I ran into this issue a little while ago and have decided to send the trans in for a build.
The car gets tracked, road course.
I'm in 3rd/4th and sometimes 5th. There aren't a lot of hard shifts, and the car makes 330 wheel. Not a lot of power, and even less torque.. full boost at 3,500-4,000 rpm. It's been setup to be reliable and consistent.

After a few events throughout the year, I can feel the trans starting to "give" ever so slightly. It's an MR 6-speed.
At first I started running into 2nd gear synchro problems. It "crunch" into 2nd, but it wasn't really a grind, only happened when it was cold. Then.. I did something stupid. I added 75-90ns + 3/4 quart of redline lightweight shockproof oil. My issues started right after that, 2nd gear would vibrate like mad under load. I would hear this hammer against tin can kind of noise ever 1/2 second while in 1st gear, 1/4 second increments in 2nd gear and so on. It was speed dependent and not RPM based.

I pulled the trans out, and I sort of wanted to attempt to pull the case to see what could have been the problem before sending it in, to know if I have a serious problem where the entire shaft would have to be ordered from Mitsu or not.. well I don't have the tools to pull the damn case off. I called it quits. Sending the trans in for a build.

1. I can go with TRE. His website says $1,285 for a basic rebuild, BUT 2k if gears 1-2 are bad. His turn around time for a transmission is supposed to be 2 weeks. I haven't had anything but great experiences with the guy and he's possibly the most knowledgeable person i've met. But the fact remains that it's 1) more expensive and 2) getting a hold of him is difficult 3) his turn around time estimates aren't always on par.
I'd be expecting a bill to read $1,800-2,300, I want the gears shot peened and I want everything REM treated.

2. I can go with Shep. People have had good things to say about the 6-speed he rebuilds. His turn around time is usually on par and It doesn't seem like he has any dissatisfied customers. $775 for the basic rebuild (this is a selling point for me) plus he has upgraded bearings and 1-2 synchros. He offers REM but not shot peening. I expect my bill to be $1,200-1,300

3. Jacks trans? Haven't really seen too many reviews.


This is my daily at this point, which makes me sway toward Shep and the ability to have the trans back quickly.
I never want to have a problem with the 6-speed transmission again. I don't make enough power to mess anything up.. I don't shift like an idiot. I shift like a road racer, swift and smooth. My clutch is an Exedy twin carbon, it has a 400wtq limitation and it is super easy on the synchronizers. I don't ever plan on making more than 400awhp, but I plan on shifting at 8,500rpm all day.

I want some feedback. What is my best option in terms of speed and reliability?

I apologize for the long read, but I'm in a bind and do not want to make a mistake..

 

i had a jacks box put in in une due to 4th/5th gear syncros on track. no complaints whatsoever, and like you said the core exchange is very useful. it took 3 weeks i think from order to receive it? and that was basically in peak season.

 

Still track it? 6-speed? How much was it if you don't mind me asking?

 

5 speed. and yes been out twice on the new trans, it was good and now it feels even better with the diff mounts i just put in now that the drivetrain is mostly locked down finally.

i just did a stage 1 nothing crazy, i think it was like 875? it's on their site.

 

6-speed is a different animal unfortunately...

 

sorry i missed you having a six speed.

 

Anyone have a built 6-speed?

 

No one does a built 6speed. Shep did a run of 6sp billet gear set for the 6spd.Wasn't cheap. Not sure if they still have any sets left or plan on doing anymore..

I had Ivey rebuild my 6sp. He did a good job and price was right. You can't go wrong with either TRE or Shep.. Jacks doesn't do the 6sp. Not sure i would keep tracking your car if you want to keep the 6sp. Just my opinion. You would be better off with a built 5sp.

6sp really is a totally different animal. Not many want to mess with it.

 

Shep ftw! I have a 6-speed and when it bites the dust it's going to him

 

Going 5-spd is not an option. Plus, if I bought a used 5-spd, I'd absolutely have to go get it rebuilt. That's another $800-900 on top of the used trans which would be $700-900. Oh, and the conversion which would be another few hundred. In the end it would work out to cost more..

 

i think you need to weigh the initial buy in cost of a 5 speed swap vs spending on a 6 speed rebuild and THEN having to do a 5 speed swap.

ive seen one guy run a 6 speed seriously for bit with a good cooler setup but im quite sure he went 5 speed very shortly after.

 

The car was initially a 5-spd. I hit the track 3-4 times with it, and hated it. Going into 5th was like being in overdrive. I cut a full second swapping to the 6. If I plan on staying even the slightest bit competitive, the 6 would be my only shot at it.
At a 330-350 awhp level, If I run into any issues, i'll bite the bullet and go back to a 5 later.

 

4g63 transmissions are rough shifting! But overall the car is beast when you want to make power!

 

Instead of paying for a rebuild, then a second rebuild when that one fails, just get a build 5-speed with choice ratios and be done with it.

 

I appreciate all of the responses to switch to a 5-spd, but please understand I'd REALLY prefer not to switch to a 5.