I've purchased a brand new '11 Evo X GSR about a month ago, and I've been to a few track days once its break-in period was done. During my last track day last week, it was very hot out, and I realized during the cool-down lap that at low engine speeds (say 1500-2500 RPM), when I try to shift OUT of 4th gear, there's a feeling of resistance and a bit of vibration that can be felt from the shifter. Shifting IN is not an issue, but you feel the issue shifting OUT of the gear. At high RPMs, I don't feel it at all or it's much less. I felt it most out of 4th, a little bit out of 3rd, and never out of 1st or 2nd. This feeling did not really go away even after I cooled down the car for hours after the track day.

I changed the transmission oil to Amsoil Manual Transmission & Transaxle Gear oil - 75W90 yesterday, thinking I might have cooked the transmission oil during the track day. Now that feeling of resistance is significantly less (and I don't know how much resistance / vibration is expected anyway; I might be fooling myself), but shifts (INTO gears) feel a little bit notchier in my opinion. FYI, the original oil I drained did not have any big metal pieces besides the usual stuff/sludge caught by the drain plug's magnet.

Is my transmission falling apart? Do you have any idea why I felt this happening? I am surprised that this resistance is at shifting OUT, not shifting IN as what usually happens to people.

FYI, the car is currently at 2500 miles, and I do heel&toe or double-clutch wherever appropriate. I have not ever tried to launch the car or did I ever power-shift.

On a side note, I'm not sure if Amsoil makes shifts smoother, since I feel that shifts INTO gears got a bit notchier for me, especially at 1st gear.

 

Noone has an opinion?

 

It turns out someone else is also having the very same issue: http://www.evo x forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51535