I've done it a few time, it feels very notchy even when the car is going only at 10km/h. tried double clutching and heel-toeing but still couldn't get a smooth shift. Is the Evo designed to do that at all?

 

I find I don't need to downshift into first all that often. It bogs a little in second, but picks up rather quick (quick enough for commute driving).

Often times first gear isn't syncro'd as well (or sometimes at all) as the others (speaking across all makes and models of manual transmissions), which explains the difficulty notching it in while the car is moving.

As far as it being bad, it can be if you have to grind the gears to engage it (or if it would over-rev the engine), but if you're in second and slow down to 5 mph and want to downshift, I doubt you'd hurt anything.

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Sometimes during a long'er' commute I'll find a time where first is nice to crawl with, and I'll shift from second to first BUT I usually attempt this after waiting about 10-20min for the RedLine fluid I have in the tranny to warm up. If I try this when things are cold double clutching becomes quite game to get the tranny to slip into first. When things are warm I've been totally surprised at how fast 1st will spin up going way 30mph. This is the first manual car with 1st syncros built so well that when the oil is doing its job it just slips right in! Good Job Mitsu! (Now...if you'd only just approve some Synchromesh usage I'd be a really happy camper!)

Later,

jcnel.

 

I've had vehicle that wouldn't harely go into first unless I double-clutched (and let it rest for a second in neutral). It's weird.
I'm used to it - not a problem.

 

I've gone into first during auto-x events at speeds of 20-30 MPH. I was hesitant the first time, but it clicked into gear so easy, I don't even think twice about it

 

once things warm up to normal temp., everything works so perfectly, it's amazing, I never miss a shift or have any trouble getting it to go into any of the gears.

 

I could feel the tooth of the gear 8/10 times. maybe the syncros no good?

 

I feel that rev matching, heel/toe when shifting to first gear from a roll works well.

 

I have to over rev a little when I rev match to get into 1st, otherwise it just won't go in.

 

Personally I almost never shift into 1st if the car is moving ... my rule of thumb is that if it's rolling, it's 2nd gear or higher. If I'm slowing down and know that I'm going to come to a complete stop, then I just gently push the shifter against the first gear gate, and after a second or so it'll slide into 1st smoothly, no grinding, etc. If I try to force it, then it's a pretty rough shift, which is pretty much par for the course on all manual trans cars I've driven. Rev matching will probably do the trick, but I'm just too lazy to do it, hehe

 

When AutoXing I Heel-toe into first all the time with no appreciable grind or problems engaging.

You do have to rev match well or it will upset the cars balance.

The Trans is synchroed with triple cones in 1 , 2 and 3rd I believe, so a downshift to first is fine as long as you are properly rev matching.