3rd Gear Grind

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hollywood0027

Member
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'08 Black Mica Mazda Speed 3
I have a 2008 MS3. Under wide open throttle (WOT) the shift from 2nd to 3rd just under redline will not fully seat into 3rd gear and grinds really badly. This happens almost 50% of the time, and is very frustrating when I am trying to rape a Z28 for a second time and miss the shift. I have been reading about installing new shifter bushings and wonder if this is the way to go, or if I should install a engine torque damper. These are the two posts I read:

Damper http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123742585

Modify Shifter Bushings http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123692059

I am also thinking of getting the lighter shifter weight from Cobb http://www.jscspeed.com/mazdaspeed3/clutch/cobb_shifter_weight.htm

Let me know what you guys think.
 
I found the shifter bushings helped a lot, especially paired with the short shifter. Also an upgraded rear motor mount will help. This wont eliminate that 3rd gear grind because I occasionally still grind into 3rd but it helps a lot.
 
I've got a rear motor mount and ETD and very rarely have it happen anymore. Eventually going to do the bushings and STS- but I'm not sure how much either of those is going to help. The grinding is caused by play in the shifter cable. Things that reduce engine movement are going to make the biggest difference.
 
i did the bushings/short shifter/ and rear motor mount.

still grind it in 3rd pretty regularly. sometimes making me just want to scream at this car
 
eg6motion said:
WOT shifting into 3rd.... (screwy)
Click to expand...

Obviously I am letting off the throttle for the shift. Engine never goes over redline during entire run. Full throttle to top of first, release, full throttle to top of second, release, full throttle to top of third.....

I would imagine it is the engine rocking on its mounts when I release the throttle and push in the clutch that is causing strange shift linkage slack, not allowing for a clean shift straight into 3rd. Seeing as it never happens on pull gears (2nd, 4th, 6th) I would imaine this is the case.
 
I grind 3rd at WOT at least half of the time even with a SU rear mm and bushings. I think side mounts or a damper are next
 
Howdy, i recommend stiffening up everything you can related to the shifter and transmission. i started with a corksport insert and that helped the motor from rotating which was good because my big intercooler was hitting the hood under heavy throttle. this also helped the shifter feel. This is the cheapest but decent upgrade in this area. I have had trouble with third since stock once in awhile. so i switched to redlne mt90 at around 20k and i like the feel of it when warmed better than stock. I recently installed a top speed passenger side motor mount which was a great upgrade for a couple of reasons. especially for my driving style. But the 3rd shifts are still missed once in awhile. I have a tranny side mount ready to install this weekend ( i hope) and i am going to buy a super stiff rear mount. I think you might be on the right track Hollywood but the rear mount is where most of the load is. I flat shift 3-4 and 4-5 no problem but i think my 2-3 problem is more than just bushings. By the way when i replaced my passenger mount, the stock one was shot!! I do drive the car very hard and it sucks to have to baby 2-3. good luck with that z28!
 
Thanks for the reply ericrapp. How difficult was the rmm and passenger mm to replace?
The guy in the manual Z28 camaro was being a deusch(dance), he drove at twenty mph until I tried to pass on the 2 lane road when he rhomped on it. I was ready, so we both got some great wheelspin (drive2). I slammed into third (it worked that time) and off we went. I kept pulling on him in every gear (gotta LOVE that torque, more than him at less than half the liters) until I finally cleared and pulled over infront of him at 130 mph (wedge). It was exciting enough I wanted to do it again (really just to get his girls number, seeing as she was in the passenger seat with him (upbum). I did the same thing he did to me at the next stop sign, and he would have no part, probably too busy defending his slow car to his gf (dunno). I decided to pull away and leave him in a dust cloud when third would not seat, so I had to pull a quick shift to fourth, after taking third to the grinder (yupnope). Even though I kicked his ass in a heads up race, it still was humiliating grinding the hell out of 3rd while pulling away (pissed). The moral of the story is I NEVER want that to happen again, and I'm sure my bruised 3rd gear doesnt either. I know my car is too new and I have driven it too gingerly the rest of the time to already have syncro problems.
Anyway, if you could point me to the best place to get that stuff at a good price I would really appreciate it. I'll probably do the rmm and shifter bushings and then decide if the strut to mount damper is needed (dont really want to increase the cabin noise if I dont have to). Thanks!
 
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No problem with the with sharing my exp. Just to remind you we are not allowed to talk about street racing and there is a good reason not to promote it. I have been told a couple of times by the moderators to cut it out. But beyond that. I did the insert myself as one of my first wrenchings on my speed. i had a little trouble, but rear motor mount upgrade is easy stuff. I think we have a how too, here somewhere. The procedure is the same regardless of which brand you choose. I do not have amodified shifter setup but many of us do. You might want try engenears free mod first. But ther are plenty of folks you can pm on the details in this area. The top speed was easy also and as i said i love the thing. If you decide to go that route i will be glad to pm you a how to. But i do beleive the rear MM is the best place to start. Do not forget to be safe. An foolish person who races with his girlfriend in the passenger is probably dangerous. Do you have any quarter mile tracks nearby? We have test and tune a couple of days a week here during summer. For thirteen bucks you can run as many times as you want with full lights. You just run the clock and try to better your time. It is a great place to practice your shifting! feel free to pm me with any Q's.
 
Thanks for the heads up. We do have a track near here, but they have been undergoing new management. Last time I drove out there they had closed it for remodel, and last I checked they still hadn't reopened it to Time Only's again yet. I am going to wait until my next paycheck before I perform any modifications, as I just purchased a new motorcycle to toy with and used my modifications savings as the down payment. I will continue researching my options and definitally let you know if I need help figuring out the best install method. It would be nice to have a group like yours down here, but sadly due to the lack of a good track nearby it doesn't seem too possible.
 
I do get a similar problem. No grinding noise or feel just can't shift to 3rd. Feels like 3rd gear is been blocked. No biggie it only happens rarely. Like on those times when I want to show off. embarrassing. I thought I should mention that I have not upgrade the rear mm. Since it only happens when I rip through them gears which I don't do often, so no need to upgrade yet.
 
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I put ~20 dragstrip runs on this car when I first got it and only missed 3rd once. My shifting mods are an epoxied stock rear mm. I think it matters that I have been driving various forms of stick shift, from Capris to Kenworths, over 25 years but, the car does take some time to adapt to. You need to keep the damn engine from moving around as much as possible and shift fluidly to get the most out of it. Banging it as hard as you can, like my supercharged 5.0 demanded, didn't work well at all.
 
Right DV. Absolutely.

Powershift with a light hand is not an oxymoron. It's speed, not force that matters with that shift. Just snicking it up to third with a light but quick palm push works pretty well for me. But I still miss the 2-3 shift occasionally. Just the damn remote cable linkage - can't really do much about that.

I never thought about epoxy DIY on the rear mount. If there are not any serious NVH issues there, sounds like something I might try.
 
Wholly smoke, those little Mercury Capris? That takes me back. I also have driven a few vehicles in my time including some 6 and 8 wheel dual range double clutchers. i am stiil unhappy that i cannot master this second to third issue, and i have tried patience, gentleness when shifting, not throttle. I have considered sending candy and flowers to my tranny to ply her into submission. i will not give up. i had to laugh as i also have embarassed myself. while trying to show off. haa. I should know better at my age! DV i remember your next to free mod i think, not a bad idea but not reversible i would guess! And to hugadors point, the gating is a little odd you cannot feel the edge of it. When i first got the car i was very careful when shifting. My Neon r/t was much more distinct when you had the gear engaged and i could toss that into any gear without worry. I was able to compare them side by side too.
 
Yep, a 1972 1.6 Kent I converted to a 2.8 V6. A pretty hot car for its time. Shifter made of glass though. I got to carrying a spare one in the glove box to get home if another lever broke off in my hand.

I'm sure you could poke out the Epoxy if you really wanted to, or drill it to restore the mount's wobbliness. I assure you, you won't want to reverse it once done.
 
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