Is it normal for 1st to 2nd being clunky with the Supertek Short Shift Kit?

 

Clunky going into gear itself or a little harsh when letting off the clutch? Nothing in the transmission should be clunky. Mine's smooth as butter with the Supertek. It just reduces throw so provided it is installed correctly that shouldn't be your issue at all. If you have worn shift bushings though that could help make that issue a little more pronounced. I paired mine with the Torque Solutions shifter bushings and MTEC shift spring and it's a fantastic combo. How many miles are on your car and have you ever changed the fluid? If it's over 50k you should probably change it, it will make a huge difference with how smoothly the gears engage with the synchros. Personally I strongly recommend Redline MT-LV as it's the proper weight and GL for the tC. You would need to buy 3qt of it. It's a very easy process to change the fluid and you should do it every 50k or so depending on driving habits. For reference when I changed mine ~70k it smelled burned, so it was definitely past due. There is a DIY on here but scroll down the thread a bit to my notes to make sure you do it correctly, as the OP post needs updating.

However, if its clunky when letting off the clutch its likely due to your shifting technique or the fact that the front motor mount (torque mount) is extremely soft, filling this with urethane (60A kit) will help it glide into gears much easier. It will add a little NVH but once it breaks in it's really not too bad. Nobody makes aftermarket front mounts for this platform anymore so that's really your best option. If you go that route I'd recommend picking up a spare OEM mount and filling that so you don't have downtime as the urethane kits take about a week to cure, especially during the cold season.

 

I have a '12 tC2 that I bought when it had 47k mileage and I am unsure if the previous owner ever changed the transmission fluid. The car is now at ~60k mileage. When I shift through the gears, it does not feel smooth and buttery as you describe, it'll go smoothly into the gear but halfway in is when it feels like there's a resistance so I have to force it a little to get over that resistance. This is what makes it feel clunky to me.

 

Ahh, yeah definitely swap out that fluid. Regardless of mileage, 8+ years is a long time to run a gear oil. Sounds like the synchros are a bit sticky. Fresh fluid should help tremendously.

Once again, grab 3 qt's of Redline MT-LV

Check this thread for basic DIY instructions and see my notes in post 6: https://www.scionlife.com/forums/sci...change-234789/

 

Alright, thanks! I’ll update when I get it done

 

Rad!

If you do it yourself, please try to take some pics if you can and we can build a proper DIY thread for it.

 

2nd gear is clunky for me as well. Sometimes if I go from first to second too fast there's a vibration/slight grind, especially in the cold