Very notchy freshly rebuilt transmission

[robs90tsi]

I cannot figure out why my trans is notchy, I just had it rebuilt by Devo Tuning a month ago, and its been notchy since day one. I use Costal 75w-90 in it, I dont believe that it is the trans itself, but either my master cylinder, cables, etc. Im not sure is the point, its bugging the hell out of me, ive searched millions of threads and nothing has worked, ive swapped the fluid 2 times, both times using costal, adjusted my clutch pedal that grabbed realll close to the floor, helped very slightly but trans is still notchy. New slave cylinder and clutch. Also, this is why i dont think its the trans, sometimes it will fall into gear no problems at all, like butter, but most of the time its notchy, especially 2nd gear. Someone needs to help me out im sick of having a notchy trans, if it is my trans i would like to find that out ASAP becuase i didnt just blow 1K rebuilding the damn thing for nothing, so any help at all would be greatly appreciated, thanks guys. Oh ya, and another note, shifting to 5th is fine all the time, goes right in, never notchy not once.

 

[dsmclipse97]

Well from what i heard the 1G transmission is always pretty notchy. Maybe it just needs a good break-in. How many miles have you put on it since the rebuild? Try redline synthetic, when i switched to that for my diffs and tranny it worked wonders.

 

[robs90tsi]

Ive got well over 500 miles on it, close to 1K if not slightly more, my shifter bushings are a little sloppy, coudl that cause or contribute to such a problem??

 

[dsmclipse97]

It might be the shifter bushings, i would start there, it could also be the shifter cable, you said your clutch cable was off so it wouldnt be a far stretch to say the shifter cable is off too. I didnt have any problems when i had my tranny rebuilt so i wouldnt know how to adjust the shifter cable or if you even can.

 

[robs90tsi]

I adjusted my clutch pedal via the clutch master cylinder rod, never touched my shifter cables really, but i planned on buying a symborski shift kit when i get the money to, but i just want to know what it could be, i dont like to just throw parts at it and hope that fixes the problem

 

[FORMONTOYA]

I would assume it to be the shifting mechanism over the transmission myself, especially given the age. The shifting setup (cables, brackets, bushings, pedal, etc.) pretty much suck. Rubber parts deteriorate over time (bushings, cable ends, etc.). During disassembly they get trashed even worse.

Check the simple stuff before expecting the worst.

 

[robs90tsi]

I would assume it to be the shifting mechanism over the transmission myself, especially given the age. The shifting setup (cables, brackets, bushings, pedal, etc.) pretty much suck. Rubber parts deteriorate over time (bushings, cable ends, etc.). During disassembly they get trashed even worse.

Check the simple stuff before expecting the worst.

Right, which is exactly what im doing, i just needed a few second opinions, thats all, ill start with the shifter bushings, then go on from there, ss clutch line, hell if i have to new shifter cables all together, does anyone know if brand new cables are available through an aftermarket source?? I have a 90 so i need the longer cables.

 

[GVR4592]

I'd say its a combination of things. Most new transmissions are setup pretty tight and take a couple thousand miles to "loosen up". The fluid you are using is most likely not the correct fluid for our transmissions. If it says GL-5 anywhere on the bottle it's going to make shifting more difficult and damage the synchros, you need a GL-4 fluid.

If you've been having this problem since you installed the transmission the first thing you should've done is called Devo and explained to them what you are experiencing. You should always give the vendor a chance to help you and/or correct any problems before you start a thread about it.

 

[robs90tsi]

i have called devo, im not saying anything about them, i love their work, i am just looking for my fellow DSMers opinions, they Mike at Devo told me to swap fluids too, I just figured since they are more Evo oriented I would try and ask the guys on here whove had experience with this, so ill try that again with a different combo, im just looking for suggestions here as to what can help me fix it, nothing more.

 

[GVR4592]

I would just change the fluid then, get some Synchromesh or Redline, those are both safe to use in our transmissions.

 

[TurboDreamzGST]

hey im actually having the same problem as you....i just had my transmission re-built about 1500 miles ago i also have a very notchy feel going into 1st....sometimes it slides right in really nice and other times its kind of hard or notchy as you said...the same goes for second....as for 3rd 4th and 5th....i havent had a problem with those gears...i replaced my shift cables right before the re-build on the trans. and im still having the problem....i'm also going to try and use a different gear oil as everyone suggested but if you figure out what the problem was and you fix it could you please PM me and let me know....i'll do the same for you....thanks man and good luck

 

[NewTurboTuner]

I think its a combo of problems too.

The SS line is almost a must have.

Also I had a rear motor moun bolt back out once ...That let the engine and trans flex just enough to give me a problem.

 

[robs90tsi]

I think its a combo of problems too.

The SS line is almost a must have.

Also I had a rear motor moun bolt back out once ...That let the engine and trans flex just enough to give me a problem.

Huh, thats interesting, im going to try everything i can to figure this out, im going to start with the shifter bushings and trans fluid, and see what happens from there, btw very nice paint job on the talon.

 

[Indyxc]

A couple things:

New Transmissions tend to be notchy, as they are built "tight" to ensure longetivitiy.

With that said, there are things you need to check:

Are you using a heavy pedal pressure clutch? IE ACT 2600?

Is it adjusted properly?

Is your hydraulic system bled properly?

How far does the clutch disengage off the floor?

Is the pedal assembly worn out?

Is the shifter linkage adjusted properly?

I'd be willing to bet it's a combincation of a heavy clutch, worn out pedal assembly, and shifter linkage slack.

 

[robs90tsi]

A couple things:

New Transmissions tend to be notchy, as they are built "tight" to ensure longetivitiy.

With that said, there are things you need to check:

Are you using a heavy pedal pressure clutch? IE ACT 2600?

Is it adjusted properly?

Is your hydraulic system bled properly?

How far does the clutch disengage off the floor?

Is the pedal assembly worn out?

Is the shifter linkage adjusted properly?

I'd be willing to bet it's a combincation of a heavy clutch, worn out pedal assembly, and shifter linkage slack.

Ok, I agree with you, but most of this i have covered:

Are you using a heavy pedal pressure clutch? IE ACT 2600?-ACT 2100, dont have a ss line yet, will be gettting one though

Is it adjusted properly?-the pedal? yes, i have adjusted it

Is your hydraulic system bled properly?-yes

How far does the clutch disengage off the floor?-2 to 3 inches

Is the pedal assembly worn out?no

Is the shifter linkage adjusted properly?-dont think so

 

[sloganish]

in my experience with my 1g, i feel the same thing, its also a little notchy on cold start before i let the car warm up around the block a couple times, by notchy, do you mean grinding or clicking in hard? as long as gears arent grinding id say your good to go, i reiterate what was said previously, that the new trans internals are built close to ensure longevity, it can also be the state of mind your in, especially if your used to driving the car with a trans thats had 100,000+ miles on it, in addition, i just got out of the "honda game" and went from a beat to shit d series trans to a fresh b series trans, felt notchy like you explain, but its a mint trans, no grinds whatsoever, so dont worry if you replace all the afformentioned items and the trans feels the same, its fresh as a babys ass, and if it doesnt grind your good to go