White =)

What I meant is, in a civic you can just sort of slap the stick from one gear to another in one smooth motion. With my MR (haven't driven the 5 spd in years lols so maybe it is a little different) you have to make it a two-part shift. The pause at neutral is not a real pause, it is more of a stutter. You don't actually stop, just kind of break it into two separate parts. I am not sure how to explain it better, but if you try it you should see what I mean. If you actually pause, then it will be a slow shift and your car will not like it.

You want a nice firm, aggressive shift but broken into two segments. And the higher the RPM, the smoother it tends to be. My car shifts like butter on track days, but is finicky on the street what with the short shifting and all.

Just play with it, you will figure it out. Smooth clutch release is important too, but if you did the shift right then that just kind of happens

 

Nice I had this question myself, so glad I joined this forum!

 

is the rear diff noise common among most of the evo's? mine is definatley a prominent noise as well as the whine...

 

Eric, I had a 2004 RS that I bought LATE in the year (OCT 2004) that used to thump on the hard shifts.

 

Hi Kiid,

I'm a newbie here as well as to the Evo, and if you are as well, maybe my experience will help out. I'm driving an 05 Evo 8, I have the ACD and LSD in front, so experience members may want to comment if that affects things differently from your MR.

I faced the same problem the 1st week of driving. I found that my clutch is really sensitive in the 2/10th to 5/10th region of motion.

Saying that better :

Clutch Pedal Free ----------------------------------------------Clutch Pedal Fully Depressed
0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
^------^ ^--------------------------^ ^-----------------------------------^
(Free Play) (motion in clutch) (Free play)

The range of movement required for "motion in clutch" from engaged to disengaged and vice-versa, is so small, that my muscles (used to the clutch in my teggy) wasn't used to such small motion. That resulted in a jerk everytime I shifted up.

Over a week, I spent time doing muscle-memory exercises, really really paying attention to the clutch engagement point, and now, I can control my foot enough to never get jerks - during slow in city drives, or high speed shifts when out in the country roads.

Hope this helps,

RevMatcher

 

anyone find out what causes the grenade rear diff noises? only happens sometimes when i shift fast...adjusting your shift patterns will help, and still allow you to shift fast.

 

knowing how to shift is the most important thing. there is a solution that helps as well, which is changing the rear diff bushes. i changed them to PowerFlex bushes and i lost the kick, even when dumping the clutch, its better for the rear diff and the transfer case.

 

This isn't necessarily chocked up to bad shifting/driving and in my experience I found this problem only when power mods + a tune was done. I spoke to Aaron from English Racing, and he worked on the tune and fixed the issue so that all I feel now is a bit of normal play in the rear diff (to be expected). I think it was something about the way the timing was set in that small window during a shift.

There is a way to do a 2-step/smoother shift (as mentioned above) to get around this but it will result in slower acceleration for sure (unless the kick is so bad that this alternate method results in quicker acceleration).

 

My '06 IX clunks if I drive like a freaking idiot and dump the clutch between gears. If you're coming from a Honda to an Evo, you gotta remember 4WD = way more drivetrain drag. The transfer cases can't handle boy racer shifting. You have to be smooth on the clutch and the lever or your going to hate frequent clutch/drivetrain replacement.

 

Its funny you say "boy racer shifting" then you say these "AWD MACHINES" cant handle it... sounds like a contradiciton to me. Dude im nearly 30. But i guess it takes a smooth guy like yourself to make that happen. Thanks for the help slick.

 

I've got an 03 and this happens when I get happy feet and try to let the clutch out a little too fast, we are talking small increments here.

Here is a mantra that works for me:

When I suck, I suck, and she shifts like a truck.

Some day I hope to quit getting so excited while I'm trying to beat the car next to me.
But there is that damn adrenalin & endorphin rush that always leads me astray

(pause for thought)

Eureeka!!!

I just don't spend enough time at the track!
I JUST need to desensitise myself to all this acceleration
And the shifts will come like floods of joy



Seriously though, I think the comment about the rear diff bushings is a very good place to look as well. I've been putting that off way too long.

 

At least quote me right... Yeah your right, it does take a smooth guy to not drop his clutch and slam gears...

Sounds like you're a little butt hurt...

 

I agree with you, 50%, what you initially stated about how the drive train seems to smoothen out as shifting faster from to gear to gear, but, as far as I know, I have only driven two other cars that stock were as difficult to shift without feeling it in normal driving than in spirited driving was the STi, and the RS4. However, I have talked to numerous people invovled in schooling at UTI and such places, and from the teachers to the students, most people seem to agree the EVO's drivetrain w/ ACD is one of the trickest to master. Perhaps it is true, 4g63 powered EVOs were more like detuned race cars, than sped up street cars.

As for smooth shifting, I have found greater improvement in my shift quality from readjusting my seat, or where I place my foot. And when I get tired of treating it with respect, I just drop the clutch; I don't even worry about it. I have intake and exhaust, no tune, and a St II WORKS Clutch and Flywheel, its grabs relentlessly so i can abuse it somewhat without worry, and same goes for the rest of the drive-line; since i have little extra power going to the ground, the extra wear and tear is minimal in comparison to launching the car outright, then again nothing makes me happier than to take this EVO and abuse it to no end, and akin to what you said, the harder I push it, the better it drives.

 

That all sounds just about rite. I had a transfer case go with the first WW IX. The dealer said "we'd rather you just find another one than repair this one"... (FU*KDSOIUE!!!@OI#U%<MN)!!!!!! GODDA&*(#*@IT!!! 2 months later, here we are. Another WW IX from TN with a stock clutch. It runs like a dream. No horrible bucking when shifting at ANY rpm and have just reached dwnpipe, race pipe, full exhaust (TurboXS), AEM truboost, Walbro 255, ETS intake, and have another plethora of parts goin on tonite for a tune SUNDAY!! Kartboy console bushings, agency power ShrtSft, works cable bushings and SSclutch line... RS trunk bar, Megan CEL fix, and oh yea, WORKS knob. I felt my friends shifter in a VIII with like parts and good god.. NO other car ive been in feels that good. I cant wait. So, as far as the bucking goes.. EXEDY all the way, (unless I can afford Cusco, of course). And thanks to all for you help (except ingnort-a** people that have an inferiority complex [no names]. Ill be back shortly with enough power to warrant a twin-disc. Thanks again.. laterzz

 

Nice

When I had my 06 WRX the rear diff would buck if you shifted it really hard. I could tell it was not happy.