I was wondering, does a short shifter really smooth out the shifts well? I shift ok being that it is my first manual car, but I was wondering if having the gear engage faster= to smoother shifts. Or is it all in how I let out the clutch? Any help would be greatly appreciated

 

SS is one of the greatest mods.

 

it's not like it gives you any HP or anything, but I personally like the feel of the SS...

 

A short shifter would help you get to your gear faster; it'll still shift like crap if you don't release the clutch correctly.

A short shifter + the other upgrades like bushings will also bring better feedback to your hand when you are changing gears.

 

I had a short shifter as my first mod
to shift smoother its mainly about clutch timing
get a lighter flywheel if you want the gears to engage faster
but a SS is definitely a great driver's mod

 

great thanks for the help. I have been having trouble shifting smoothly from first to second seems to jerk sometimes. is it how i let out my clutch or do other people have that problem from 1st to 2nd? I think I shall get a ss and a rear sway bar for now

 

I don't get a smooth transition from gear to gear and its annoying.
I hate the feeling of the stock shifter.
I'm comparing this to the TSX, RSX-S, and S2000.
They feel like butter; the tC is like burnt toast.

 

try Redline MT-90 trans oil
very good reviews

 

how often do u need to replace manual trans oil? is it like so much better after u changed oil

 

You can sometimes notice the difference (depending on how bad the oil is and if it has a lot of particulates in it) especially if you have grinded a lot. Better oil just means better lubrication so all around better smoothness in shifting.

As for changing it, I don't know the exact measurements for the oil change mileage/time, but it isn't as often as a normal oil change and you really don't need to change it all that often unless you are leaking / have a lot of crap in it.

I have to say though, the SS is nice, before this car I hada Honda CRX Si and that throw seemed decent when I was driving it but after driving the stock tC the throw is a lot shorter, none the less with the SS you can tell and it does feel a bit smoother so I would definitely recommend getting one.

 

If you just got this car and start driving stick few weeks ago I would wait until you will get better with your shifting. I just think short shifter is not for beggubers because it takes more effort to shift (until you got used to it) and also shifts are shorter. But again it's only my opinion. I installed mine after driving tC for like 4 months and I'm still learning but I can shift pretty smooth now. So eather way you won't regret after getting one.

 

I would recommend a SS for the tC to anybody. They are relatively cheap and when combined with both base and cable bushings, shifter feel is vastly increased over stock.

 

i have the Doc I's GS ultimate and honestly its harder to shift than the stock oem shifter (kinda hits a soft 'wall' when you pass over the neutral position during shifting), but yes the shift throws are much shorter. i kinda miss the mushy feel of the stock shifter in a way..easier on the palms, but i figure i'm just not used to the SS yet =p

hopefully a tranny oil change will make things a little smoother.

 

I was thinking of getting a SS myself. Does anyone have the TRD SS? How do you like it?

 

Just get the Doc Iso. It is as high quality as stock materials, works great, fits great and is affordable. Plus, it is always nice to support a business that came about out of the forums

A short shifter does add effort, and takes away the mushy feel if you swap out the bushings with it. So this will make it feel like a harder shift, although it is crisper and more solid feeling. I am very happy with mine. I recommend going with a 50% reduction in throw and no more than a 2 inch reduction in height personally. Seems to be a good happy medium between effort and short shifts.

 

it sounds to me like your problem is just rough shifts, you are still learning to drive stick, I have the stock shifter and can shift from 1st to second completely smoothly, You need to rev match it a little and be gentle with the clutch. Just give it some time and practice. Short shifter is good for a lot of things, but not for making the shifts more smooth

 

great thanks for the advice. I was looking at getting a doc I ss. I just have another question. I do rev match from 1st to second and it smooths it out but when u do it is ur clutch fully engaged? and I was wondering, the time to shift from 1st to second is slow and i see my rpms drop a lot. If the ss shortens the throw so it engages faster wouldnt that mean that the rpms would stay up for a little longer so i wouldnt have to rev match as much?

 

Yes rpm will go down no matter what but short shifter will save you 0.5-1 second so rpm won't go down that much. Good thinking.

 

You shouldnt worry so much about rev matching when upshifting. Just concentrate on shifting at the right point. Shifting at 3000 rpm or so makes for a nice, easy shift on the tC. Let off throttle, clutch, shift, release clutch and add some throttle. That is all there is to it really. It is all timing. Start getting used to not looking at the tach. Just listen to the motor and feel how the car is pulling. It will eventually just come naturally.

 

ok that sounds like a good plan. magic number 3000 lol. thanks i will listen to my motor. I guess i just need more practice since i have only started driving for a few months. So then a rear sway bar would be better to get first?