsche), but all the american made manuals I've driven, never seem to compare to the ***/German models - ease-of-shifting-wise.

Regards,

Rick
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Old May 27, 2005 | 09:34 AM
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With 800 miles on my Z51 6-speed tranny, it is still very stiff getting into second under full throttle...resulting in a few missed shifts (ouch!)
I'm also hoping it smooths out with more miles. My 1969 Plymouth Hemi 4-speed shifted smoother than this!

I may have to try the Purple Max tranny fluid, which for some people have anecdotally improved the shift effort.


Last edited by docrings1; May 27, 2005 at 01:47 PM.
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Old May 27, 2005 | 10:19 AM
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Originally Posted by docrings1
With 800 miles on the Z51 tranny, it is very stiff getting into second under full throttle...resulting in a few missed shifts (ouch!)
I'm also hoping it smooths out with more miles. My 1969 Plymouth Hemi 4-speed shifted smoother than this!

I may have to try the Purple Max tranny fluid, which for some people have anecdotally improved the shift effort.

I've had the same experience with a very stiff 1-2 shift (Z51, CAGS eliminator, 1800 mi). It improves a lot after about 15-20 minutes of driving, which I assume lets the trans oil (ATF) warm up. Until then the only way I get smooth shifts is by double clutching the upshifts (no throttle blip when the clutch is brought out in neutral). That works very well, but it sure puts a damper on fast starts. But maybe the car is telling me it wants a little more warm up time before it wakes up. In the old days we'd say the car had "personality", and that was one of the reasons I bought a Vette rather than BMW or Porsche. But I'm starting to think that some Royal Purple Syncromax oil might improve the "personality" a bit. Anybody else have experience with it (good or bad)?
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Old May 27, 2005 | 02:37 PM
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I changed out the trans fluid (Redline D4ATF) in my Z06 and that helped. I've been considering doing the same to the C6 but I have less than 1000 miles. The C6 shifter is way better than the stock C5 Z06 shifter w/Redline. Now when I swapped to the Kirban shifter that was a huge improvement. The fluid is a cheap and easy fix and it can't hurt.
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Old May 27, 2005 | 08:47 PM
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my hurst is on order ... still waiting!
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Old May 27, 2005 | 09:05 PM
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Originally Posted by tfenton
my hurst is on order ... still waiting!

From who, I called hurst and no c6 yet
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Old May 28, 2005 | 12:33 AM
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The dealer took mine apart for the same problems, put it back together and it still didn't work right. At around 7000 miles they put a new tranny in and guess what........................ it still doesn't work right. Now at 10600 miles, it's going back for more tranny service.
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To C6 Manual Shifter Is Rough

Old May 28, 2005 | 06:13 AM
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Originally Posted by smdio
hurst shifter will solve those problems
So will an automatic
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Old May 31, 2005 | 10:00 PM
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Default shifters

I would get a short throw shifter, But you could try syncro mesh I am pretty sure that is what it is call.
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Old Jun 1, 2005 | 10:35 AM
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The C5 Hurst shifter fits perfectly in a C6 & GREATLY improves shifting, especially under full accellaration.
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