i dont know if anyone else gets this but sometimes 1st or 2nd gear doesnt go in smoothly for me, it kinda feels like it gets stuck and i have to apply alot of pressure to get it in. And it sounds/feels horrible! i forgot that rubber bushings are replaced in short shift kits alot of times and that is supposed to give a way better feeling. I was wondering if i could just purchase some bushings somewhere and replace them? i ask this because i think the stock throws are fine, i like a little bit of throw between the gears. That way i can save some money and still get crisper shifts

 

+1

tagged for interest, will metal bushings help? also, anybody else notice a spine-cringing *clunk* out of first when the tranny is cold? it doesn't happen all the time but it will, occasionally.. i've been driving MT since i dumped my permit & got my driver's license, almost 7 years ago, so i doubt it's my inability to drive properly.

C_O

 

i get that so much. my second gear feels so horrible. i feel like a noob everytime i shift into second. and this is the first car that i have EVER driven in that has this feeling. i hate it so much.

 

ugh i hate the 1st to 2nd... it sux! i have a skunk 2 short shifter but am waiting to install till i get a new shift knob.... should b in in the next few weeks.. ill report on that when its done... but fir know i know the skunk2 knob helps with shift feel... i drove coup de tats Fit with the skunk2 knob.. was much better.

 

Well my experience with Skunk2 bushings are more positive with the throws. It's not much shorter than stock. If a new person drove my car, they probably couldn't tell it was a short shifter. But the feeling I get when I shift with them on is way better than the stock. I don't know if you can just put bushings because that raises the whole thing up and I don't know if the cable should be lifted as well.

 

the new bushings won't do much, when i first got my car, it felt the exact same way, but once everything broke in it feels like butter.

 

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I've got a set of these waiting to be installed, but in my case they're going w/ a Mugen short-shifter, so I won't be able to give you any honest feedback. In general though, the 1-2 shift isn't hard b/c of the bushings, it's the tranny itself. I've heard on here that switching out the OEM tranny fluid w/ GM Syncromesh fixes it quite nicely, but haven't tried it yet myself.

 

I have about 2k on my Fit and the 1-2 is way to gnarly for my tastes.

Sometimes (mostly when cold...but not always) it kicks me out of 1st when I am going into 2nd or it feels like I am ripping it out of 1st on my way to a crunchy 2nd. If I go slower it seems fine (agonizingly slow)

This car also feels like I am ripping the clutch apart when its cold (mostly) and I put my foot in (dissengaging the clutch) with a horrible sound and feel.

its not getting really better though....

thanks for everybodies input...keep em comming if possible...

it makes me sad when i can drive a 10-40 yr old MT vehicle seemlessly but my Fit feels agitated.

 

Well the MT has that clutch thing...this is on a few cars I know of maybe more common, but once you get in 1st, you don't have to use the clutch pedal to keep shifting gears. There is a certain speed where you can shift. It's not something everyone knows because you really have to know when to shift. First gear always pops out a lot for me. You can go on the highway and put it in 5th, and then just pull it out to neutral without touching the clutch. I dunno thats just one of those weird things on clutches.

 

thats with every honda i have owned...

 

sorry to bug you...but did you mean that for BlueCell
or everyone else here?

 

that part of what u were saying

 

if/when you can cleanly rev match on certain cars you dont need the clutch. The old CRX's did this really well. I am not even gunna bother to do that on this car though. But good to know its not hard on the Fit.

I thought that has more to do with the torque being applied to the gear (or lack there of) and or designed to make it easy for coasting or dropping a gear easier.

can you clarify what you meant by that one...I am a little confused
thanks.

 

Thanks!

or...errrr...hmmmm...r u sure? (cuz this seems to be such a Fit specific problem for me )

I truly hope I am not being a bother....

 

In First gear like when you are driving normally and you shift into second, the shifter feels like its popping out. I was trying to explain that by how the clutch can work without pushing the pedal. Well first gear comes out with little force. That happens to me quite often and more than i want it to.

 

k just checking (gotcha now)...that is inline with what happens to me sometimes.

Yeah...sometimes its worrying (with full pedal depress)

 

alright, i'm gonna say it... you all suck at shifting. except for bluecell (and possibly jdmchris, if he clarifies his reply). just because you been driving manual for how many years doesn't mean you know how to do it well. if you were never shown what is right then you have no baseline to really compare. anyways, not trying to talk crap.

just last week i solved the puzzle of our clutches. i just kept trying to see how little i could engage the clutch in order to shift gears and found out that just like bluecell says, at the right speed/rpm the clutch will practically shift itself, you just gotta practice, some more so than others, to get the hang. and some advice for everyone else who can't shift properly from 1st into 2nd when it's cold... wait until the blue cold temp gauge light goes off until you drive. it's not just about getting the oil circulated, it also warms up the tranny fluid for none other than, get this, smooth shifts. WOW!!!

 

I was told this is a bad idea, I heard this from a Honda Tech.
Something with the syncros..... I wouldnt do it.

Before my short shifter my Fit shifted smooth as hell. Only shifting "weirdos" Ive noticed was a slight pop from 1st to 2nd. Almost like the car knew you were shifting into 2nd and almost hands the gear shift to you out of 1st. (As said above.) But this is normal, I made a post about it and everyone said their cars are the same way. They just never notices it till I posted.
The shifter always had a "clicky" feel but by no means notchy.
Since adding the Mugen SS its a tad notchy. I like it like that, gives me some feeling.

 

HAAHAAA... but you are talking crap...

Listen ppl, just because your Fit can...doesnt mean ours is the same.
I have test driven many Fit MT's that performed better than mine (some broken in some not) let alone other hondas.

I can definately go seemless and smooth in this CAR (at practically all RPM's, it just takes and unacceptable amount of effort.(and sometimes no matter what it acts like a punk) The likes of which have not been present in the majoriy of MT's that I have driven.

This is true....but I believe it should also be well behaved at other speeds/rpms as well. Again this takes far more effort than any other I have driven (including even a 1960 mini!!!) Maybe a diff fluid would help, maybe there is just something wrong with mine . (which I think is the case)

Not eveyone wants to waste gas and sit at idle to (supposedly) warm up the engine. Just drive carefully and keep lower rpms at first to really get the engine warmed up and circulated. BUT either way my clutch should not sound like its exploding when I depress it sometimes, slow and light or fast and harsh. Warmed up or not! And I can go seemless when cold as well, the car just has bouts of being bratty and it has me concerned!

c'mon you gotta love that full moon smiley...
I love this car...but MINE seems to have quite a few unpleasant quirks that have me quite concerned.
I know of sample variation...but this make/model seems to exhibit far more of it than I would like. to the point where I dont know if its sloppy tolerances or defects???

 

what bluecell said. I would definitely not recomend it, it it may grind when doing it a little, but it can be done. My clutch cable broke on my EF once and I had to do this.