Until the gearbox warms up you will find 2nd gear a bit stiff. Book says 80/90 oil but 75/90 makes the change a bit easier
oh, ok...thanks mate....I recently did have it serviced, and its not bad really....just needs an extra nudge until warm like you say.....interesting
I find, my Mondial doesn't need 2nd.....I don't use it until car is up and running well into the drive....sometimes never use it
+1, same for me. But I do go to second when I have to go slow and always keep it out of 1st as long as I am moving, even a little. Alden
The 2nd gear synchronizer seems to either be weak or just take a lot of wear, so if you occasionally skip 2nd, voila, less use means longer before it needs replacement.
the whole 1-3 gear change is really overblown. I wait 5-10 minutes - smooth as butter... you have to wait 5-10 minutes anyway to let the engine warm up so you can rev to 7,500 - so it's not a big deal at all. Just meets a the quota for 'negatives' when a automotive journalists sits down to tabulate things on the 'con' column. Cheers
Yep, my thoughts exactly....in fact, anything on the car that I can get away with not using, I will, especially if its electrical
Wrong thoughts its not the sychronyzer. when your transmission is warmed up (10-15min) and you can shift into second gear.. It is not your sychronyzer, but the oil that cannot get away from the second gear shaft that that goes into the transmission case. There is also a resolution for that, but you would need to bolt the transmission off. and redline will not fix it.. Example of the MOD. A hole drilled so that transmission oil can escape when going into second gear when cold. The second pic shows a radical solution of drilling from the outside.. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I wonder if this is the same for a 1989 Mondial T. It makes all the sense in the world. If it were a "weak syncro", the issue would be there hot and cold. Amazing that the Fcar engineers or designers of the trans missed this? Thank you for the important information Rich
If my car is any indication, same with the t. It is the same issue from what I have read. Using Redline tranny fluid helps some, but did not cure the problem. And I am not in a cold climate. 1st to 3rd at about 3500 rpm is not a problem. Usually by the time the oil temp gauge starts to move, the 1-2 shift is fine. I always rev match on the downshift, so that is not a problem. Regards, Jerry
It's also worth noting here that if your clutch is worn, stiff 2nd will be much more noticeable. Also, rather than going to 3rd you can also just double clutch between first and second and voila. Works every time and after two or three times the trans will be warmed up anyway.
Thank you all....that was very educational. I was thinking about this thread today while out in the car....mine very happily goes from 1st to 3rd....ill change down into 2nd once I see the temp gauge go up a bit